It was still mild in Tokyo but the blue skies had been replaced by rain clouds. We just managed to get to Tamachi station before rain set in. Being a national holiday (for spring equinox), the train from Shinjuku was very full, with quite a lot of people standing in the aisles (took me right back to bank holidays in the UK). Emily was very obliging: after the first hour she went off to sleep, allowing me to enjoy the journey just as we left the boring conurbation of greater Tokyo behind and entered the foothills of the Alps, the sun rejoining us as we travelled north west through glacial valleys dotted with orchards of plum trees in full bloom. There were some amazing magnolia trees too, almost shrouded in creamy-white flowers.
At Chino station our host was already waiting, so Emily had no chance to stagger more than a few steps before I lifted her into the back of their 4x4. There was no baby seat, so I hugged her close as we gradually climbed up to Haramura, at 1,200 metres. She went very quiet and listless, so I was afraid that she'd be sick like she was on the bus to Hakone before, but she survived the twenty minute drive to Pension Zigzag without puking up the lunch she'd eaten on the train. The gaily-painted wooden lodge was in a little hamlet of pensions and guesthouses surrounded by the peaks of both Southern and Northern Alps.
The whole area was wooded, with a predominance of white birch, the slender, skeletal white branches topped by a haze of purple twigs. Above loomed mountains dusted with late-season snow (apparently there would normally be plenty of snow in the village but it has been unseasonably warm).
We were informed that we were at the very centre of Japan here, and it certainly seemed a world away from the capital.
After relaxing in the comfy home-from-home lounge, heavily scented with woodsmoke from the stove in the corner and surrounded by a mass of indoor plants, we unpacked in our spacious family room then set off without further ado in search of lunch. Luckily there was a large restaurant very close by in a leisure complex of sorts. The eatery was round and the outer tables all had stunning panoramic views. The grub was better than expected and Emily happily sat in a high chair with a steady stream of tidbits to occupy her. Though cold at that altitude the sun was putting in a sterling effort, and we had a pleasant stroll along a woodland path for half a mile to one of the attractions, a working farm.
Unlike some examples this was a no-hold-barred mucky, slightly dangerous place, but all the better for being realistic. Emily liked the cows, sheep and ponies, though she just said 'baa' to all of them. Nick took her into a barn full of cows and got her to feed one with a handful of straw; she got a bit upset when the nearest one mooed very loudly. 
I tried not to show my fear of large animals to her. Lastly we sampled some icecream from the on-site dairy, by which time the air was also becoming decidedly icy, as the sun dipped into a few clouds.
Back at Zigzag Emily was excited by their husky dog, Ja-Ja, who was in an outhouse attached to the house, with a pane of glass between him and her (luckily, since he took exception to her attentions and bared his teeth). Our room had an old jacuzzi tub, which was set at 42C: just about OK for her to go in briefly with Nick, though she emerged lobster red. At first she was upset, but then liked the bubbles. It took ages to get her to sleep in the anteroom, on a makeshift bed of futon, quilt and pillows. She rolled around every inch of it babbling like mad before ending up on the carpet, so I had to hold her in the dark until she dropped off. Amazingly, especially for a holiday weekend, we were the only guests in the fantastic guesthouse, and enjoyed a private blow-out dinner. Only one raw fish dish featured, the rest being Western-inspired. The thermometer outside showed minus 2C, but we were toasty in the cozy fire-warmed room and with a bottle of red wine to heat us through. Our main discussion was how much we loved this place and could envisage buying a plot of land here, the prices being 1/100th of those in Tokyo (our host is also a real estate agent), though we concluded that we'd be crazy to do so when we could just come to the pension for the odd break and still enjoy the area without the hassle of being arms-length owners.
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