A Place Beyond Human Reach

This road is a bit off the hiking trail in Himenosawa Park. When you drive up to the Atami Higaneyama Cemetery, leave your car in the parking lot and then walk towards Jukkokutoge through a narrow road. As you advance, the road opens up and you will find yourself in a vast grass field. Mt. Fuji can be seen in the distance, so when I take my friends from Tokyo, they really enjoy the spectacular view.

There is cable car up the ridge, but there are few tourists. Also, it is cool in the summer, so I sometimes bring my dog here. My dog gets more excited than our usual walk, perhaps because of the smell of wild beast in the mountains. You don’t see many traces left by humans either, so you face nature as you walk in the grass. As you arrive and the grand scenery spreads before you, then you really feel a sense of accomplishment.

When I lived in Tokyo, the sea and the mountains seemed like extraordinary places, but ever since I moved to Atami, they have become much more familiar environments. When I take walks, I’m usually spaced out. Even when I try to think about my current work, walking tends to empty my mind. If you want to observe the city or find stimulation, you are better off walking in the heart of Tokyo. When I’m walking down the road that allows me to face nature, I feel like I get much closer to my inner self.