On March 20th, it was the spring equinox, when day and night are nearly equal in length. This reminds me of how our solar system works—the Earth orbits the Sun, creating the seasons.
I live at an elevation of about 1,500 meters, deep in the woods. At night, I can clearly see the constellations slowly moving from east to west across the sky. The position where the Sun rises also changes with the seasons.
After a long winter, the nights are finally getting shorter, and spring has begun to arrive. Up here, it feels like it has come just a little earlier than last year.
A Spring Hike with Sachi, on March 21st
On an early spring day, Sachi and I went hiking in Kamikochi, part of Chubu Sangaku National Park.
The weather was perfect: a cloudless blue sky and crisp mountain air in the valley. We started our hike by passing through two tunnels—the Kama Tunnel, about 1,300 meters long, and the Kamikochi Tunnel, around 600 meters long.
After walking along the Azusa River for about two hours, we reached the famous Kappa Bridge. From the bridge, the view of the sharp peaks of the Northern Alps rising into the sky was stunning. We sat on a wooden bench by the river and enjoyed a simple lunch of cup noodles.
Afterward, we made our way back to Nakanoyu Onsen Ryokan.
Afterword
This year, there was less snow than at the same time last year.
Thank you, Sachi, for driving and for everything you prepared.
Next winter, let’s climb Mount Yake together.