{"id":173,"date":"2014-11-21T16:54:46","date_gmt":"2014-11-21T21:54:46","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/jennsfootsteps.wordpress.com\/?p=173"},"modified":"2014-11-21T16:54:46","modified_gmt":"2014-11-21T21:54:46","slug":"kamikochi-hiking-in-the-scenic-forests-of-japan","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.jennsfootsteps.com\/?p=173","title":{"rendered":"Kamik\u014dchi: Hiking in the scenic forests of Japan"},"content":{"rendered":"

Kamik\u014dchi, literally “where the gods descended”<\/em>, is a favorite spot for both local and tourist hikers. The beautiful and unspoiled forests really allow you to step away from all the busy hubbub of the city life and breathe in the nature. So last month, on the recommendation of our good friend Nick, we decided to head there.<\/p>\n

Located in the Northern Japan Alps, in the Central Honshu Island,\u00a0Kamik\u014dchi is at its most beautiful in the fall, when the changing of the leaves adds a magical touch to the landscape. This usually happens mid-October. Apart from the mesmerizing colors, the weather is also another incentive to go. It’s cool and comfortable enough to be dressed in a long-sleeved shirt for a day trip at the base, but prepare your full winter and rain gear if you’re planning a multiple day hike to the top of the mountains.<\/p>\n

HIKING:\u00a0<\/strong>There’s hiking for everyone in\u00a0Kamik\u014dchi. For families with young children or elderly grandparents, a nice two-hour hike along the Azusa river is easy to do with almost no elevation. For more serious hikers, there are several well-known hikes that range from two to more than five days in the Alps. The mountain hut system is well-designed, so your night stays are not an issue as long as you plan your route well. For more information, I’ve come across this blog<\/a><\/span> which has interesting descriptions of many famous hikes in Japan. Otherwise, Hiking in Japan<\/em><\/a><\/span> by Lonely Planet\u00a0also has valuable information to help you plan your trip.<\/p>\n

ITINERARY:\u00a0<\/strong>Kamik\u014dchi is closed to cars and taxis, the only way in is by bus. We took the train from Tokyo to Matsumoto, a small city surrounded by mountains. After staying one night, we took off early in the morning after breakfast. The trip from Matsumoto train station to Shin-shimashima station is about 30 min. Once off the train, we wait for the bus that will take us to Kamik\u014dchi (about 45 min). Getting there sounds like a big hassle, but trust me, you’ll be rewarded by the wonderful alpine landscape and feel every step of the way was worth it.<\/p>\n

\"Limited<\/a>
Limited Express train from Tokyo’s Shinjuku station to Matsumoto station (about 3h)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"DSC04203\"<\/a>
Soba at the Matsumoto train station for lunch<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"DSC04204\"
Agedashi tofu<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"DSC04193\"<\/a>
\"DSC04184\" Matsumoto castle. The sky was really this azure blue, no photoshop!!<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\"DSC04186\"<\/a>
\n<\/a> \"DSC04196\"<\/a> \"DSC04198\"<\/a><\/p>\n

We hiked for one afternoon up to the valley of Dakesawa (about 5 hours roundtrip). The road is mainly rock with a few wood steps built at the beginning of the trail. Although it was the autumn foliage season, the place was not crowded. The large crowd stayed around the Kappa-bashi bridge, most of them posing for pictures while others hung around souvenirs stores.<\/p>\n

