After weeks and weeks of intermittent if not constant rain, the marathon rainy season of 2021 finally seems to be at an end. We thank you for your patience.
And what with all the regular and generous replenishments from the sky, the Azusa river is looking more…ample than usual. You can see that in the photo above as well as in this remarkable video posted on Five Sense’s YouTube channel a few days ago.
For those itching to get some hiking in under clear skies, it’s been a long wait. That’s not to say that a rainy Kamikochi doesn’t have a charm all its own though. The cool mists hovering over a river in spate immediately following heavy rain display an entirely different facet of nature’s majesty from what you see on a clear day. And there’s a certain melancholy charm to the site of larch bows made heavy by raindrops:
Given the choice though, I’ll always opt for blue skies and bold mountain vistas. We are now entering what has traditionally been the busying time of year for Kamikochi. The summer season can usually be counted on to draw visitors in droves and with vaccinations finally becoming available for large segments of the local population, we may see some crowds yet.
For the time being, the mighty Azusa rolls by, swelled with what seems like months of rainfall.
It’s a sight for sore eyes.
Thanks as always to the good folks at Nature Guide Five Sense for their tireless work on everyone’s favorite Japanese language Kamikochi blog. Be sure to check out their YouTube channel as well!
That’s all for this week’s blog. Till next time, be well and stay safe.
Sources of Information:
Nature Guide Five Sense, Kamikochi blog: https://fivesense.guide/blog/today/30861/
