the beauty of oirase gorge

the beauty of oirase gorge

Hey everyone ~ Thanks for joining me for day 27 of our Tokyo to Hokkaido road trip. We woke to rain, but had a yummy breakfast, then rode into town so my host dad could work. We parked at a nearby hotel and checked out the souvenir stores and their accommodations. Inside were postcards and pins, and upstairs, a small exhibition of beautiful locally-made art, inspired by the very trail we would hike later that day. I enjoyed an apple tart, savoring the sweetness of high quality apples, which is one of the many foods Aomori is known for. We walked to a nearby store to find a place to fill out our postcards, then walked down the street to the post office to send them. Lunch followed, with our host dad joining us for some pizza. After lunch, we drove south to a gift shop at Ishigedo, where we’d begin our two and a half hour journey along the 8.5 mile long Oirase River. This rock (called Ishigedo, or “stone hut”) is believed to be the home of Omatsu, a demon god that stole from travelers. At the time, I wasn’t aware of this, but found it merely to be a cool rock formation. Very early on in our hike did I come to realize why the area is so popular. With its rich wildlife, moss covered rocks, and the rushing waves that run over them, the vividly green primeval forest makes you feel detached from the modern world. Funnily enough, a road runs right next to the river, for buses, cyclists, and the like, though with the forest’s density, I felt the trees naturally soundproofed the road noise. Not to mention the rushing water flowing downstream. The woods felt so dense that if I held back from my host family to take pictures, in a few moments, I’d lose sight of them. Thankfully, the trail was pretty straightforward, so catching up was not difficult. The entire time we walked, I was in awe of the magnificent nature surrounding us. Throughout the trip, and same goes for this hike through Oirase Gorge, I definitely reaped the full benefits of forest bathing. While Shiretoko was impressive in its own right, Oirase was equally stunning, competing fiercely as my favorite place over the course of the trip. While not a major waterfall, this was the first of many we’d see over the next couple of days. At the time this was recorded, it was late August, so most of the leaves were still green, though in autumn, the foliage bursts into vivid fall colors, adding even more character to the forest. It’s quite easy to see why creatives of all types (painters, photographers, poets, etc.) have drawn (and continue to draw) inspiration from the area. Fallen trees adorned the path sporadically, and here was where I first noticed the jagged walls of rock on the other side of the road. The rock itself is called ignimbrite, and formed as a result of volcanic activity millions of years ago. As we neared our time for the day, I immersed myself in its world; getting up close and personal with the various species of moss growing on fallen trees and rocks, touching the trees as I passed, marveling at the thought of connecting with a living, 200 year old artifact, imagining all the ecosystems and animals that operate within them, as well as all the possible worlds yet to be created by artists, inspired by this very forest. Once arriving back at the lodge, we had some ice cream with the most tart strawberries I’ve ever had the pleasure of having, and then we headed to an onsen that had a super cute soap dispenser. I spotted another (though, possibly the same) waterfall on our way back to the campsite. The foggy skies and accompanying drizzle gave the lake, as well as our hike, an almost mystical vibe. The intense hues and atmospheric changes brought on by rain, in my opinion, cannot be understated. We ended the day with a dinner of meat, rice and mashed potatoes, and received another visit from the friendly neighborhood cat. The next morning, I had some of an apple tart, tried mentaiko (roe pasta), and then we set off for Nenokuchi, the starting point from where Lake Towada empties out into the Oirase River. My host dad dropped us off at the junction, for us to be met with a blue Lake Towada, set against a matching blue sky. While we didn’t take it, the ferry shown here gives visitors a chance to cruise over the caldera, exploring the sights surrounding Japan’s 3rd largest lake. From here, we began our trek north, this time, the objective being to find as many waterfalls as we could. The sunny day infused so much more vibrance into the forest, revealing the breadth of moss through it, acting as nature’s carpet. In 20 minutes, we came to Choshi-Otaki Falls, a shorter, but wider waterfall that is one of the more notable in the park. If you get fatigued, standing near this waterfall for the misty spray and thunderous sound of the rushing water is a great way to stimulate the senses. The pollen from the Japanese maple, beech, dogwood and sakura trees floated through the air, making it seem like it was snowing in the middle of summer. The second one we came across was more tucked off with a thinner stream of water, about 9 steps high, as its name loosely suggests. Shortly after, we find one where the stream cascades down like white silk (白: white, 糸: thread). Shown here are merely remnants of Tamadare no Taki, as it could really only be seen from the road, rather than the nature trail. Here, a Studio Ghibli-esque moss railing leads you down a level to be met with towering tree canopies, and waterfalls glistening through the foliage. Our walk naturally saved the best for last, the crown jewel of the gorge: 65 foot high Kumoi no Taki. Its name comes from the cloudy mist that forms (雲: cloud) as a result of the water crashing against rock at the bottom. This is one of the few waterfalls in the gorge with its height, and one’s ability to get so up close and personal with it. As we left Towada and the lake, we were granted a gorgeous last view of its glittering waves, quickly crossing into Akita prefecture upon our departure. A stamp rally station awaited us at the roadside stop, along with cute Akita dog plushies. Outside, a sweeping field stretched out through the valley, with a colorful town nestled on the edge of the forest. I sat on a hill, taking in the calming scenery. Rice paddies and the vibrant inaka passed us by as we headed southeast. We soon made our way to Morioka, Iwate prefecture’s capital city, known mostly for its noodles and ironware. We were just passing through, but I thought the station lockers were cute and the view of Mount Iwate quite pleasant. We enjoyed the scenery as the day drew to a close, and grabbed some dinner at a conbini. The day ended with a relaxing bath at the onsen as we geared up to head home the next day. If you’ve made it to this point in the video, thank you so much for watching <3 If you enjoyed or learned something cool, don’t forget to like, comment your thoughts, and subscribe :) My next video will chronicle our last day of the road trip, as we cycle through Hiraizumi’s many sacred temples. Thanks again and I’ll see you in the next one ~
Check out the JR Pass!: https://click.jrpass.com/aff_c?offer_id=19&aff_id=1131
Tokyo to Hokkaido Road Trip playlist: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLzfzbhn_W7Cs1JVs2Jmw6xO2Q2H6fSTDq
1st video in the Road Trip Playlist (Sendai):
​​https://youtu.be/_Kmu1Atq0uU

