17 March 2014
6km becomes 20km
My plan was easy enough.
Take the train to Minoh station in north Osaka, and walk the 3km in each direction along a picturesque canyon path lined with shops and shrines to a waterfall.
Reportedly, 'One of the 100 waterfall in Japan', not one of the best 100, top 100, biggest 100, just one of the 100.
Anyway, I started out by going to the main Osaka station to transfer to a private rail line, which I wouldnt normally bother mentioning, except it was peak hour, and a blind guy was busy following the knobbly raised tiles to his gate.
How they do that in peak hour I shall never know! Anyway, he got to a spot where a woman was standing in his path, on the tiles, on her phone. He asked her to move. She did not. She wishes she did because now she has bruised legs form being beaten by a blind mans cane.
Anyway, I got to the waterfall, it was very polluted today, but once you are in the mountain canyons you dont notice.
The walk to the waterfall was very nice, paved the whole way, little temples and tea houses everywhere, lots of vending machines and public toilets.
I looked at the waterfall for a while along with all the senior citizens, and noticed a path going up some steep steps with an old faded map......
The area around Minoh station, on the side of a hill. This building seems to me to basically tell the earthquake threat to piss off.
This represents the path to the waterfall. Its very much in a steep ravine with very extensive landslide protection. A nice river/creek/stream runs along side the manicured paths.
Pictures dont really do justice to how steep the canyon walls are. I was reminded of various canyoning disasters where people get washed away and found 20 miles down stream. Seems unlikely today.
It seems this is a place to observe autumn leaves. The local specialty is deep fried battered maple leaves, really! Unfortunately I am here in spring.
First glimpse of the waterfall. There are many such bridges crossing the stream for the entire journey.
I did my best for a waterfall shop, F11, 1/20, cant do much more unless I have a UV filter which would require something other than a point and shoot. OK enough camera talk, enough waterfall, this is where I went slightly insane.
This is above the waterfall, and was blocked off, sort of. Not enough to stop me getting down there and over that bridge and along the dilapidated path to see where it goes!
About an hour later I came to a parking spot on a road, and rejoined a real path. As it turns out, the start of the main walking trail that goes the length of Japan to Tokyo.
The ancient pilgramige trail or whatever it is.
I didnt realise this at the time, probably a good thing I might have taken it and walked to Tokyo. Instead I went nature trail number 4, which joins number 5, which goes to a temple.
I remember seeing pictures of the temple near the waterfall bus stop.
The path was overgrown in places, again I saw no one! And there was no phone coverage, and no one knew where I was. There were occasional sign posts showing some sort of plant or insect to look out for if you were a school kid I think, hence it being a nature trail.
Once it becomes nature trail 5, it turns into pine forest. Thankfully the path became a bit clearer. I think I was really up quite high by this point, but it was hard to tell as I never got to a look out point.
Finally, started to make the descent towards the temple. Still didnt see anyone.
I was amused by this, still a good couple of kilometres from any road, and the Japanese have erected a bike barrier, in the middle of a forest, it was all in a state of disrepair and covered in lots of leaf litter and branches.
Perhaps in years gone by it was a bike path.
And then, here I was at a temple, somewhat exhausted, I had basically gone up hill the whole time...I later worked that out because I had to walk all the way back again!
The temple is called the Katsuo-Ji, and the area I had walked through is the Meiji No Mori Mino National park.
As you shall see, this whole temple area is full of small versions of whatever these things are. You can buy them and place them wherever you want. I didnt.
The main hall, its nothing special, the gardens and location are however pretty spectactular, and would be much more so in Autumn. Feel sorry for whoever has to rake the leaves off the paths and fish them out of the ponds.
Many of the little dolls under the huge gong / bell you can go crazy on. There was hardly anyone about so I had 4 goes smacking the log into the bell.
I think they just collect up some of these doll things and re sell them again and again.
Time to appreciate the view some more.
Time to appreciate my commando pants some more.
Periodically they seem to put dry ice in the water under the bridge some how, if you look closely you can see a bit of it left near that gate. At one point when I was at the top I thought a bomb had gone off or something was on fire.
After this, I went into the gift shop and bought a pocari sweat and a tea.
I then went to catch a bus, nope missed it by 5 minutes, next one comes in an hour, and I dont know where it goes. Better walk back then!
It was much quicker walking back nearly all down hill, and I jogged most of the trail bits where theres no one to look at me and be worried.
A great day out!