{"id":4681,"date":"2021-03-08T15:15:17","date_gmt":"2021-03-08T15:15:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/toonsarah-travels.blog\/staging\/?p=4681"},"modified":"2021-03-18T11:33:23","modified_gmt":"2021-03-18T11:33:23","slug":"where-the-gods-descended-kamikochi-rainy-day-walk","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/toonsarah-travels.blog\/staging\/where-the-gods-descended-kamikochi-rainy-day-walk\/","title":{"rendered":"Where the gods descended: Kamikochi"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Nestled among the dramatic peaks of the Japanese Alps lies the high plateau of Kamikochi; the name means \u2018Where the gods descended\u2019. The Azusa River flows through a valley formed by great elemental upheavals, including glaciers and volcanic eruptions, over many thousands of years.<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Today it is part of the Chubu-Sangaku National Park. We visited in October when the foliage was beautifully tinted with reds, golds and greens. The park, always popular with Japanese tourists, was busy even in the rain. And in the rain is how, for the most part, we saw it!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A rainy day walk in Kamikochi<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

We had been enjoying great weather on our trip through Japan, but in Kamikochi our luck finally ran out. Rain is not at all unusual here, but we got more than just rain; we got one of Japan’s autumnal typhoons! But neither the rain, nor the many visitors, could mask its beauty.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Pink
Raindrops on pink berries<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Determined to get out and see something of the park despite the weather we armed ourselves with waterproofs and umbrellas, to protect our cameras as much as ourselves, and set off on a walk along the valley. Most of the photos on this page were taken juggling camera and umbrella!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Kappa-bashi Bridge<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

We started our walk at the Kappa-bashi Bridge, near our hotel. This wooden suspension bridge is 36.6 metres long and just over three metres wide. It is something of a symbol for Kamikochi. It is also the busiest point in the park as almost everyone crosses it at some point in their visit. By the way, bashi<\/em> means bridge, but most English translations add the tautological ‘bridge’ to the name.<\/p>\n\n\n