Today I woke up refreshed and ready for a hike – a real hike. I’ve been walking all over Japan; without a car it’s the only option. The exercise is great, but without any hills to climb, I’ve been getting antsy to go upwards.
I researched a hike in Northern Takasago, the same town where my high school is. According to the pamphlets I read, the mountain, Mt. Takamikura, is this area’s version of Mt. Fuji. I started by taking the train into the area, and then set my GPS so that if I got lost, at least I could find the station. As it turned out, that was a really good idea.
As I started out from the station, I made an immediate wrong turn, and after consulting with some people on the side of the road, I turned around. Luckily, I had brought the pamphlet about the hike along with me, so I could show them that – the title was in Japanese. Once I got on the right road, it was about half an hour to the base of the mountain.
At the base of the mountain, there was a large shrine, the Kashima Shrine. It was a beautiful old shrine wrapped into the hillside, surrounded by trees. Apparently it was a bit of a destination for other people, as there were about twenty or so Japanese people there going through the rituals. I admit that I don’t know shrine etiquette, so I observed quietly, and tried to figure out what was going on. The smell of incense was strong, and because it was a partly cloudy day, some fog would blow through every once in a while.
After taking lots of pictures, I had a short conversation with the people that worked there, and figured out where the trailhead was. The trail ran behind the shrine and up the hillside, through some strange jungle-type brush. After about a half an hour of climbing, the trail turned sharply, and there was a rope tied to the top of the rocks. That’s it.
Apparently the people that designed this trail felt that rather than cutting out switchbacks to make the ascent easier, climbing a rope like Batman was the better option. Since I was already halfway there, I climbed the rope, and once I got to the top of the rocky hillside, things settled down into a nice easy trail again.
At the top I was able to enjoy a great view of Takasago, Kakogawa, and even Himeji. I could see pretty far out into the ocean, despite the cloudy weather. The view was worth the climb.
After enjoying the view for a while, a couple of people passed by and said hello. I was able to find out where there was a trail going directly to my train station, instead of going back the way I came (I didn’t want to go down the rope). The rocks were wet with some earlier rainfall, and it was difficult to maintain your footing – I fell down twice.
As I got back to the base of the hill, there was a bus waiting right there. I jumped on, since it was going to a station closer to my home. Unfortunately, I didn’t check my money situation before I got on. I had the equivalent of a $100 dollar bill on a city bus, and that doesn’t work well. Fortunately, I had some change, and I was able to get off without causing an international incident. The driver was a little confused, but then so was I, so I’ll call it even.
Once the bus left, I turned on the GPS, and it was only 1.3 miles to the station. I figured there was another nearby, but I thought that it was best to stick with the sure thing and I hiked the 1.3 miles. From the station it was a half hour train ride home, where I showered and relaxed.
Upon further reflection, the hike probably wasn’t such a great idea. Without literature in English, I’m really unprepared for terrain and weather. Without knowledge of the local flora and fauna, I don’t know what could be around the corner. In California I could identify dangerous things – rattlesnakes, poison oak, etc. Here, it’s just guesswork. Once I get the internet connection going, I’m going to have to do more research and learn a little more before I go out.
