The Dragon Radar (not broken!): going up to the summit of Mt. Ogusu 大楠山

 

Actually, from the beginning of the hiking course to the peak, it‘s a simple one-way-up from Shonan Village. The steeper slopes equip well-maintained steps. We walk up, then a gentler up-slope comes out. And the next steep slope with steps follows ... It goes like this. At the time of cherry blossoms, the forest floor often has colonies of Arisaema Urashima. It reminds us of the fact we’re near the coast. After 20 minutes or so climb, we meet with a hiking road that comes from the direction of Sagami Bay. We turn left there, and in less than 10 minutes, we’re at the top of Mt. Ogusu 大楠山, the highest point for Miura Peninsula 三浦半島 with ASL 241.1m. From the bus stop for Shonan Village to the peak, it is about an hour walk. From the top, we can see both Tokyo and Sagami Bays. Boso and Izu Peninsula can also be recognizable. To the south in the Pacific Ocean, Oshima Island shows its silhouette of Mt. Miharayama, ASL 758m. And of course, a view to Mt. Fuji. Unfortunately, City of Yokosuka closes the rest house and the view tower at the top of Mt. Ogusu. They do not say if they are planning to reopen the facility soon. If we need toilet, we go down the way we come and turn right at the point we’ve met the road from Sagami Bay. From the crossing, in 100m or so walk, we enter Ogusu Daira 大楠平 which has an interesting facility, aside from toilets.

The beginning of ascending is like this.

Steep slope with sturdy steps

Gentler parts are like here.

Lots of Arisaema Urashima along the course

The top of Mt. Ogusu

To the direction of Tokyo Bay.
The ridge beyond the Bay is Boso Peninsula.
We can hear whistles of mega container ships
 busily navigating Tokyo Bay.

To the direction of Sagami Bay

The rest house which is closed.

We cannot go up this view tower.

But from the closed door of the rest house,
we can see this beautiful cherry blossoms,
Sagami Bay, and Mt. Fuji.

To the toilet, when we go down from the peak,
there is this signpost.

And we take the right road that goes up slightly for the toilet.

Do you remember the white tower we noticed when we came from Shonan Village? Toilets we need stand right next to it. The tower has actually a very important mission for us living in megalopolis Tokyo. It’s a radar rain gauge constructed by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism. Admitting it’s an old gauge of short polarization radar that cannot precisely measure convective precipitation, aka sudden local squall becoming common in Japan by global warming. Yet, it covers the movement of clouds within 120km radius range from the top of Mt. Ogusu (; the range of its coverage can be checked here). So, if a typhoon approaches the megalopolis Tokyo the strength of the storm is first measured by this tower and the alert is issued to us for coming natural disaster. Japanese government is building a system for weather prediction with dual polarization radars, but the covering range of the newest technology is smaller. I guess people in the Meteorological Agency will keep the radar of Mt. Ogusu as such for some time to come. It’s at the ideal location and with wide coverage.

Cherry blossoms clouds and the tower

Toilets at Ogusu Daira

Inside is this traditional Japanese style.
But its sewage system has
an environmentally friendly circular structure.

The tower for a radar rain gauge,
next to the toilets

When it is a fine spring day, the white tower is smiling under the sunshine and twinkling reflection from Tokyo Bay and Pacific Ocean. The facility also has a view tower attached next to the radar. Though the tall white structure blocks some view, it is still worth going up to feel “Mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm!” of spring warmth. Moreover, during cherry blossoms’ week we can observe the entire slopes of Mt. Ogusu dotted with white and pink clouds. I tell you, the cherry trees here are accumulation of 700 years of planting. Many of them are now huge trees, and it is more recognizable from above the forest canopy. The radar tower is an ideal location. I guess we can have two options for lunch: on the top of the mountain, or here in the view tower next to the radar.

To the inner Tokyo Bay from the Tower

Could you figure out over there
Minato Mirai area of Yokohama?

Mt. Fuji is floating above the cherry blossoms …

We can recognize Odawa Bay
with Sajima Marina 佐島マリーナ.

