Autumn Trekking in Japan: Weekend Trip to Oze National Park
Video 3 of 3 – Overnight Trip to Oze National Park
In this video, we take an overnight trek through Oze National Park in the heart of Honshu, Japan. Oze National Park is a massive protected wilderness area that spans four prefectures, Gunma, Tochigi, Fukushima, and Niigata.
We went to Oze during one of the most popular seasons, Autumn. In late September to early October, you can take a trek through pristine wilderness. It’s during the Autumn season that the marshland grasses and mountain trees change colors to gold, yellow, orange, and red.
The park contains “Ozegahara” which is the largest high altitude mountain wetland in the Honshu region and “Ozenuma” which is a lake formed by a volcanic eruption. There are also famous mountains around the area such as “Mount Hiuchigatake” which is 2,356 meters above sea level making it the highest mountain in the Tohoku region, and “Mount Shibutsu” which is 2,228 meters above sea level. Both mountains are on the list of 100 famous mountains in Japan.
Day 2 of our Oze trip began early in the morning with a small breakfast at the lodge. We had fish for breakfast. The lodge also provides a lunch box meal for a fee. The lunch box meal was two rice balls (onigiri) with plum and a inari sushi. We left Yashiro Lodge shortly after breakfast at 7 am to start trekking towards Lake Ozenuma. The trek after the lodge is not as well maintained as the trails shown in Day 1. Some of the wood on the trail is rotting making it difficult to walk in some areas. Also, the trail does get rocky and hilly so having good trekking shoes is a must. We eventually made our way to Numajiri which has a gift shop that sells snacks, drinks, and souvenirs, and the Ozenuma Visitor Center. Near the gift shop is the Ozenuma Visitor Center which has a small display on some of nature in the Oze area. Here you can learn about some of the wildlife, plantlife, and everyday life in Oze. We saw a display showing the typical sherpa carrying the load. It was an impressive 80-100 kgs that they carry per trip. After hanging around the lake for a while we continued on to Ichinose which is located along a gravel road. This was where the trail stopped. In Ichinose, you can ride a small shuttle bus (van) that will take you to the last stop Oshimizu. In Oshimizu, there is a small restaurant that serves Japanese curry, soba, and ice cream. Also, there is a small gift shop. When you get to Oshimizu we recommend checking the bus schedule back to the Oze Parking Lots 1 and 2. There is no sign explaining where to buy a bus ticket so ask the restaurant cashier to buy one. There is outdoor and indoor seating in Oshimizu so that you can relax while you wait for the bus. The ride back to the Oze Parking Lots takes about 10 minutes. We got back to the parking lot at around 3:30 pm and decided to stop by a well-known soba restaurant which was about 20 minutes drive from the parking lot. At Mizubasho Restaurant, they have “Kurumi” (walnut) Soba which is not very common in Japan and can be difficult to find. If you do get the chance to try Kurumi Soba anywhere in Japan it is well worth it.
Also, in this video, we wanted to share some tips for enjoying your trek in Oze. Check out our 10 Tips To Enjoy Trekking in Oze.
Also, check out Day 1 of the Oze trek in our other video.
Here are 10 tips to:
Enjoy Your Trek Through Oze National Park
1. Bring trekking shoes with hard soles.
2. Pick up a free Japanese trail map.
3. Walk on the right side of the trail.
4. Bring snacks and a water bottle.
5. Try Hanamame ice cream in Yamanohana.
6. Donate 100 yen when using the toilets.
7. Watch out for bears.
8. Food is available, but it’s expensive.
9. Bring a small bag for trash.
10. Know the bus schedule.
Cameras Used:
Sony – ZV – Vlogging Camera (1080p Video)
GoPro Hero 8 – HD (4k Video)
Olympus OMD EM-5 Mark II – HD (1080p Video)
Canon iBS HF G20 (1080p Video)
DJI Drone – Mavic Pro 2 – HD (4k Video)
Other Equipment:
MSR Reactor Stove (1.0 L)
YETI Rambler Mug (14 oz.)
REI Co-op FlexLite Chairs
Mont Bell Trekking Shoes (Trail Gripper)
Nalgene Wide Mouth (32 oz.) (1 L)
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