From Tokyo to Tsuruoka

Sunday 30th
We decided to start our journey out of Tokyo in the Yamagata prefecture in the Tohoku region of Japan which is famous for some great hikes. Getting to Yamagata prefecture (山形県)is best done by the fast train Shinkansen, which takes about 3 hours directly to Yamagata city (新潟).

Unfortunately for us, we missed the shinkansen and so had to figure out another way to get there. It turned out for the best, as we found a cheaper option via the Hato bus company. The tickets can be purchased at Tokyo station’s Marounuchi South Exit (丸の地南口).

The bus was incredibly comfortable, with great heating and reclining seats. We boarded the bus at 10.30 pm and slept for most of the ride and woke up at 6.20am in Yamagata. It was a bit of a wait for our connecting bus via the local bus company , Yamako. We enjoyed an onigiri from the local convenience store, a hot drink and waited for the ticket sales window to open at 8am. As the bus was due in at 8.05am, we were waiting outside and duly purchased our tickets at 7:45 when the shop opened a little early.

Looking back, it’s hardly surprising that the shop did open early. It was opened by a serious looking and diligent lady, who took great care in the presentation of her shop. First she dusted all the surfaces, then put out a series of fresh flowers, then out came a selection of hand made origami cranes in a variety of sizes from small to very large.

I went in to have a good look at the cranes, as my nephew is really keen on origami right now. The lady saw me taking photos of them, and offered to give me one to take with me on my travels. She was so happy that someone was appreciating her craft. I was so happy and surprised by her generosity. I took a small one, fobbed off a large one, and will send it to my nephew for his inspiration. The local bus took about two hours to get to Tsurouka. The ride was very picturesque, travelling over a huge mountain range, rice paddies, steep valleys and misty clouds. We knew we had arrived when we saw Rashaad’s smiling face at the “S Mall” which is next to the station at Tsuruoka. He looked prepared for an adventure on his day off, dressed in waterproof pants and jacket.

We met Rashaad through couch surfing (couchsurfing.org), and he was our first host. We have hosted many people in Australia, but it was truly wonderful to be greeted at the train station by a smiling and friendly face. Rashaad is from New Jersey and lives in Japan teaching English at elementary and junior schools as part of the JET program. He is really into his fitness and as such provided really fantastic and detailed information about the hikes we wanted to do. He also cooks fantastic hot cakes for breakfast (lucky us!).

We took yet another bus to his house and were warmly received into his lovely Japanese home and given our own tatami room. After about half an hour of conversation regarding the local area and the types of hikes available, we decided that despite the overcast and rainy weather, we would head off to Haguro mountain () one of the three mountains that forms the Dewa Sanzan triumvirate. A bowl of cereal and a banana and we were off.