Memories of Joetsu

After visiting Yubiso in the summer of 2024, I planned to see the autumn foliage at Ichinokurasawa on Mt. Tanigawa last year. It turned out to be surprisingly difficult.

The autumn foliage status at Tenjin Pass, to be reached via Tanigawadake (Mt. Tanigawa) Ropeway, is easy to check thanks to the live camera installed by the Ropeway operator. On the other hand, Ichinokurasawa at lower elevation is somewhat unclear as there is no live camera available. Moreover, Mt. Tanigawa apparently gets super crowded during the peak autumn foliage season. I wished to go on a weekday when it could be less crowded. Unfortunately, being a company employee, I had to consider work schedules when taking time off.

The view of Mt. Tanigawa from Ichinokurasawa-deai, the entrance of Ichinokurasawa, is backlit during the day. On the other hand, if it gets cloudy with low-hanging clouds, the view of the mountain’s rock walls is obscured. The ideal condition would be a day with clouds high up. Life is not that easy, the autumn foliage season ended while checking the weather forecast almost every day.

I am not the person who gives up easily when it comes to travel, so I considered the winter scenery at Kiyotsu Gorge Tunnel as an alternative. It is in a heavy snowfall area. Once winter sets in, the tunnel’s opening gets covered by the snow, making poor visibility. The ideal time might be until early January. Considering the crowds, this is also a place I would like to visit on a weekday.

From mid-December, I started checking the weather forecast near Kiyotsu Gorge. Clear days on the Sea of Japan side were rare, but by chance, a high-pressure system was passing over Honshu Island on a Friday. On the previous day, it would snow until noon, followed by cloudy skies with no temperature rise. Moreover, the Japan Meteorological Agency’s long-term weather information suggested temperatures would rise about 2 degrees above average till the year’s end, making this day likely be the last chance to go within the year.

My work schedule for that day was completely open, making perfect timing to take a day off. The problem was that it was not an operating day of the direct bus from Echigo-Yuzawa Station, which runs only in winter. I decided to solve this with money. It seemed to be just before the ski season, so fewer people would be around, which was not bad.

Even going to such lengths to visit Kiyotsu Gorge, there was still a possibility that the snow cover would be too thin to be satisfied in terms of photography. Since it would be such a clear day, I hoped to take mountain photos. Upon checking, I found it was the last day of tourist operations at Tanigawadake Ropeway to see Mt. Tanigawa. After this day, it would apparently switch to operating solely as a ski resort. There was a Joetsu Line train departing from Echigo-Yuzawa to Minakami at just the right time. Crossing the Joetsu border on a local train with a beer sounded rather charming. I made all the necessary arrangements on my way home the day before the trip.

I took an early morning Shinkansen to Echigo-Yuzawa. Tokyo was cloudy despite the sunny forecast, causing concerns. However, clear sky appeared after the train passing Omiya. I got off the Shinkansen at Echigo-Yuzawa and took a taxi to Kiyotsu Gorge.

While mountain slopes were covered a little by snow, there was no snow in the rocky areas nor on the trees. It was just too early for a snowy landscape. This was not a matter of photographic dissatisfaction but rather photographically an unexpected situation. Looking back when I visited the Kiyotsu Gorge Tunnel in spring, it was too early so that lingering snow slightly obstructed the view from the tunnel. I am impatient yet stubbornly persistent. I guess I just cannot judge the right timing.

Still, I had Tanigawadake Ropeway as a backup plan, so I accepted my luck for the day. After gazing snow-covered Mt. Hakkai (Hakkai-san in Japanese) at the distant, I headed to a local “hegi soba” restaurant. It was the time for soba with a glass of “Hakkai-san” sake in hand. Hakkai-san is beautiful to look at and delicious to drink.

I bought local Echigo Beer at Echigo-Yuzawa Station and boarded the Joetsu Line. There was a little snow here and there, but it was not the kind of snowy scenery that evokes a sense of charm. The train came out of the long tunnel, it was not the snow country; after the train returned the long tunnel, it still was not the snow country either. Even Yasunari Kawabata would find lacking in literary merit.