~ English subtitles available ~

Time Stamps:
0:00-0:19: intro
0:19-5:08: nature trail
5:08-5:46: winding down
5:46-9:37: nature trail pt. 2
9:37-10:23: akita roadside stop
10:23-10:55: morioka
10:55-11:05: ichinoseki
11:05-11:36: outro

This video covers day 27 & 28 of our Tokyo to Hokkaido road trip. In day 27, we head to Oirase Gorge from Lake Towada, checking out the rich nature trail and surrounding stores. We spend most of the day enjoying the trail, and finish out the day with a relaxing trip to the onsen. Dinner at the campfire ensued, and then we went to sleep. Day 28 afforded us even better views of the spectacular valley, as we hunted for waterfalls while we walked. We soon left the area and had dinner at a scenic roadside stop in Akita Prefecture. We strolled through Morioka, buying souvenirs and gifts, and then arrived a bit later at a hotel in Ichinoseki, where we’d shower and finish out the day.

If you enjoyed the video, don’t forget to like, comment and subscribe. Join me next time for our final day of the trip as we tour the many Buddhist temples in Hiraizumi, to then slowly head back home to Tokyo. Thank you for watching!

Oirase Gorge: http://towadako.or.jp/towadako-oirase/
Utarube Camping Ground: https://utarube-campground.booking.chillnn.com/
Oirase Field Museum: https://oirase-towada.jp/
Keiryu no Eki Oirase: https://www.facebook.com/Oirasegarden/
Ortolana: http://ortolana.jp/
Ishigedo Kyuukeijo Rest Area: https://oirase.or.jp/genre/ishikedo/
Choshi Otaki: http://towadako.or.jp/sansaku-map/oirase-nenokuchi/
Kumoi no Taki: http://towadako.or.jp/sansaku-map/oirase-nenokuchi/
Michi no Eki Ooyu: https://yunoeki-oyu.jp/
Morioka Station: http://www.jreast.co.jp/
Kamenoi Hotel Ichinoseki: https://kamenoi-hotels.com/ichinoseki/?utm_source=google&utm_medium=GBP&utm_campaign=KHIchinoseki

Music (in order):
“Daily Routine” — DeKobe: https://soundcloud.com/dekobe/daily-routine
“Small Problems” — DeKobe: https://soundcloud.com/dekobe/small-problems
“Danger” — DeKobe: https://soundcloud.com/dekobe/danger
“Fall” — Ian Post: https://artlist.io/royalty-free-music/song/fall/398
“Dust” — Jimit: https://artlist.io/royalty-free-music/song/dust/123968
“Stop By” — Bonus Points: https://soundcloud.com/bonuspoints/stop-by
“Mist” — Bonus Points: https://soundcloud.com/bonuspoints/mint
“Bitsu-Bitsu” — DeKobe: https://soundcloud.com/dekobe/bitsu-bitsu