This foliage I observed in Oyama, Kangawa prefecture. Perfect day to see as far as Tokyo bay and Shinjuku. Since I already put video about Oyama, this time I will add just short video and photos.
Image: Look from Oyama - perfect day to see almost all Kanagawa prefecture
Image: Look on mountains
Image: Trees were light up
Image: Autumn foliage during light-up
Video: look from top of Oyama, winter look
Rainy day hike around mountain called Mitake. Close to Tokyo and easy access with cable car, makes this place ideal destination on rainy day. On top (929 m) is famous Musashi Mitake Jinja shrine. In video, main shrine building is seen in red color and I was there when it was right in the clouds. In the yard are smaller shrines, which are devoted to specific topic, like for traffic safety, safety at home, for success in education and knowledge etc. See them in 360 degrees turn scene in shirne yard.
Further on hiked around nearby forest, where two waterfalls can be seen. Trail was muddy, forest was foggy, but the views were wonderful.
Video: Musashi Mitake Shrine and waterfalls in nearby forest
Image: Look on Musashi Mitake shrine
Image: Mythical dog guarding shrine entrance
Image: Low clouds made panorama views beautiful
Image: Forest is mysterious in the fog
Image: This rock looks a little bit like gorilla's head (friendly)
This place is located nearby Okutama valley. Here my previous post about trip to Okutama valley.
Access:
Train from Shinjuku to Tachikawa, then to Ome, change again for direction to Okutama. Closest station is Mitake. After getting out of station, bus stop is on the left and near big road (2-3 min walk). Bus goes to cable car station.
FYI:
In this area one hotspring is moegi no jou. It is near Okutama station - last stop of Okutama train line.
This place on the map. You can move around by draging mouse.
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Hiking during very cloudy and rainy day. We went to Hakone and it started to rain. Had some lunch and decided what to do next with this rainy day. Not much options during the rain, so we choose to go by local small train, cable car and then some hiking in forest. Path, which started at the end station of cable car, lead us to salphur springs.
Everything was in white cloud. Time to time wind brought smell of salphur, then we knew we were on right path. Rain made us completly wet. After hiking walk around Lake Ashi and to Hakone. We met some tourists on the way, it seems that there are always some tourists don't matter what the weather is.
Image: forest in the low clouds
Image: this time forest seemed to hide some secrets
Image: Salphur springs
Here is my other pics about Hakone.
Going back by bus in the rain. This is national road number 1 from Tokyo to Osaka, but most cars will use express roads. ♫
Azegamaru (畦ヶ丸, 1 293 m) is forested mountain with soft white rock (probably sort of calcite and dolomite). Many mountain rivers and waterfalls. Good hike, but not so many good views since very forested.
Trails are very good with many bridges, wide track, mountain huts with toilets etc. It is part of Tanzawa-Oyama quasi-national park. Oyama also belongs to Tanzawa mountains.
Image: look over Tanzawa mountains
Image: forest in Tanzawa mountains
Image: object, which was placed on top of mountain.
Video while driving to Tanzawa mountain range. This route has everything - view on white Fuji, high bridges, passes through narrow mountain valleys etc.
Oyama means "big mountain" in Japanese, but acutally its not so big by Japan standards (1252 m). If weather permits, from top nice view on Kanagawa prefecture, Yokohama and Tokyo.
Halfway up to peak is located Oyama temple. Trail is wide, but has many stones. During my visit, Oyama was busy with hikers, because of holliday time. Many people came with children and managed to climb mountain.
Image: Oyama temple, front view
Image: Look on trail
Image: Look from temple yard towards ocean
Oyama mountains is also beautiful is autumn foliage.
Temple in the middle of mountain can be reached also by cable car for those who don't want to walk much. There is some tea and snack houses just outside cable car station. On the left side of temple, trail continues up to top of Oyama mountain. Climb starts with very steep stairs and rail in the middle. Sometimes can miss this entrance.
Oyama temple on Google map.
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Access:
First to Isehara station on Odakyu line (goes from Shinjuku). Then bus just outside Isehara station. Buses have electronic table with "Oyama cable car" written, so it’s hard to miss it. This mountain is very well accessible even for casual climbers.