I got off the local train at Minakami Station and headed for Tanigawadake Ropeway. Whether it was the ropeway’s power or nature’s law, nothing beats altitude. From the clear skies of Tenjin Pass, I could see snow-capped Mt. Tanigawa. In the end, I suppose I am just a guy who can only be satisfied by the Mt. Tanigawa.

Life does not conveniently work out. Even worse, I cannot judge the right timing besides I am stubborn about giving up. As such, a backup plan is absolutely essential in my life.

COLO’s Traveler Guide: Joetsu

Times listed are based on the timetable at the time of visit.

Ueno 0742 (Tanigawa 471) > Echigo-Yuzawa 0858

・Kiyotsu Gorge
・Kojimaya (Hegi Soba)

Echigo-Yuzawa 1216 (Joetsu Line) > Minakami 1256
Minakami 1320 (Bus) > Tanigawadake Ropeway 1340

・Tanigawadake Joch

Tanigawadake Ropeway 1612 (Bus) > Jomo Kogen 1702
Jomo Kogen 1613 (Tanigawa 412) > Ueno 1715

COLO’s Traveler Guide: Guilin

Times listed are based on the timetable at the time of visit.

Day 1

Tokyo Haneda 0920 (All Nippon Airways ANA923) > Guangzhou 1350
Guangzhou Airport (Airport Transfer) > Guangzhou South Station
Guangzhou South 1757 (China Railway G2950) > Yangshuo 1946
Yangshuo Station (Hotel Transfer) > Hilton Garden Inn Guilin Yangshuo

Accommodation: Hilton Garden Inn Guilin Yangshuo

Day 1 Tips
・Guangzhou South Station is the train terminal station farthest from Guangzhou Airport. Taking the subway apparently takes about an hour and a half, so I arranged a shuttle.

Days 2-3

・Xianggong Mountain Scenic Area Sunrise
・Guilin River Cruise
・Raft Boat

Dinner:
・Yuelu Private Kitchen
・Yuanyuan Farmhouse Restaurant

Days 2-3 Tips
・After much consideration, I stayed in Xingping located between Guilin and Yangshuo. It features the scenery depicted on the 20-yuan note and offers enjoyable short river cruises.
・Xingping also has an old town. I found a liquor shop who sold rice-based baijiu (rice shochu). I purchased both bottle-aged and osmanthus-infused varieties. Unlike what sold in souvenir shops, these seemed to be small-batch productions and they were quite delicious.

Day 4

Hilton Garden Inn Guilin Yangshuo (Hotel Transfer) > Yangshuo Station
Yangshuo 08:24 (China Railway G2949) > Guangzhou South 10:23
Guangzhou South Station (Airport Transfer) > Guangzhou Airport
Guangzhou 15:05 (ANA924) > Tokyo Haneda 20:00

Memories of Xingping

I enjoy planning trips as much as I enjoy traveling itself. Although the initial spark for a trip often comes from a sudden whim, I tend to create nearly perfect itineraries concentrated on photography. Of course, photo shooting depends on the weather, I plan trips to avoid the rainy season. Besides, I gather detailed information beforehand and build in a reasonable time margin for weather. This is why friends say my vacations resemble reporting trips.

For the Guilin trip, which was decided based on mileage award ticket availability, I stayed in the less-known town of Xingping located between Cities of Guilin and Yangshuo, two major tourist cities in the region. In post-COVID-19 days, latest tourist information for China is still limited, and details of minor towns are extremely limited.

I was only able to gather limited information about Xingping beforehand. However, this town lies along the highlight section of the cruise route from Guilin to Yangshuo and is apparently famous as the location depicted on the 20-yuan banknote. There seemed to be short cruises originating from this town, offering a chance to enjoy the boat trip as well.

The reason I deliberately chose to stay in Xingping was the information that sunrise view from Xianggong Mountain was beautiful. However, specific details were scarce, and even the access to Xianggong Mountain was unclear. While Chinese-language tours seemed available from places like Guilin City, by looking at the map, the nearest town was Xingping.

Although I still did not fully understand everything, I decided to stay in Xingping for all three nights of the itinerary. I had a feeling that just staying in Xingping would make me fully enjoy Guilin.

