My first week truly in Japan, me and another ALT took a road trip to Yahiko Shrine and mountain in southern Niigata. At the shrine, there are deer, a flower display, tori gates, event center, and lots of buildings connected to the shrine itself. Most importantly, you can hike or take the cable car up the mountain.
We visited the shrine itself but it was pretty crowded, so after looking around a bit we headed up the mountain. It's a 634m climb to the top, which is kind of a lot after spending two weeks quarantined in a hotel room but with some breaks it was possible (other ALT is in much better shape than me at the moment but he was very patient). Also, as comfortable as sweater dresses are, they are NOT good for hiking in XD. In Japan hiking etiquette is pretty similar to the US, with lots of saying "こんにちは"(konnichiwa, "hello") to passing hikers. It was muddy after the recent rain and most of the fall leaves were gone, but it was still a pleasant hike, a welcome activity to my Pacific Northwestern heart.
The view from the top is way more spectacular than these pictures give it credit for. You can see for miles around with the Sea of Japan on one side and Niigata's famous rice fields on the other. There was also some radio towers, a rock marker, another tori gate and shrine area, the cable car stop, and a cafeteria. The other ALT and I worked together to order some food from the ticket vending machine then handed our tickets to the workers who prepared our food. I got coffee and soft serve, which was actually really tasty and good for regaining energy after the climb. Not what you would expect to eat on the cold windy top of a mountain, but it was good and nice to sit and chat after the climb. While waiting in line for the cable car back down the mountain, the woman in front of us was impressed with our English and told the other ALT he has beautiful eyes. There were some other foreigners there, which is a rare sight in Japan these days.
I thought I lost my hat on the mountain, so we checked around the shrine area and I asked one of the shrine workers if anyone had seen it. She called around and me and the other ALT searched around, but weren't able to find it. I also asked some passing hikers and scared them by suddenly talking to them, but one spoke English so that was helpful. Turns out it was just in the car, so kind of embarrassing on my part, but I was happy I could actually speak enough Japanese to explain my problem to others.
Lastly, I like to collect something called "goshuin," otherwise known as shrine signatures. Shrine signatures include specially carved stamps and calligraphy done by the shrine workers. They are a unique, beautiful, space efficient, and economical souvenir. You can collect lots of goshuin in one book and they only cost 3-500 yen each (2.61-4.35USD). I started collecting them on my last trip to Japan three years ago and despite my goshuin book being one of my prized possessions, I left in my bedroom when I moved to Japan. Luckily for me, Yahiko shrine sells goshuin books and they are beautiful. Just look at how incredible this looks! Can't wait to fill it with more shrine signatures.
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