and wander ONLINE STORE

This Hiking Club starts and ends at Mugikusa Hutte. Although the forecast for the day was cloud followed by rain, there were still some patches of blue sky shining through in the morning as we set off through the bright spring greenery.

11 a.m. We start our hike from the Mugikusa Pass trailhead, led by mountain guide Noriko Yamamoto… or so we thought until she says “there’s something I want to show you”. We follow her to the lakeside where she proceeds to show us some Dragon’s gold or luminous moss. Everyone is delighted at the mystical sight of the faintly luminescent moss.

Our guide, Ms. Yamamoto, lives at the foot of Yatsugatake. With her motto: “walk gently in the mountains”, she shows us that hiking is not all about trying to conquer and tick off as many peaks as possible. Our trusted guide, she helps us discover all the small natural fascinations that are to be found in the mountains. This is the second time we have asked her to accompany us into the mountain, following our previous hike in Kita-Yatsugatake last winter.

For about an hour after we start walking we admire the many marvels of Kita-Yatsugatake’s forests: the “Kokuyo no mori” (forest of obsidian) which was a source of obsidian for stoneware during the Jomon Period (14,000 - 300 BC), the “Shirakoma no Okuniwa” (back garden of Shirakoma) which is surrounded by subalpine plants such as the Japanese stone pine (Pinus pumila) and the lingonberry or mountain cranberry (Vaccinium vitis-idaea). Then we enter the “Shirakoma forest”, which is surrounded by conifers and where the ground is covered in an undulating carpet of moss. The topsoil around here is so thin that most plants are unable to spread their roots, making it the ideal environment for moss to photosynthesise.

We take a short break at Shirakoma Pond. Although it’s called a “pond” it is in fact a lake with the largest surface area of any natural lake in Japan above 2,100m. We look out over its expansive waters as we recharge. Our guide Ms. Yamamoto enjoys some niboshi (small dried fish) and nuts, a snack that she highly recommends.

From here on in we must be careful not to slip as the path becomes very steep. When taking big steps, it’s best to try and use your hands to steady yourself.

On our way to Takamiishi Goya we pass through Takami Forest where we come across Pteridophyllum, a flowering plant endemic to Japan. There are 10 forests located around Shirakoma Pond, and just walking around these forests alone provides plenty of opportunities to enjoy the native plants and moss.

Takamiishi Goya

About 40 minutes from Shirakoma Pond we arrive at our accommodation for the night, Takamiishi Goya. It’s lunch time when we arrive so it’s busy with many hikers. Everyone in our group was hungry after a morning of alpine exploration.

Takamiishi Goya was built in 1956 and still retains its old charming appearance. Open year-round and located only 1 hour away from the trailhead, it’s a popular destination with hikers. It’s also well known as a great location for star gazing as well as for its culinary delights, such as the lunch menu age-pan (deep fried bread rolls) and the delicious meals served to overnight guests.

Takamiishi Goya also has a long-standing relationship with and wander. Not long after the brand was founded, Takamiishi Goya was used as the location for the 2012 SS season catalogue photoshoot, and it also participated in and wander’s “Mountain Hut Support Project” in 2020 during the Covid-19 pandemic.

After filling our stomachs it’s time for more adventures. We all clamber up onto Takamiishi, which can be found just behind the hut. Takamiishi is a pile of volcanic rock that was formed millions of years ago by volcanic activity in the area. Below us is a stunning panoramic view of Shirakoma Pond where we just were.

Takamiishi Goya manager Taku Kimura

After completing the busy lunch service, Takamiishi Goya manager Taku Kimura gave us a special guided tour of the surrounding area. He tells us about the history of Takamiishi Goya, what mountain hut life is like, about moss and mushrooms, and about why hiking paths are deteriorating and the challenges involved in maintaining them.

For example, we see places where the edge of the path has been carved out, leaving a layer of soil exposed. He explains that top soil is gradually washed away by the repeated freezing and thawing of frost columns during the winter, and the compacting of soil due to people walking on the paths. In this way, the deterioration of hiking trails is caused by a combination of natural and man-made factors.

The lamps are lit and it’s time for the evening meal that we’ve all been looking forward to. Takamiishi Goya always tries to serve homecooked food made using local ingredients and tonight’s menu is: hamburgers served with a mushroom cream sauce, deep-fried prawns and clam chowder, with lots of vegetables. The rice, a blend of white and black rice, is from Nagano prefecture (rice refills are free). What a spread! There’s even tiramisu for dessert.

A night with the stars

After dinner, Mr. Kimura, who is also known as “Professor of the Stars”, gives us an astronomy class. Although Kita-Yatsugatake is known for having mostly clear weather, on nights when the stars are not visible he uses a projector. As we listen to him telling us all about comets, and about how to find different stars according to the season, the stars suddenly start to feel that much closer.

