Mount Fugen Trail

Mount Fugen trail
a #travel video
25 October 2019

Shimabare, Japan

Mount Fugen was the highest mountain in Unzen-Amakuza National Park at 1,359 m. There is a nice walk on the top of this mountain. The start of the trail is less than 60 km from Nagasaki, but it is difficult to reach by public transport. We have chosen to rent a car with the eight of us. It became a Nissan Serena. The travel time by car was also disappointing. You could barely go faster than 50 km/hr on the entire route. With the many traffic lights and the necessary viewpoint and toilet stops it took us 2 hours.
Today’s light clouds centered around the volcano. The top was therefore completely in the mist. After a cup of coffee we decided to give it a try. Just about that coffee. In Japan there are many vending machines along the road, in shopping centers and shops. You expect that it only contains soft drinks. There is also tea in the vending machines. Yes, of course iced tea, but you can also get a can or bottle of hot tea or coffee in the same machine. The bottle of coffee from the machine did not taste great, but it continued.
The walk started quite hard. Steep up and down with large steps of beams or boulders. The moisture made it a bit slippery. So you had to be careful where you put your feet. But also look upwards to avoid bumping your head with the many low branches. And that was just the part that was indicated that you can walk with sneakers. According to the signs and the map, you needed hiking boots on the next stretch. We took the chance. It was not too bad. The path was not much more difficult than the sneakers path. The furthest part leading to the view of the Heisei-Shinzan was indicated as one-way traffic. That section was steeper and narrower. Upstairs we could see the Heisei-Shinzan lying in the mist. The Heisei-Shinzan is now the highest mountain in the Unzen-Amakuza National Park. This volcano erupted in 1991-1995, making it more than 100 m higher than Mount Fugen. This eruption killed a number of researchers and reporters who sought to study and report the event. There is also a disaster museum about this eruption. The two disasters we watched in Hiroshima and Nagasaki in recent days seemed enough to us.
The top of the Heisei-Shinzan only showed itself for a moment. Steam still betrayed sources located lower on the slope. The top of Mount Fugen was fog-free, but patches of fog covered the slopes. Through the fog we saw the beautiful autumn colors of the trees and shrubs.
We had a little time left and decided to drive to Shimabara Castle. It looked beautiful and neat from the outside. The high entrance fee prevented us from visiting. We took a walk outside the castle walls through a neighborhood where old Samurai houses could still be visited.

A real traffic jam on the way back ensured that we could return the car just in time.

#Music:
Eighty Miles – VYEN
Long Walks – Emily A. Sprague

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