Torii Kannon // White Cloud Mountain

Last weekend we hiked the coolest mountain!  And, what's even cooler is that it's only about 45 minutes from our house!  Upon moving here, we had no idea how beautiful it would be or how much Japan would really have to offer.  It's been incredible to live here and experience the culture, city life, food, the mountains, and all of the natural beauty.

Torii Kannon, or White Cloud Mountain, as it is commonly called, is in the city of Hanno, about 45 minutes from our base.  The whole area consists of about 3-4 miles of trails up the mountainside that begins with a temple and leads to several statues and shrines.  Below is the map of White Cloud Mountain; we visited all but the red torii gate at the very top.  From each of the statues, the views of the valley and of the other statues were completely breathtaking.  And, not only from their beauty :)  It was actually a decent hike!  My legs are still sore and tired and that was 2 days ago!  (Although, I did have a 3 year old strapped to my back for almost the entire hike, which may have contributed to my aching legs . . . )

The beginning of the hike was probably the steepest, and it lead us to this globe with a figure standing on top of it.  (I am sure that all of the statues and means have significant meanings, I just don't know what any of them are!  I did, however, appreciate their beauty and craftsmanship!)   

From the globe statue, we were able to see the other shrines tucked in the trees on the mountainside.

As we kept hiking, both Bennett and Clara fell asleep.  Will, on the other hand, had tons of energy and it was a lot of fun chatting and walking with him.  He really seemed to enjoy the hike and even appreciated the beauty of the forest around us and the shrines we visited.  It felt like we had some one on one time with him, which made the day that much more special.

At the foot of the Salvation Daikannon, which is the main attraction (pictured above), you can look out and see the view of the hike and statues from whence we came (pictured below).

Hiking White Cloud Mountain was so much fun--it is such a stunning and unique place to visit.  It was a beautiful day, not too hot, and we were able to enjoy being in the outdoors while also experiencing some of Japan's culture that is so distinct and different from anything we have at home in the states.  

GPS Coordinates: 35.879291, 139.182992

Nippara Limestone Caves and Lake Okutama

About an hour's drive from base are some of the prettiest mountains I have ever seen.  That, plus beautiful fall colors, make this place hard to beat.  To enjoy the season and do some exploring, last weekend we joined our friends and went up to the Nippara Limestone Caves and for a drive around Lake Okutama.  

These pictures don't really do the beautiful mountains justice, but considering these pictures were all taken with our iPhones (and mostly out our car windows), they turned out pretty well!  The fall colors, combined with the fog and rain made the scenery truly breathtaking.  I can't say often enough how much I love living here!!!

After the drive up along super skinny mountain roads, we finally arrived at the Nippara Limestone Caves.  They were huge--the largest in the Kanto region!  And really cool.  We had fun exploring and were on the lookout for bats, but unfortunately we didn't see any.  The boys (between our 3 families there were 7 boys and 2 girls!) especially loved exploring the caves, checking things out with their flashlights, and hearing their voices echo.  By the time we were walking out of the caves, William was already asking if we could go back again sometime.  It was a really fun family outing.

After exploring the caves, we all jumped back in our cars and went for a drive further up the mountain.  We drove up to Lake Okutama, which was INCREDIBLE.  BEAUTIFUL.  GORGEOUS. I don't know how else to express the exquisiteness of such a spectacular place!  And, with the fog over the mountain tops reaching down to the lake, it was peaceful and calming as well.  

After driving around the lake and enjoying the views, we found a tiny little mom and pop's restaurant that usually caters to hikers and travelers.  We ate delicious katsu-curry, ramen, ginger fried pork, and ton katsu.  It was the perfect warm meal to finish off a wonderful day!

GPS Coordinates for the Caves: 35.8551800, 139.0408900

GPS Coordinates for the Lake: 35.784308, 139.033419