\"DSC04120\"<\/a>
Distant view of Dakesawa<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"DSC04130\"<\/a>
River at the start of the trail<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"DSC04137\"<\/a>
Leaves starting their transformation<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"DSC04139\"<\/a>
Midway up our hike: starting a steep rocky climb<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"DSC04162\"
Introducing Mr. Travelling Turtle. We met in the Maldives and became travel buddies<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"DSC04160\"<\/a>
Close-up of Mr. Turtle<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"DSC04168\"<\/a>
View from the base, after the hike<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
<\/div>
<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Kamik\u014dchi, literally “where the gods descended”, is a favorite spot for both local and tourist hikers. The beautiful and unspoiled forests really allow you to step away from all the busy hubbub of the city life and breathe in the nature. So last month, on the recommendation of our good friend Nick, we decided to […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":183,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"yasr_overall_rating":0,"yasr_post_is_review":"","yasr_auto_insert_disabled":"","yasr_review_type":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[5],"tags":[60,72,73,76,88,147],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.jennsfootsteps.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/11\/dsc04165.jpg?fit=4912%2C3264&ssl=1","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":2028,"url":"https:\/\/www.jennsfootsteps.com\/?p=2028","url_meta":{"origin":173,"position":0},"title":"Kyushu: Experiencing a different Japan","date":"March 12, 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"I can never stop coming back to Japan. Twice, thrice, or even maybe twice a year! You can never get tired of Tokyo's amazing food scene and shopping or Kyoto's cultural sights, but it is really the hospitality of the locals that keep me coming back for more. Everyone is\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Stories"","img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.jennsfootsteps.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/03\/img_8488-e1520904604205.jpg?fit=1106%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":201,"url":"https:\/\/www.jennsfootsteps.com\/?p=201","url_meta":{"origin":173,"position":1},"title":"Mount Fuji: Hiking up Japan’s highest peak","date":"November 27, 2014","format":false,"excerpt":"If there was a mountain I always wanted to climb, it would be the famous Fuji-san. Having seen numerous postcard-worthy pictures of the snow-capped peak, with its equally famous blooms of cherry blossom trees at the base, it was my dream to finally experience it with my own eyes. Although\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Stories"","img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.jennsfootsteps.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/11\/p1000949.jpg?fit=1200%2C900&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":1349,"url":"https:\/\/www.jennsfootsteps.com\/?p=1349","url_meta":{"origin":173,"position":2},"title":"Jeju-do: The great journey up Mount Halla","date":"January 17, 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"It is a land made from volcanic activity, peaking through the ocean surface. It is a lush and fertile soil\u00a0that allows growth of trees and fruits and tea plants. It is where domestic tourists and foreigners alike spend their vacations on beaches and parks, looking for peace and nature. It\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Stories"","img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.jennsfootsteps.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/dsc06903.jpg?fit=1200%2C797&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":2246,"url":"https:\/\/www.jennsfootsteps.com\/?p=2246","url_meta":{"origin":173,"position":3},"title":"Okinawa Islands travel video","date":"April 1, 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"It's been a difficult start for 2020 for all parts of the world. These times remind us how much we take for granted on a daily basis. I never realized how fortunate I was to spend an afternoon at a coffeeshop with a friend or how lucky it is to\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Stories"","img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.jennsfootsteps.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/ORG_DSC08968-scaled.jpeg?fit=1200%2C797&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":857,"url":"https:\/\/www.jennsfootsteps.com\/?p=857","url_meta":{"origin":173,"position":4},"title":"Kauai, Hawaii: Six days with my GoPro","date":"April 17, 2016","format":false,"excerpt":"Hundred-foot waterfalls, scenic coastlines, pristine beaches...all can be found on The Garden Isle that is Kauai, the most laid-back of all the islands of Hawaii. It is also one of the places on the planet that gets the most amounts of rainfall yearly. Everywhere we go is \u00a0lush and green...grass\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Stories"","img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.jennsfootsteps.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/04\/dsc05926.jpg?fit=1200%2C797&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":264,"url":"https:\/\/www.jennsfootsteps.com\/?p=264","url_meta":{"origin":173,"position":5},"title":"Flirting with Barcelona","date":"January 5, 2015","format":false,"excerpt":"Happy New Year! Where will 2015 bring you? I hope that my blog can inspire you to go to new places, discover new things and meet new people. I'm very grateful to be surrounded by a loving family and friends who motivate me to get out and experience all that\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Stories"","img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.jennsfootsteps.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/01\/p1000562.jpg?fit=1024%2C768&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.jennsfootsteps.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/173"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.jennsfootsteps.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.jennsfootsteps.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.jennsfootsteps.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.jennsfootsteps.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=173"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.jennsfootsteps.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/173\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.jennsfootsteps.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/183"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.jennsfootsteps.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=173"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.jennsfootsteps.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=173"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.jennsfootsteps.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=173"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}