We knew from the forecast that today was going to be wet and it sure was. But that wasn’t going to stop us in our exploration. In fact where we were going, it would transform the landscape into a moody atmospheric wonderland. That is the thing with nature. Depending on the day, the season, the weather, what you get is your own personal and unique experience.
Since we planned a walk we drove straight to Dakigaeri Gorge before the heavy rain arrived later in the day. The lack of sun meant that the cobalt blue waters of the river weren’t accentuated, but we were still delighted with the low clouds falling down the valleys. It was gorgeous. In saying that I think that a sunny Autumn day would be spectacular. My first view of the gorge from the carpark was definitely not to be sniffed at.
The word Dakigaeri means “hugging back” and reflects the days when the mountain paths were dangerously narrow and as people passed each other they literally had to “hug” and support each other to pass safely.
Dean planned to carry on the tradition and hug anyone coming in the other direction. I was grateful the tourists stayed home on this cold wet day and we were alone in the gorge.
The river has been dammed and is the site of a hydroelectricity plant. Our first glimpse of one of the dam walls showed it had been built with the steps up for the salmon.
The walk along the gorge is easy with no hills. Through the trees you catch glimpses of the blue river that you can hear rushing by. The moss growing on the wooden rails shows what a damp environment this is.
Part way along a little spring has had a pipe put into it so you can better access it to get your dose of “mountain wine”.
This suspension bridge led straight into a tunnel through the rock.
And then a beautiful waterfall.
With the weather closing in we didn’t go any further, but headed out to find somewhere for lunch. But before we move on, click on the video below if you’d like to join us on a stroll through the gorge.
As we kept driving this rice paddy tractor was travelling in the opposite direction. Look at those wheels!
Dean decided he wanted ramen for lunch and we found a restaurant with a review for the “best ramen in Japan”. So we gave it a try. We walked in and there were seats for 8 people along a bench looking into the kitchen. There was a bench seat against the wall where you sat to wait.
At the door there is a machine where you make your order and pay. It spits out these tickets that look like our old fashion train tickets and you hand them to the old momma in the kitchen. Obviously this step took us a while, trying to decipher what all the buttons were. When we were done we took out seat and waited for a place to become available at the counter.
Ramen is meant to be slurped with gusto, something I am not entirely at one with, so as we sat there it was silent, except for the slurping of eight people getting stuck into those noodles. Finally someone left and it was our turn! The chef, I would say the old momma’s son, said something in Japanese and waved the tickets at us. We had no idea what was being said, so I think everyone decided to let the conversation go. We would just put ourselves at the mercy of the ramen chef. Life is an adventure afterall!
A huge cauldron of stuff was bubbling away with all of these smaller pots inside and the chef scooped and stirred away. We were presented with a bowl of broth with things floating in it, then a large bowl of noodles and meat that you added to the broth, and a tiny bowl of some kind of flavouring to add “to change the taste”.
Was it the best ramen in Japan? Well I don’t eat enough ramen to judge, but it was very tasty and I’d definitely recommend it. So if you are in the vicinity of Hana Usagi restaurant and feel in the mood for ramen, make the effort and visit! We were just glad we were at the end of the lunch rush hour so weren’t under pressure to slurp too fast and move on. As I was the designated driver, I had my alcohol free beer, as in Japan you are not allowed to drink and drive.
By this stage the rain had really set in. Next on our agenda was the Kakunodate samurai district. We realised after we parked and got charged 500 yen that this was going to be a bit too touristy for our taste. But money paid, we had a walk around. It was beautiful and would be amazing in cherry blossom season, but worth the crowds? For us not. Being a rainy day it wasn’t too bad, but still there were bus loads of people visiting.
By the time we reached the Statue of Tatsuko on Lake Tazawa it was raining quite heavily. According to legend Tatsuko was beautiful and wished to maintain her youthful looks for all of eternity. She prayed to Okura Kannon, the deity of mercy and compassion, who answered her and advised her to drink the water of a nearby spring. However showing some things ever change, Tatsuko went a bit overboard on her ancient alternative to Botox and plastic surgery and drank the spring dry. And she transformed into a dragon (sounds like some celebs I’ve seen online), to prowl the depths of the lake for the rest of eternity.
Apparently she got her wish of eternal beauty because a beautiful bronze statue covered in gold leaf, created by Funakoshi Yasutake, was made in 1968. The gold leaf is used to protect the bronze from the acidity of the lakes waters.
The picturesque little shrine nearby, together with strategically placed stone lanterns, has made this a destination for brides and grooms to get pictures taken on their special day in front of the brilliant blue waters of the lake which unfortunately on our gloomy day isn’t shining through.
Although we did not expect a wonderful view we still drove up to the lookout through Katamae mountain forest park. On a blue sky day I would imagine this would be filled with picnickers, but for today it was just us. It would have been amazing to see the azure blue waters of the lake, however it was still a gorgeous view.
But for now our day was over. I was pretty exhausted after driving on unfamiliar roads all day in the rain and was ready for home. Still fairly full from our ramen lunch we picked up a light dinner from seven-eleven and made our way home.
Run to Paradise 