A floating something in the Ocean is Oshima Island 大島.

And we are looking to the top of Mt. Ogusu.
The radio tower there is for NTT’s mobile network.

From the radar, descending Mt. Ogusu has two routes. Both are one-way-downs. Even when you’re meandering along the route admiring the living creatures with reference books (like me) and camera, in 90 minutes’ time we can arrive at the bus stop in residential area closer to the beach of Sagami Bay (not on the beach, I must add). From these bus stops, the easiest return trip is to JR Zushi Station or Keikyu Zushi-Hayama Station by Keikyu Bus. Keikyu has at least 4 services per hour to the stations from 8:00 to 10:00 every day from these bus stops. i.e. Relax! With the commuter bus, we first go to the route along the seaside to Hayama Town, and go a bit inland from the crossing in front of Hayama Imperial Villa. The vista of Sagami Bay along the bus route is superb, with Mt. Fuji over there a la Ukiyoe of Hokusai in fine day. With this closing in mind, let’s descend from the top of Mt. Ogusu, first to Ogusu-Ashinaguchi Stop 大楠芦名口.

 A view from the commuter bus to Zushi Stations.
Could you figure out Enoshima Island 江の島 over there?

To Ogusu-Ashinaguchi Stop,
we first return a bit to the signpost for the top of Mt. Ogusu.

Go to Ogusu-Ashinaguchi Stop from the peak is probably the easiest itinerary for Mt. Ogusu Hiking. We simply take a wide forestry route with blacktop. Basically, the road is for the maintenance of Radar Tower. Normally, the tower is an unmanned facility. The road to the place has lots of holes without regular maintenance. At least in theory, the road is for permit holding drivers only. So, when we hike there, we can enjoy leisurely going down along a wide (semi-)paved road to the very end at the bus stop. And cherry blossoms? Yup. Both sides of the road are natural forest of broad-leaved trees. The dominating figure here is evergreen Machilus thunbergia that loves warmer climate along the coast. That’s said, large cherry trees poking their canopy at the gap here and there. During cherry blossoms season, the forestry road is full of petals falling from high above. It is still early for leaves of cherries to be large enough to close the gaps of the forest canopy. Please look up and we can enjoy fresh lime green leaves of Prunus speciosa and Cerasus jamasakura, mingling with white flowers (Prunus speciosa) or pale pinks (Cerasus jamasakura). Janapese bush warblers are compete for their voice to attract healthy females to mate. In this day and age, it’s an incredibly peaceful stroll … The end of the forestry road has an organic café Shoku-yabo Noen open for lunch and dinner, and a small pond named Ashina-seki 芦名堰 on our right. A few minutes down from there on our left there are public toilets. Everything is well-equipped.

The road to Ogusu-Ashinaguchi Stop is like this.

The route equips signposts as well.
The gate at the bottom of this photo is to the NTT’s radio tower.

At that gate, another road (the right one of this photo)
joining to the forestry road.
More to this next week.

Cherry blossoms smiling from above.

Flowers for Quercus acutissima are also beautiful.

In the middle of the route,
there is a point where we can admire
the beauty of slopes of Mt. Ogusu.

Stachyurus praecox var. matsuzakii.
It’s a variant for Stachyurus praecox.
We can find it only along the coast of
Kanagawa, Chiba, and Sizuoka Prefectures, and Izu Islands.
The variant has definitely burlier boughs
 and leaves and longer and larger flowers
than those found inland areas.

Almost at the end of forestry road.
On our right beyond the fence is the premise of the Café.

Ashina-seki

The toilets

From the toilets above,
simply proceed and we can find Somei-Yoshino’s over there.

Reach there, and turn right to go to the traffic light ahead.

It’s Ogusu-yama Iriguchi 大楠山入口 Traffic Light.
Go to the other side of the crossing and turn right.

The bus stop, Ogusu-Ashinaguchi Stop, is there.

Well, so, if you need more adventure, today’s course could be a bit boring. Next week, I tell you another route for Mt. Ogusu Hiking. Please stay tuned!

