I love hiking. When I was younger I did hiking and camping with a friend in Quebec, Canada many times and once in New Hampshire, U.S.A.. I also did hiking in Switzerland in 1986, 1988 and 1999 in the Swiss Alps. Wonderful! I was very happy to discover that Kawanishi and also neighbouring Takarazuka offer nice hiking trails with nice views where I can enjoy hiking.
On September 23 I set out on my own from Hankyu Kawanishi Noseguchi Station and headed up to a hiking trail Smith’s School of English founder Mark Smith had once shown me. I hiked for a bit and stopped at a spot that offered a view of Kawanishi. There, I met a very friendly older Japanese man. I asked if the trail lead to Manganji Temple (where I’d been with Mark before). He ended up not only showing me the way there, but also hiking with me and guiding me the whole day, even inviting me to his home for a beer after hiking! We had a great time together!
Our hike:
Kawanishi Ishikari (川西石切 ) → Manganji Temple (満願寺) → Yamamoto Iwaba (山本岩場) → Nakayama Juusou (中山縦走) → Amami Yaduka (天宮塚) → Oku No In (奥の院) → Nakayama Temple (中山寺) → his home in Hibariagaoka.
After that I walked to Kawanishi Noseguchi Station where I’d begun my day of hiking. What a day! How kind this Japanese man had been! What a great country!
Derek
Leave a Reply