4 thoughts on “Mount Yamizo 八溝山

  1. What a fantastic post. It had everything – solitude, physical exertion, nature and the cerebral. A really enjoyable read!
    I am going to give hinotori a go now as well.
    The freewheel down must have been ace…

    1. Hi Shikaishi
      Thanks very much for your comment and I’m glad you enjoyed the post.
      The freewheel down was indeed great – when I’m coming back down a mountain I’m always torn between wanting to ride as quickly as I can and wanting to stop and take in the view. This time I kind of compromised between the two, so the photos at the beginning of the post of the torii, the cherub and the hairpin bend were actually taken in the morning on my way down and not in the evening on my way up.
      Hi No Tori is like nothing I’ve ever read – it veers between comedy, tragedy, the spiritual and the banal, but is all the better for it. It’s also, I have to say, quite hard to find – I got the first part for a couple of hundred yen in a second-hand comic shop, but haven’t managed to track down part 2 yet, so may have to resort to buying it on Amazon…

  2. Funny the way life comes into focus with children, hard-hearted Tiverton cynicism notwithstanding. When you get bored of taking your bicycle and seeking transcendence in Japan, bring it to the Forest of Dean. Not so many mountains (or rice balls), but a good chippy and lots of other cyclists and bike-trails. Give my love to Mrs M and I hope her final couple of weeks of pregnancy are not too sleep-deprived.

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