🇯🇵 Japan Travel 🌏 | Okutama ⛰️
Day 31 of my journey, and I've decided to spend the next few days exploring the Tokyo area, but with a twist—skipping the city spots I've already visited. So, I ended up hiking in Okutama. Located in the western part of Tokyo, within the boundaries of the Chichibu-Tama-Kai National Park, Okutama boasts mountains, river valleys, forests, lakes, and limestone caves, making it an excellent destination for summer hikes. My Okutama itinerary mainly consisted of hiking and lake touring. After hiking to Okutama Station, a 30-minute bus ride would take you to Okutama Lake, but I only completed the hiking part and was too lazy to take the bus to the lake. There are two trail options for hiking: starting from Furu or Hatono, both accessible from Shinjuku in 1.5 hours. The paths are 7 and 4 kilometers long, respectively, so you can choose your starting point based on your stamina. Starting from Furu would take about 3 hours. However, Hatono doesn't have a convenience store like Furu does, so it's best to stock up on supplies before you set off. From Furu to Hatono, the trail is relatively more challenging than the latter half, with some wild hiking paths and downhill sections, but it's manageable with regular sports shoes. If you start from Hatono, the path is well-maintained. Along the way, I unexpectedly met many people hiking in the opposite direction, so I ended up greeting quite a few people on my way to Okutama. There's a famous omelette roll at Okutama Station, but the price was a bit off-putting. If anyone has tried it and liked it, please leave a comment and let me know. I headed back around 2:30 PM and, with time to spare, visited Asakusa and happened to catch the Tanabata Festival. The entire shopping street was decorated with a festive atmosphere, and many people brought their dogs out for a stroll. I stumbled upon a cheap supermarket and picked up ingredients for dinner over the next few days. Tomorrow, I'm setting off early for Kamakura. 📍 Okutama Attractions: Okutama Lake: Officially known as Ogouchi Reservoir, it is the largest artificial lake in Japan, serving as an important reservoir for Tokyo's domestic water supply and housing a power station to provide electricity for the surrounding areas. Ogasawara Suspension Bridge: Spanning across Okutama Lake, it was originally made of iron barrels, hence the nickname "Iron Barrel Bridge," but it has been replaced with a structure made of Styrofoam floating panels. Ogasawara Dam: Built at a cost of 15 billion yen in 1957, it features a free observation deck offering panoramic views of Okutama Lake and the dam. Hinohara Cavern: The largest limestone cave in the Kanto region, with an average annual temperature of around 11 degrees Celsius. #OffTheBeatenPath #TravelTips #TravelScenery #SoloTravel #FreeTravel #Japan #Tokyo
