Last summer, I stayed at Yubiso Onsen and took Tanigawa Ropeway to Tenjindaira for trekking. Unfortunately, Mt. Tanigawa was hidden behind by clouds. I heard that Mt. Tanigawa would be crowded with people enjoying the autumn leaves, so I was thinking of revisiting during the late-lying snow season.
Taking the ropeway to see Mt. Tanigawa up close is not bad, but trekking to Ichinokurasawa allows to see the majestic rock walls of Mt. Tanigawa, which is said to be a breathtaking view. The road to Ichinokurasawa-deai, the entrance to Ichinokurasawa, is closed during the winter. It would be re-opened from late May. That should be in the time of May sunshine season before the rainy season in June.
After returning from trip to Mexico, I read an online article that Japanese National Railways’ EF58 locomotive on display at a railway preservation facility in Yokokawa had undergone repainting. Since she was displayed outdoors, I wanted to take photos while the paint was still beautiful. Both Yokokawa and Mt. Tanigawa were in Gunma Prefecture, it seemed a good one-day trip plan.
I kept checking the weather forecast of Gunma Prefecture almost every day. Perhaps because the rainy season front moved northward earlier in this year, the weather was consistently unfavorable. I finally found one day in mid-May that looked promising, but even that day did not seem to be entirely sunny. Considering the possibility that the weather might not be improved even if I waited until the end of May, I decided to visit Yokokawa first.
The day looked promising was Tuesday. If I cleaned-up all of my work on Monday, it would not be too busy at the office on that day. Considering wake-up time, taking the Shinkansen to Takasaki is ideal, but as an old man with claustrophobia who cannot stand crowded trains, I can only take commuter trains early in the morning on weekdays. I took the first regular train on the Tokaido Line from Yokohama and rode all the way to Takasaki, stopping at all stations.
I transferred to the Shinetsu Line at Takasaki and arrived Yokokawa. I then found that the railway preservation facility was closed. I was aware that Yokokawa’s famous kama-meshi (rice cooked in a pot) restaurant, Ogino-ya’s main shop was closed on Tuesdays. I had wondered why another branch along the national road in Yokokawa was also closed on Tuesdays, but I thought I finally understood the reason. I realized that the world did not revolve around me, but it was already too late. To prevent further damage, I returned to Tokyo using Shinkansen and worked from home in the afternoon.
The weather remained unfavorable for several days, but in the following week, forecast predicted good weather on Wednesday and Friday. However, the clear skies were expected only until mid-morning on both days, so I still had to split my plan into two occasions. Since the trekking road to Ichinokurasawa-deai was scheduled to reopen on that Friday, I decided to revisit Yokokawa on Wednesday.
From there on, it was basically as same as the previous week. Yet, I was able to take some satisfying photos and ate kama-meshi at the Ogino-ya’s main shop as originally planned.
Even though I am who I am, I can supposedly learn something. While waiting for a train on the way back, I called the tourist information office of Minakami Town. I was told that due to possibilities of avalanche, the trekking road would remain closed for some more time.
Indeed, I learned that the world did not revolve around me.
COLO’s Traveler Guide: Yokokawa
Listed schedule is based on timetable at the time of visit.
Yokohama 0525 (JR) > Takasaki 0750
Takasaki 0804 (JR) > Yokokawa 0837
– Usui Pass Railway Culture Village
– Kama-meshi Ogino-ya
Yokokawa 1110 (JR) > Takasaki 1141
Takasaki 1152 (JR) > Yokohama 1413