After enjoying a Takamiishi Goya style night with the stars, it’s after 9 p.m. and time for us to go to bed in order to be well rested for tomorrow. As we close our eyes, vivid visions of the forest from the day fill our minds. Comfortably tired — we wish you good night!

DAY2

Morning in Takamiishi Goya

Breakfast is at 6 a.m. When we wake up a delicious smell greets us from the dining room. This morning’s menu is prawn and avocado sandwiches, sausages, pumpkin, green salad and yogurt. We are grateful to be able to eat so many fresh vegetables despite being up a mountain.

It’s been raining since last night, and we decide to delay our departure until it lets up a little. While we are waiting, Mr. Kimura tells us that “there are people who have written about a rainy Yatsugatake” and reads us “Kitayatsu-hoko” (Wandering in the Northern Eight) by Akihisa Yamaguchi and “Yama no Pensée” (Thoughts of the Mountain) by Magoichi Kushida.

Takamiishi Goya is a veritable alpine library, full of books about the mountains and the stars, with everything from novels to photography collections. Curling up with a good book would also be a great way to enjoy a rainy day in the forest.

Rain, mountain trails and maintenance

Once the rain slows, we put on our raingear and set off. Following on from yesterday, Mr. Kimura is coming with us again today. Although it was for just one night, we all feel truly refreshed in both body and mind after our stay at Takamiishi Goya. Thank you!

Soon after we start walking we come across lots of large puddles. Mountains are affected not only by compaction of soil cause by people, but torrential rains can also wash away surface gravel. As a result, puddles form in places where the ground has lost its ability to absorb all the water. As hikers walk around these areas to avoid the puddles this leads to a widening or multiplication of paths … many mountains paths get stuck in this vicious cycle.

Mr. Kimura explains that it’s important to do maintenance not only using materials brought up from the foot of the mountain, but to also use materials from the surrounding natural environment, such as fallen trees or small branches, to disperse the force of the flowing water. Mr. Kimura has been practicing such techniques for the past few years, for example by creating ishigumi or rock arrangements using stones and rocks of different sizes, or laying fallen trees in a zigzag pattern across the path to divert the flow of water from right to left.

However, it’s not easy to restore a natural function once it’s been lost. Who do mountain trails belong to? Part of the responsibility for looking after them must lie with people like us who use them to enjoy the mountains.

After listening to Mr. Kimura we ask “is there an opportunity for us to help with maintaining the paths”. He tells us that up until now it’s mainly been done on a volunteer basis by mountain hut staff or other people from mountain huts, but there’s still not enough people, so they are considering creating a system for the general public to be able to participate too in the near future. We at the Hiking Club would also like to help, even if only a little.

After going through the forest of Shirakoma we arrive back at Mugikusa Hutte. We take them up on their kind offer of a short rest and leave our bags there while we go to our last destination, “Jigokudani” (Hell Valley). On a sunny day it would take about 15 minutes, but today we take our time due to the puddles.

After walking for a while, we suddenly come across a large bowl-shaped depression in the ground full of large rocks covered in moss — the remains of a volcanic crater known as “Jigokudani”. Encouraged by Mr. Kimura who tells us that we can go down to the bottom, we climb down gingerly. With each step down the air becomes colder. The bottom is as chilly as a fridge, and we notice some residual snow.

After exploring Jigokudani the group returns back along the same path to Mugikusa Hutte, and after having lunch, we head back to Chino station on the Kakinoki-Kanko bus.

We stayed in a hut in the ancient forest, we wrote our stories in the stars, we caressed the brightly coloured moss. Although our experiences over the past two days brought us closer to nature both in body and spirit, we also realised the acute importance of mountain trail maintenance.

Kita-Yatsugatake in the rain is full of amazing discoveries that inspire all five senses. We hope you will also enjoy visiting Kita-Yatsugatake, just be sure you are properly prepared and plan carefully.

【The route taken by the Hiking Club】

Date: 22-23 June, 2024
Mountain: Kita-Yatsugatake
Location: Takamiishi Goya
Altitude: 2,300m
Distance: Approximately 5.5km (total over 2 days)
Route: Day 1 – Mugikusa Hutte (11:00) … Kokuyo no Mori (11:35) … Shirakoma no Okuniwa (11:50) … Shirakoma Forest (12:05) … Shirakoma Pond (12:15) … Takami Forest (12:50) … Takamiishi Goya (13:20) [accommodation]
Day 2 – Depart from Takamiishi Goya (8:40) … Shirakoma Pond fork (9:40) … Shirakoma Forest (9:50) … Shirakoma no Okuniwa (9:55) … Kokuyo no Mori (10:00) … Mugikusa Hutte (10:30) [Break 20 mins, depart 10:50] … Jigokudani (11:10) … Mugikusa Hutte (11:40)