17 January 2010

I had been researching potential new days out from Tokyo and found out about a place called Nokogiriyama (Sawtooth mountain) so we decided to go and check it out. After an hour from Mita on a fast train we had a short bus ride to the small port of Kurihama, where we boarded a ferry for a 40 minute ride across Tokyo Bay. Though sunny it was perishingly cold, but we stayed up on deck all the way over.

The shipping lane up the bay to Yokohama, Chiba and Tokyo must be about the busiest stretch of water in world. There were huge transporter ships the size of small towns, and many smaller boats and craft too.

We ate lunch at the massive and rather soulless restaurant at Kanaya pier; the kids' meal was utterly unhealthy and I was almost relieved that Emily only picked at it. From there we walked half a mile to the ropeway station, passing some squid and some seaweed drying in the sun.

The ropeway gondola looked rather old and creaky but we had to trust it to whisk us and 30+ passengers up to the station on the 330m jagged clifftop. Despite my expectations it was really warm on top (which was lucky since Emily did a poo and we had to do an outdoor change). She had to go in the carrier for the walk down many, many steep steps behind the ridge to the stone Buddha, which at around 100 feet is the highest one in Japan.

She dropped off as soon as we began the long and tough trudge back up to the top again. My legs were quivering with the effort of so many steep steps; poor Nick had to struggle up with more than 20kg on his back.

Along this path we passed the '1500 Arhat': small statues and images in alcoves formed by overhanging rocks. Some were serene or benign, others more austere.

Back on top, further along the ridge was 'Peering into Hell', a vertiginous overhang with at least a 100 metre drop, where I held the fence very tight and made sure to look out rather than straight down.

Beneath the viewing point was a very tall image of Kannon, Goddess of Mercy, cut into the rock.

The return trip went fine. On the train home I managed to avoid brewing upset by allowing Emily to play with my mobile phone all the way. Later, my legs were too tired to do my usual run, and we both felt very weary after our long day out. However, it was a good trip and we even made it through the whole day without any flare-ups and bickering, which usually occurs as a result of something Emily is or isn't doing!