Hikes around Sakurae

Senjoukei to Hiwa to Kawado
July 27th, 2004

I start out at 6 as its going to be a hot day. My wife drops me off at the parking lot for Senjoukei, a gorge that contains more than a dozen waterfalls. There is a well maintained path through the gorge, with bridges and staircases around the steepest parts, but today I am taking the old road that runs along the gorge partway up the mountain. The road is closed to vehicles now, but the first kilometere is paved before turning into gravel. The mountains are shrouded in mist, but after an hour or so the sun begins to burn it off.
The going is easy, and the sun barely breaks through the tree cover, so its not too hot. The roar of the falls in the gorge below is ever present. Its a really beautiful gorge, and the falls and pools are as fine as any Ive ever seen, yet in all my hikes I have never seen any other human beings. Most local people tell me they are afraid of the poisonous snakes. After about 5 kilometres I reach the point where the trail comes up out of the gorge and meets the road. This is as far as Ive been before. Another couple of kilometers and I reach the overlook to tyhe last set of falls, and they are stunning. Three falls, each cascading into a deep circular pool before dropping off again. From here the stream bed rises to run almost level with the road, and it becomes just like many other mountain streams.
Another couple of kilometers and I reach the first outlying farms of the mountain village of Hiwa. Hiwa has fascinated me since I first discovered it exploring the back roads by car. It looks a little like a Swiss village, but the architectiure of the farmhouses and the paddies place it definitly in Japan. Even though it is just a farming village the place FEELS rich. All the houses are large, freshly painted, and traditional, many having "Kammon" (family crests) on the gables. There is no tacky modern buildings, and no cheap concrete and corrugated tin structures. An indicator of how rich a community is is how well maintained the local shrine is, and Hiwas shrine is very well maintained. Nobody has been able to give me a satisfactory explaination as to why Hiwa is so rich. I skirt the edge of the village. The only activity is a few old farmers out cutting the weeds around their paddies. A couple of times I stop and ask directions as there are few road signs. I am met with smiles not stares. I find the little road I need to take me back down the mountain to Sakurae. Its narrow and paved, but closed in winter.
About a kilometer past the last farmhouse the road tops out and starts to descend, and then there is a commotion in the trees to my right. I catch a glimpse of three monkeys rushing away. This is repeated for the next 200 meteres or so, as always just ahead of me monkeys scurry down the trees and rush into the forest. One big guy sinply drops straight down about 15 metres to the forest floor. In all there must have been at least 20 monkeys, some of them quite large, so I guess I interrupted the troop eating their breakfast. Monkeys are shy creatures usually, so I feel lucky to have seen so many, I just wish I had had my camera ready. The road switchbacks down into the valley below and soon I cross the boundary back into Sakurae. I pass a lone farmhouse. There are no cars and no activity, but I dont think its abandoned. This is the kind of property I would love to have, the closest neighbors being a couple of kilometeres in either direction. Another 20 minutes and the switchbacks end and the descent along the valley is slower. More houses appear. On the left is a big Torii ( shrine entrance)... there are no buildings, just a small altar. I am told this is a shrine for travellers, so I stop in the shade, take a drink and smoke a cigarette before the last push back into Kawado. Its about 11 and getting hot.