travel

Revealing the hidden Kamikochi

6 Comments
By Sodai Taira

Are you thinking that Kamikochi is just a mountain resort? Or that just walking around the area and enjoying the view is enough? If your answer is yes, you are only enjoying half of Kamikochi.

The basin surrounded by the Northern Japanese Alps is full of interesting culture handed down for generations by local people.

SHK (Sacred Highland Kamikochi) conducted a survey targeting non-Japanese tourists and found that there are some people who not only want to enjoy the nature of Kamikochi but also the culture. As a result, SHK discussed this point with the guides of Kamikochi and developed a tour that delivers Kamikochi culture, the “Traditional Style Guide” tour.

SHK executed an experimental tour on Sept 8 which took place from roughly 8 a.m. to 12 noon. And as Walter Weston, the father of Japanese modern mountaineering, showed to the world the existence of Kamikochi, the greatness of Kamikōchi is now going to be spread to the world again through non-Japanese.

For the memorable experimental tour, SHK welcomed Kazunari Okuhara (the former owner of Gosenjyaku Lodge), one guest from England, another from Australia, and myself who acted as the translator of this tour.

Living Legend

Mr Okuhara, currently 73 years old, is a living legend having spent more than 50 years in Kamikochi. He is an alpinist and has climbed Mt Roppyaku-zan, a rocky mountain in Kamikochi famous for still not having a well-maintained trail, an amazing 220 times.

His appearance with his "nata," a Japanese knife similar to a machete, got the guests indulging in humorous comments such as, “This guy is the Japanese Crocodile Dundee!” and “We aren't scared of bears anymore!” His friendly characteristics also made me laugh throughout the tour.

To show us a bit of history, Mr Okuhara also brought along a traditional straw hut and sandals from the museum and an ice axe handed down from his grandfather. These relics got the firm attention of the guests before the tour even started.

Kappa-bashi Bridge

To begin the tour, we started in the center of Kamikochi at Kappa-bashi Bridge, the most famous tourist spot in Kamikochi. Mr Okuhara explained that it was the fifth bridge built at that place and was built 101 years ago.

The guests were interested and continually asked interesting questions like, “Why was the bridge built at this location?” and “How did the local people cross the river before the bridge was built?”

When Mr Okuhara told of his memory of the eruption of Mt Yakedake in 1962, the guests were even more interested, listening carefully to every word coming out of his mouth.

Kamonji-goya Hut

From there we began walking along the Azusagawa River and continued for about an hour. It was then that we spotted the main highlight of the tour, the hut once used by Kamijo Kamonji, the man who guided Walter Weston to Kamikōchi.

This famous hut, Kamonji-goya Hut, is known for being a traditional Japanese mountain hut, something very rare these days.

Inside the hut, we listened to stories of Kamijo Kamonji by Mr Okuhara while we sat around the "irori," a Japanese traditional fireplace, and ate grilled "iwana," Japanese river trout.

Kamijo Kamonji

The story of Kamijo Kamonji living in Kamikochi by himself was particularly surprising to the two guests as back in those days Kamikōchi was a place where people rarely traveled.

The Englishman commented, “With the number of natural disasters in Japan being so much higher than in England, I cannot believe that an old man was living in Kamikochi by himself even through winter.” I was also deeply impressed, as I have hiked over Tokugo-toge Pass, the only way of access to Kamikochi back in the days of Walter Weston and Kamijo Kamonji.

On the other hand, the Australian guest seemed very interested in the traditional construction of the mountain hut. He looked up at the deep black, soot-covered ceiling above the "irori" and asked, “How often do you clean the ceiling?”

Hotaka-jinja Shrine Okumiya & Myojin-ike Pond

Leaving the hut, we went to Hotaka-jinja Shrine Okumiya, a shrine is dedicated to the god of Kamikochi (once known as the highland that the god descended to). Mr Okuhara prayed at the shrine, and the guests followed Mr Okuhara, imitating his actions.

And next at Myojin-ike Pond, there is a hushed silence. To me, it felt mystical, as this was where the god once descended.

From Myojin-ike, we returned to Kappa-bashi Bridge, stopping on the way at a river that Mr Okuhara showed us. There we refilled our water bottles with cold and refreshing water and listening to another story from Mr Okuhara, this time with pictures.

Great Guide

Throughout the tour, the guests’ attention was fixed on Mr Okuhara. He showed us some of the amiable aspects of his character like suddenly singing his original song "Praise of Roppyaku-zan" toward Mt Roppyaku-zan and how he beats off monkeys that get too close to tourists.

(These days, the distance between humans and monkeys is closing, and this is becoming a problem due to Kamikochi being a national park trying to protect the balance of nature.)

Take You Back Home?

During the tour, I kept hearing the same phrase from the two guests, “This is similar to that back home.” I found it interesting that the places they were referring to were a national park in England and a tropical rainforest in Australia.

It seems that Kamikochi's hidden beauty was drawn out through the “Traditional Style Guide” and through Mr Okuhara, the guide with such a long history in Kamikōchi.

This hidden beauty took this tour's participants back home for a while. Maybe it is “mountain culture” that takes us back.

Join The Next Tour!!!

SHK is now planning to execute a second “Traditional Style Guide” tour because of the positive results from the first. We will announce on our website the date, tour content, fees, and other details when they are decided. The next tour will be open to many more participants than the first. Please join us if you want to see “the other half of Kamikochi”.

For further information about the tour, please contact us through SHK’s Guestbook (http://www.kamikochi.org/guestbook) or Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/kamikochi).

© Sacred Highland Kamikochi

©2024 GPlusMedia Inc.


6 Comments
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Good article...but writers out there should be careful how they word things. He does what to the monkeys when they get too close? Sorry about my childish sense of humor. I do want to go here though.

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Sounds interesting for seniors with time on their hands. Might also be good to educate younger members of the family,especially for city types who lack experience of real nature.

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@hachikoreloaded: Ha ha ha ha ha. I guess it's not always hot springs that put a look on a Japanese monkey's face like this: http://www.themanyfacesofspaces.com/Japanese_Macaque_aka_Snow_Monkey_20.jpg

There are some photos of Kamonjigoya here: http://kamonjigoya.com/english/

I loved the natural environment of Nagano Prefecture. Naganese people are said to often have an independent streak, possibly derived from their distance from Edo during its eponymous period. Have to love 'em for that.

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This is a heavenly place. Your Japanese girlfriend knows this place but she may never take you. This is Japan's Garden of Eden.

Growing up I remember that Japanese girls would only take me and friends to Roppongi and nightlife spots. They were never interested in taking their foreign boyfriends to Kyoto or places like Kamikochi. They always hid the best parts of Japan from us.

If your GF takes you to Kamikochi she really loves you cause this is the spot. I remember one hotel being about 50,000+ for one night but it was worth every yen. Bring a good pair of walking shoes and make sure your camera is charged with a fresh memory card. You'll take more pictures than you can imagine.

Don't smoke!!!! Please don't smoke!!! This place is heaven. Please don't pollute this area.

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NetNinja??? Before we were married she lived in Oaska and took me to Kyoto and Nara in the first week of my first visit here. We don't all live in grotty Tokyo.

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