By Kendra Evans
For those who love experiencing nature
first-hand, Yamanashi Prefecture is a perfect place to be. Some of the highest
mountains in the country are located here. 78% of the prefecture is covered by
forest, and around 30% of the land is designated as national parks. These
features all make Yamanashi one of the best places for hiking and nature
trails.
We were lucky enough to take a trip to
Nishizawa Keikoku, a canyon in the Chichibu-Tama-Kai National Park. Situated
north of Yamanashi City, this area is very popular for trekking and mountain
walking. I can’t say I am very good at exercise, but I am always ready to see
new parts of the prefecture, so I went along with my other colleagues, to try
the hiking course and see the famous waterfalls.
 |
| A map of the National Park |
Our hiking course was a 10km route, all the
way around the canyon - starting from the car park at the base. The weather was
good, and the route was quiet. Before we had even reached the 1km mark, there
were beautiful waterfalls and gorgeous views waiting to be seen.
 |
| One of the first waterfalls on the hike |
 |
| The route guide |
From this map, we could see the route laid
out. The midway point is just past the Nanatsugama Godan no Taki, a five-step
waterfall deep in the mountains. The route loops back around to where you
start, and so there is no need to retread the same path, making all the sights
along the way different and exciting.
 |
| A view of the mountains and forest around us |
We set off at a good pace, passing by the
signs for the mountain climbing routes. There are many high mountains in the
Chichibu-Tama-Kai National Park, including Kobushigatake, a mountain range with
a height of 2,475m. For those who want to do some serious climbing, you can
start from within Nishizawa Keikoku.
 |
| For the veterans |
The first few kilometres of the trek are
heavily wooded and shady. The temperature is very cool as you climb, thanks to
cover from the trees and the altitude. Every now and then, the path will emerge
near another waterfall, as it climbs up along the Fuefuki River. The route
continues up hill, and the left hand side of the path quickly becomes a longer
and longer drop down towards the bottom of the canyon as you walk.
 |
| Trekking |
We saw a few other hikers on our way –
including many elderly people! The route is quite rocky, and I wondered how
they managed, but if they are in good health and know how best to hike, it must
not be so challenging. Many people bring hiking sticks, backpacks and
waterproof coats, fully prepared.
 |
| An easier section of the path |
 |
| A more 'challenging' section of the path |
 |
| The Sanjuutaki |
We stopped for lunch at the Sanjuutaki, a
three tiered waterfall around the 3km point. The water here is incredibly clean
and it is difficult to pull your eyes away from the vivid blue colour. The
entire scene was gorgeous, and a perfect place to stop and relax.
 |
| The clear blue water |
After our picnic, we continued on up the
path. From here, the route became very rocky, and in some parts I had to use
the chain attached to the rocks to pull myself up. I was definitely glad I wore
my hiking boots! It was difficult at times not to fall over, because with such
stunning scenery around you, you don’t want to spend the entire walk watching
your step!
 |
| Watch your step! |
Along this route, the waterfalls became
much more defined. One of the largest was the Dragon God Waterfall, a
fast-running stream of water shooting along the boulders and smoothing them
down. We also went past the Womb Cave, so called because of its round shape. At
one place, we found a piece of metal sticking up out of the rocks. I thought it
was a snake at first, but it was actually an original piece of an old train
line! I had so many questions – but they were answered later in the walk.
 |
| Dragon God Waterfall |
 |
| The view of the Dragon God Waterfall |
 |
| The Womb Cave |
 |
| What is this? |
 |
| Hey Yuri-san! |
Eventually, after almost two and a half
hours, we made it to the Godan no Taki, the famous five-tiered waterfall. The
view was simply amazing. The pathway goes all the way around the waterfall,
giving a complete view. What fascinated me was the way the water seems so still
in the pools, only to be gushing out at an intense speed from just under the
rocks.
Here, we took a short break, before
continuing on. The path had been so rocky before, and my legs were beginning to
ache. I was a little worried about continuing onwards – but I was reassured
that after the Godan no Taki, the path becomes far more flat and even. This
second half was definitely much more relaxing and easy going than the first –
but in my opinion, it is much better to do the more challenging half first.
Though the second half is flat and easy to walk, it is still almost 5km! You
wouldn’t want to walk for that long only to have a downhill rocky trek, and you
might be too tired to enjoy the view. Certainly the sights during the second
half of the walk were a little less spectacular than the river and waterfalls.
There was, however, an amazing view of the mountains of Chichibu-Tama-Kai
National Park.
 |
| Taking a break |
 |
| Getting moving again |
 |
| The flatter half of the route |
You might be wondering why the path is so
different once it passes the Godan no Taki. The answer to that lies in the
train track from earlier. During the Showa Period, there was a lot of logging
and industry in the mountains of the canyon. The Trokko, the Japanese term for
a minecart, was used to transport logs and other materials down the steep
mountain. The route is very flat because the track lines had to be laid down,
and there are not many twists and turns to reduce the chances of losing
materials out of the cart. The Trokko was stopped in the late years of the
Showa period, when wood from abroad became cheaper than producing it
domestically. I found this history a fascinating element of the National Park;
it is an interesting insight into the different values this area has had to the
people of Yamanashi.
 |
| The trokko lines |
 |
| Explanation about the trokko |
We took the second half of our walk very
leisurely, listening to music and enjoying the light breeze. We passed by some
rocks, where the waters from the river source above us had found a way down the
mountain. The water is so clean you can drink it from spots like this! It was
very tasty – although I was told that the flavour is improved if you are tired
out from hiking!
 |
| Yuri-san trying out the water |
Although the trees were alive with the
sound of birds and insects, we didn’t see too much wildlife on our trek –
except when we found a tiny wood mouse amongst the leaves. It was so tiny and
cute!
 |
| Can you find the mouse? |
There is a small shrine along the path
around the 8-9km mark, where we paid our respects. Past the shrine, the path
opens out to lead back to the starting point, and the signpost marking our 10km
walk. My legs may have felt like lead afterwards, but it was a truly amazing
experience! I highly encourage anyone to try it out.
 |
| The Shrine |
 |
| The last stretch |
The best way to get to Nishizawa Keikoku
with public transport is by bus from Enzan Station. However, there are only a few buses a day, so my advice would be to go early! The bus schedule is the second set of charts found
here; 塩山駅南口 is Enzan Station South Exit, and 西沢渓谷入口 is the entrance to Nishizawa Keikoku.
Happy Hiking!
 |
| Complete! |
No comments:
Post a Comment