The ride to Gujo Hachiman town was a rather pleasant one accompanied by the Nagara River all the way. It was much flatter than expected, probably because the route followed the river`s bank.
The Nagara River
Since it was a Sunday, the roads were rather quiet in the morning, save for the couple of fishermen who were driving to their favorite fishing spots along the river. All in all, it was a really peaceful ride to the town of Gujo Hachiman.
If you look carefully you can see the kayakers by the riverbank
Reaching Gujo Hachiman just before noon, I dropped by the tourist information office to ask for recommendations regarding accommodation for the night. I was introduced to this very nice minshuku called `Fukinoyu Minshuku`. The owner of this establishement was a very friendly lady and her husband. From the Mercedes in their garage, I could see that this place was probably doing rather well!
My room in Fukinoyu Minshuku
Gujo Hachiman is a town situated at the meeting point of four rivers in the Shokawa Valley region. Because of this, the town is well known throughout Japan for extremely pure and delicious water that flows straight from the nearby mountain ranges. No matter where you go in town, you can hear the sound of water flowing.
Below is Sogi-sui Spring - apparently the water that flows from this spring is ranked as the BEST spring water in the whole of Japan! And lucky for me, it was a 5 minute walk from my accommodation.
Sogi-sui Spring
The Nagara River is just one of the 4 rivers that flow through this quiet little town. In summer, scores of children and sunbathers gather along the riverbanks to enjoy the cool waters. Even today, though it was a little chilly, there were still quite a few swimmers in the water.
The Nagara River flows directly through the town
There were schoolchildren jumping off this bridge into the river below!
After a quick lunch at one of the many cafes in town, I took a short hike to Oto-hime Waterfall (Princess Waterfall). The path to the waterfall led through a nice, quiet wooded area and it was a 15 minute uphill hike to the origin of the fall. Being away from the center of town, this walk was much quieter and more pleasant!
Path leading into the woods to Oto-hime Waterfall
The waterfall itself was no Niagara Falls but it was located in a really peaceful spot in the forest that would have made a great picnic site! The sound of water against the rocks and the gentle rustling of the leaves just added to the serenity.
Oto-hime Waterfall in the back
Coming back from Oto-hime Waterfall back into the center of Gujo Hachiman, I started my trek up the slope to where Gujo Hachiman Castle was located. Avoiding the main roads, I followed the advice of one of the locals and took a shortcut through the backalleys of the town.
Shortcut up to Gujo Hachiman Castle
The castle itself was nothing spectacular especially after having visited Himeji Castle, but the view from the castle`s grounds was not bad. Didn`t bother going into the castle though.
Gujo Hachiman Castle
View of Gujo Hachiman town from the castle courtyard
Instead of taking the same route back to town, I tried a more roundabout way that took me along the ridgeline of the hill that the castle was situated upon. This hiking path took me through a beautiful forest of tall trees. The downhill route wasn`t so good for the knees though... hahaha...
My trek back down the hill
Dinner was a simple affair of bento from the local supermarket again. Tomorrow I ascend the Hirugano Highlands!
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