Entrusting everything without full understanding. Consider this as an investment, it would be arrant nonsense. However, since the airfare was free, I figured I had little to lose even if it failed.

Arranging sunrise trip by myself seemed difficult, I made inquiry to the hotel. They referred to me a company that handles their tour desk services. When I contacted the company, I was told that they were able to arrange sunrise tour at Xianggong Mountain. They also supported me with various other inquiries, which were big help for gathering information.

Although I would stay in Guilin for three nights, the schedule only allowed for two sunrise viewings. Since photography was the main focus of the trip, I booked sunrise tours for both days. Getting up early on weekdays is tough, but I can manage the early rise during the travel.

The tour company contacted me via WeChat the day before. I needed to walk 15 minutes to the meeting point. Since I would cross the river by a small boat and then travel overland, this likely avoids unnecessary expenses.

The meeting time was 5 AM. I boarded a ferry operated by the village on the opposite shore and then drove to Xianggong Mountain. The driver waited for me at the parking lot near the ticket office. I suppose this meant he was not a guide, but since tickets can be purchased using gestures and Alipay, this was actually more relaxed and preferable.

However, relaxed feeling ended here.

To reach the viewpoint of Xianggong Mountain, I had to climb steep stairs. According to my iPhone, it was equivalent to climbing 20 floors. After struggling up the stairs, the viewpoint was extremely crowded. I managed to get a spot around the third row, but the photo shooting conditions were poor. Even worse, clouds were thick too. While it could be called fantastic scenery, it was a major letdown.

Feeling sulky, I went down the mountain and returned to the car. On the way back to the pier for Xingping, the sun emerged at a spot with great views. Perhaps sensing my bad mood, the driver stopped there, letting me to take some great photos.

This lifted my spirits. I returned to the hotel for a nap and woke up after noon. Xingping has an ancient town where historic buildings house cafes and shops. I had a light meal at one of the cafes.

Walking through the town, I found a tourist boat terminal next to the ferry landing. Several tours seemed available, but I was not sure which one to choose. I opted for a 90-minute tour which seemed popular. I thought gestures and Alipay might suffice to purchase tickets, but surprisingly, Alipay was not accepted. If gestures and Alipay do not work, then translation apps and credit cards will do. Even using airline miles, getting free tickets are tough, but paying for works out most of the time.

The weather had already cleared up to a beautiful sunny day. I thought it might be a bit disappointing since the boat had no windows opened, but on the way back, they let me ride on the rooftop observation deck. It was quite spectacular.

After getting off the sightseeing boat, it was getting close to evening. I headed to the second main spot in this town for sunset photography. It was the location depicted on the back of the 20-yuan banknote. While several spots claimed to be the “scenic painting location,” I found a spot ideal for photography. Facing west, the evening view was beautiful.

In the early next morning, I headed to Xianggong Mountain again. I requested an earlier time since it was too crowded on the previous day. Ultimately, it was bound by the ferry schedule, it did not make much difference. The ferry had about half the passengers compared to the previous day. Came to think of it, last day was a Sunday.

The crowd at Xianggong Mountain was also about a half of the size, which allowed me to secure the front row at the spot I found the day before. Being at the front means I was able to use the fence as a tripod substitute, so shotting by slow shutter speeds were not problem. This day was clear, letting me enjoy everything from the pre-sunrise glow to the moment the sun peeked over the mountains.

In my research beforehand, I found that there were raft boats in Xingping. There were several ticket sellers in Xingping, but I was not sure which one to pick. I asked the tour desk to book my ticket. Since I was able to specify the boarding time, I chose the latest departure. It coincided perfectly with sunset time.

Perhaps because the raft boat operation is managed by another village, the boarding point was a little too far from the hotel. The raft was low to the water, offering a more immersive experience than sightseeing boat on previous day. The sunset unfolded near the spot depicted on the 20-yuan banknote.

Despite going to Xingping with limited information, I ended up extremely satisfied. I probably enjoyed more than if I would go to Guilin City and follow the standard tourist route.

The choice was almost a gamble. If I had paid for plane tickets, I might not have taken the risk. Although it is said that there is no such thing as a free lunch, but a free lunch is really tasty.