Late Autumn at Okutama Lake: Healing & Strength
I checked into the Okanamachi Ishinoyu Onsen Ryokan the night before. ππΈ A special shout-out to their morning hot spring, which starts at 5:30 AM! π π The bathhouse window frames golden and red leaves gently swaying in the sunlight, with the misty steam rising from the hot spring water. It's incredibly soothing! β€οΈβπ©Ή π My room overlooked a picturesque valley. Each window was like a painting. Opening the window to listen to the sound of the stream instantly recharged my energy! πΏ ππΈThe Ome Line to Okutama is quite long, and every station along the way is a hiking paradiseβwhether it's a lakeside trail, a dam, or Mount Mitake. Today was a Sunday, and there was a relay race happening, so only two JR trains were heading towards Okutama each hour. As a result, the trains were packed! ππΈ But as soon as we got off the train, the crowds dispersed into the mountains and became sparse (compared to back home), almost like a deserted landscape. Okutama is Tokyo's water source and also a famous wasabi-producing area. The water here is crystal clear and rich in minerals, which makes the wasabi grow really well. ππΈ You can easily eat a whole bowl of wasabi-topped rice with freshly grated wasabi! πΏ #Tokyo π
