Golden Week in Japan

Golden Week, April 29th and May 3rd-5th of each year, is a number of national holidays in Japan that just so happen to fall when the weather is at its absolute zenith. Unsurprisingly in a country which averages the fewest vacation days taken, this is cause for a slight uptake in travel nationwide. Three days off work leading into a weekend was too good to resist, so like everyone else I planned to make the most of it.

Things didn’t quite go to said plan.

The week started as I had hoped. With the weather hitting a lavish 22 degrees celsius, myself and a few other ALTs from Nasushiobara headed to Nikko, where the famous Toshogu shrine is located alongside various other shrines, temples and lakes. An hour and a half by train via Utsunomiya, the ever increasingly cramped carriages betrayed the tourist appeal Nikko has. By the time we arrived it seemed half of Japan had done likewise.

The river that runs between the town of Nikko and the shrines.

We made our way the couple of miles to the main shrine on foot, Golden Week traffic meaning it was about three times faster than by bus. Passing the regular tourist-oriented stores in the town of Nikko, my fears of not being able to find the appropriate omiyage (super-important Japanese gifts) were alleviated. Crossing a bridge, our surroundings suddenly went from shops to shrines, flanked on all sides by forest. Immediately the train journey seemed worth it as, despite the crowds lining the footpaths to the main shrine, there was nonetheless something undeniably serene about the place.

Another very unsurprising development was just how many people wanted to see Toshogu shrine. The queue extended nearly the entire length of the final road to the shrine's entrance, some 200m long. As tempted as I was to spend another couple of hours stood waiting to enjoy my day, I made the executive decision to be a total loner and take a walk through the forest to some of the less busy shrines. Turns out that was the best decision I could have made.

The shrines are surrounded by some impressive forested areas.

For a few miles of gentle incline I enjoyed stunning views of the mountains and valleys, waterfalls, hidden away shrines and winding stone pathways, all whilst rarely passing another tourist. To think that just moments before I was wading through a sea of sightseers made the silent wandering slightly surreal. I met back up with my fellow ALTs later in the afternoon, wandered back to town for omiyage, and stopped off for Gyoza in Utsunomiya before making my way home, the day successfully enjoyed.

I do eventually need to return to see the actual Toshogu shrine though. Didn't think that one through on my lonesome.

The next day I had planned to go to Sendai, however a combination of being lazy, cheap and having done little research into the city in advance, I abandoned the expensive shinkansen journey in favour of something a little more local. Sheer luck allowed me to convince a fellow British ALT to drive us north to Mt Nasu, where I assumed we would do something awfully active like hiking.

Little surprise that the Kei car struggled to make it all the way up.

Before we got to such an endeavour, we had to battle our way through a classic Golden Week traffic jam courtesy of a highland theme park nearby. What should have taken less than an hour took around two and a half. Around an hour in we decided to pull over and explore whatever happened to be nearby before subjecting ourselves to another stint in crawling traffic.

By some strange twist of fate, this just so happened to be a British cafe and gift shop, a museum resembling an old British country house crossed with a castle, a bridal salon and an authentic-looking church. The entire area was adorned with Union Jacks, and a London cab was parked directly in front of the church. There was a creepy familiarity to the place as we laughed our way around in disbelief.

Taken in Japan. Seriously.

We stopped again nearer to our destination, at which point I realised that we were essentially on a date. Surrounded by couples, the golden plaque on the observation point read "Yumi Katsura Lover's Sanctuary". Moving swiftly onwards, past onsen towns and cliffside views, we arrived at the park beneath the peak of Mt Nasu.

As I had feared, the plan was to hike up the mountain as far as possible. Luckily for me however, not much was possible, as even at the beginning of May there were large snow drifts blocking off the amateurs without proper hiking/climbing equipment (though this may have been in part due to a recent and unfortunate avalanche). After a short trek in the shadow of the mountain, with spectacular views of the plains below, we made our way back down to Nasushiobara, once again admiring the onsen areas and peaceful farmland en route.

Who needs the Lake District?

Day three unfurled in a similar manner to day two, a day trip a mere 20 miles from my apartment with a few other ALTs. This time we headed west to the valley area of Shiobara, formerly its own town before merging into the city of Nasushiobara. Shiobara, much like the area leading to Mt Nasu, is famous for its onsen, the Japanese hot springs.

We stopped on the way to Shiobara twice. The first saw us across a suspension bridge, the beautiful lake and forest views marred only slightly by the hundreds of wooden steps we had to ascend and descend on our way to and from the densely wooded hillside. The second stop was less gruelling, a winding trail alongside a stream to reach the tall waterfalls which carved their way through the rocks. Shiobara itself was similarly lovely. Built around a twisting river, the onsen hotspot was perfectly designed for a round trip along the valley trails, swaying bridges and back across the overlooking highway.

Valleys are easier on the knees than mountains.

After three days of wandering through nature, managing to avoid both serious injury and apathy, the most impressive feat of my Golden Week was Japan's insistence on being absolutely stunning. Whether it be a short drive or long train journey, it's disgustingly easy to find yourself somewhere naturally beautiful in Japan. My Golden Week may not seem ever so exciting on paper, and I didn't stray as far from my new city as I was expecting to, but if I can get that much enjoyment from what's merely around the corner, I can't wait until I start checking off places on my "must see" list.