Japanese Mountains and Forests

Our ship left Tokyo, Japan and headed north for three more Japanese ports. We visited Aomori on June 23, then Hakodate and Kurshiro (both in Hokkaido) on June 24 and June 25.

The weather was cool (some thought cold) and rainy some of the time. I loved it. Perhaps you have noticed that I have noted (some might say complained) that the weather for months prior to Japan has been extremely hot and humid. My mantra has been: “wait until we get to Japan. It will improve then.” The weather in central and northern Japan did not disappoint. The lower temperatures, and even the rain, was a joy.

The northern part of Japan is not very populated. It is losing population as young people get educated and do not return. This area reminded me the most of the mountains, forests, and towns in northern New England I have been missing. It is my favorite part of the visit to Japan.

Aomori Japan is quite rural, with mountains and forests. In Aomori, we took a ropewalk (AKA Cable Car) on a long trip up in wilderness. This is the area that Japan’s skiers use in the winter to enjoy their sport.

At the top, we donned our rain gear and followed our guide on a walk through delightful territory. There were few views because of the fog, but I was pleased non-the-less.

We hiked through the Tomoyachi Wetlands. A sign at the top gave this information:

You are standing in front of a beautiful scenery consisting of Tomoyachi Wetlands and the mountain range of Northern Hokkaido. Starting at the pond in the center, we can see the vegetation change gradually–from peat moss to clear cabbage to numagaya grass–as the moisture in the soil decreases. In the drier area, the wetlands turn into woodlands with low shrubs, such as Fujiyama rhododendron, Japanese rowan (mountain ash), and Maries fir. Yachi, as in Tomayachi, is a general term for wetlands.

Back on the bus, we drove through a long valley, following a river with trees such as this one.

There were plenty of waterfalls.