If you find environmental issues in Kanagawa Prefecture, please make a contact with Kanagawa Natural Environment Conservation Center 神奈川県自然環境保全センター

657 Nanasawa, Atsugi City, 243-0121
〒243－0121　厚木市七沢657
Phone: 046-248-0323

You can send an enquiry to them by clicking the bottom line of their homepage at http://www.pref.kanagawa.jp/div/1644/

Rome Wasn’t Built in One Day: Shonan Village for Mt. Ogusu Hiking Course 大楠山

 

There are several forests in Kanagawa Prefecture where it is famous for their cherry blossoms. In previous few years, I told you my adventure with cherries in forests of western Tanzawa 丹沢, near Yadoriki Water Source Forest やどりき水源林. This year, I change my destination to the south, that is Miura Peninsula 三浦半島. Compared with Tanzawa, or even Yokohama, the area is warmer with sea breeze from Tokyo and Sagai Bays all year round. Inevitably, cherry trees there are for such climate. Planted Cerasus lannesiana ʽKawazu-zakura’ and Somei-Yoshino trees aside, the majority of cherry trees in natural forest there are Prunus speciosa and Cerasus jamasakura. Actually, it is said that Prunu speciosa there were also transplants by humans from Izu Peninsula 伊豆半島 and Ohshima Island 大島 which is visible on fine days from Miura Peninsula. Miura Peninsula appears in ancient documents from around the 12th century as a party place of cherry blossoms for Japanese politicians. Geologically, the peninsula ends with Kamakura 鎌倉 where the first samurai Shogun, Kamakura Shogunate 鎌倉幕府, yielded power for national politics during 12th – 14th centuries. I guess since that time people planted a lot of seedlings from Ohshima Island in their forests. 700 years later, their offsprings adorned the peninsula. Not bad, don’t you think? (More to this in my later post of this series.)

Buds almost reaching to opening …

Our itinerary is to Mt. Ogusu 大楠山, the highest peak of the Peninsula at ASL 241.1m. The peak has several approaches. Today, I will tell you the easiest way to the top. And the descending routes to the eastern shore of Sagami Bay have a VERY high concentration of cherry trees, many probably planted hundreds of years ago. If you plan to have leisurely hike for admiring cherry blossoms, they are the best choices. Oh, I have to tell you this. The majority of cherry blossoms on the slopes of Mt. Ogusu are not Somei-Yoshino, but wilder variety. Somei-Yoshino was created during the early 19th century in Edo (aka Tokyo) whose parents are Prunus speciosa (dad) and Cerasus itosakura var. itosakura f. ascendens (mom). There would be natural hybridizations in the area, but it would be more relaxing thinking the cherry trees there are mainly Prunus speciosa and Cerasus jamasakura. How to distinguish them? Well, Somei-Yoshino and Mom tree open their flowers before leaves come out. Whereas Dad tree and Jamazakura open flowers and leaves from the buds at once. Many cherry trees above our head in Mt. Ogusu have both leaves and flowers when it’s in flowering season. You see?

Cherry blossoms with young leaves together in Mt. Ogusu.
Could you figure it out the petals are white
and young leaves have pointed tips?
These are the sign the tree is Prunus speciosa.

The starting point of today’s hike is the bus stop Shonan Kokusai-mura Center Mae (the Front for Shonan Village Centre 湘南国際村センター前). The public transportation to the Center is from JR Zushi Station 逗子駅 or Keikyu Zushi-Hayama Station 逗子葉山駅 by Keikyu Bus Zu-16 逗-16 service; the bus starts from JR Zushi, then stops at Keikyu Zushi-Hayama (; the time table is from here for JR, and here for Keikyu). Oh, I have to add this. It’s better to go to toilet at the stations. The reason follows below. Please keep on reading. It’s about 25 minutes’ bus ride, and please get off the bus at the terminal stop, Shonan Kokusai-mura Center Mae. You’ll find yourself in the middle of some campus. No wonder. Once upon a time, Mitsui Fudosan, a developer, bought the land here planning to build a golf course. In the middle of the development, around 1983, they figured out it was a bad plan for their bottom line, and sold the entire area to the Prefectural Office. Kanagawa Prefecture re-planned the idea, and re-sold sections to Mitsui Fudosan for housing development and to several corporations, including National University Corporation. Now the area has houses, research and training centers for large companies in Tokyo, the National Graduate University for Advanced Studies, Institute for Global Environmental Strategies (IGES), etc. No shopping center. To enter the premises there for, say, toilet, you have to carry your IC-tipped ID. So, my advice for toilet.

