On the Beaten Path - Go Read, 'Oh, Mountain Road' first!

Suddenly, in front of me and slightly to the left, a parting in the thick trees of the government-mandated cedar forest. (This is true – after WWII, the government ordered the hills of Kochi to be covered in cedar trees so that Japan could produce its own timber. They never used it, owing to the cheapness of foreign imports. The cedar trees are extremely thickly planted and the very dense arrangement keeps the sunlight from reaching the floor of the forest, resulting in dead undergrowth. Strange, huh?) A path, specifically cut out for henro (pilgrims) opens up in the wall of wilderness around the winding road.

Abandon hope, all ye who enter here.

Now, the big question: do we stay on the kuro-paved road? Or do we venture out into the wilds of the untamed and bug-hatching wilderness that is Yasuda mountain? The sign says it is just barely shorter to take the path the marches straight up the mountain through all the trees and shrubs than it is to walk on the pavement.


Yes, we are that lazy. Into the wild, Frodo!

This is a sign that says, 'Pilgrims, this way!' No one wants
you to get lost and die out here in the mountains. That is sooooo
last century.

This path reminds me of home, in California.

Even though I’m climbing through a Japanese forest to reach a 1200-year-old temple, the scenery reminds me of home. This funky little trail straight up a mountain is very reminiscent of the different mountain and hill trails in California. Even the trees are very similar, in this one spot, if you cut out the bamboo that occaionally jump into the picture. 


About 950 meters in, (but who's counting?) I encounter a little rest stop full of the marvelous joys and enchantments of most Japanese rest stops. Minus the loo. 

I hope he is wishing me well on my trip. I am sure he is not supplying
a water fountain or any actual nutritious sustenance. 

Onward. To the top.