JR Zushi Station

Please take Zu-16 service from
Bus Stop #1 in front of Zushi Station.

The bus stop Shonan Kokusai-mura Center Mae
(the Front for Shonan Village Centre 湘南国際村センター前).

Near the terminal stop there is this map for Shonan Village.

The hike for Mt. Ogusu starts like this. Adelante, por favor.

The entrance to IGES we pass by.

Anyway, you arrive at the terminal stop and start walking to the direction of the east. Don’t worry. The road is impeccably wide and paved and the sidewalk is beautiful. Most of all, it’s one way. We slowly go up. In less than 10 minutes, we reach a large roundabout. Over there on our right is an ample parking space. We take a wide paved road sans sidewalk to the left. It slowly goes down and winding. Soon you’ll notice the both sides of the road are something of under-nurturing, with notices like “Planted area” or “Keep-out; Under vegetation-restoration.” The area is called Megurino Forest for Shonan Village 湘南国際村めぐりの森. When the Prefecture re-planned the development with Mitsui Fudosan, the developer donated the area to the Prefecture and the Office decided to make the place for nature conservatory. I surmise when they completed the negotiation, this portion of the land was a half-completed golf course, the original vegetation was stripped off. Many spaces are now hayfield with sedges as pioneer plant. Several places are cleared and reforested with seedlings of broad-leaved trees found commonly, say, on the slopes of Mt. Ogusu. Probably, for the area to be like Mt. Ogusu, it would take 700 years or so. But, anyway, it’s a start. Better than nothing, right?

The roundabout and the parking space over there.

We go this way.
There is a signpost showing the direction to Mt. Ogusu.

It’s a good road, for sure.

Both sides are mainly like this.

But occasionally such notices are standing.
It says beyond the point of notice board is
 for permit holders only
as the area is for vegetation restoration.

The trees at this point were planted in 2019.

Beyond the bush,
we can see the beach and Pacific Ocean over there.

The good thing about this route is, it’s a care-free stroll on the perfectly paved road with very little car traffic. The road ends at the beginning of the hiking road to Mt. Ogusu, and before reaching to that point, there is nothing, really nothing, except nurtured vegetations on both sides. + No parking space at the end. No casual driver has incentive to drive here. So, as hikers, we relax and proceed on a one-way road. Eventually, we can start recognizing a strange looking white tower in our direction. It’s a very important meteorological facility for us living in megalopolis Tokyo. I’ll tell you more about this next week. To the left of the tower, we can recognize a slightly higher ridge of the mountain. It’s the peak of Mt. Ogusu, the place we go today. Our way is still smoothly paved and winding. Soon, there is a clubhouse for a golf course, Hayama International Country Club 葉山国際カンツリー俱楽部, beyond the fence on our left, and soon, we can find the end of the road over there. From the bus stop to the end of the road it is less than 30 minutes. We can finally start hiking!

There are directions to Mt. Ogusu along the way.

Could you see white something on the ridge over there?
 We’ll go there soon.

The clubhouse over there.

We are reaching the end of the paved road.

Let’s hike!

If you find environmental issues in Kanagawa Prefecture, please make a contact with Kanagawa Natural Environment Conservation Center 神奈川県自然環境保全センター

657 Nanasawa, Atsugi City, 243-0121
〒243－0121　厚木市七沢657
Phone: 046-248-0323

You can send an enquiry to them by clicking the bottom line of their homepage at http://www.pref.kanagawa.jp/div/1644/