Yugawara (Makuyama) hiking 🥾 and “plum blossom banquet” ゆがわらばいりん「うめのうたげ」
Details
To join this event please see below and send me a message on LINE. Without this, you will not find out our meeting point. EVERYONE needs to do this EVERY TIME, including those who have participated with me previously.
On the foot slope of "Makuyama" where magnificent natural scenery can be seen throughout the four seasons, approximately 4,000 red and white plum trees bloom like a carpet of plum blossoms, and fill the area with the fragrance of plum blossoms, allowing you to enjoy a "plum blossom banquet".
We will meet at JR Yugawara Station BEFORE 9.45am. Please kindly ensure you arrive punctually. We will be taking a bus shortly afterwards.
◾️After you have applied to join this event, please contact Mark via the Line application quoting your FULL NAME and this message: [Yugawara plum event - 22nd February] MARK's LINE ACCOUNT
If you would like to bring a guest, please ask me via Line.
◾️参加されるイベントの名前(フルネーム)と日付を付けてマークにLINEしてください。
例:[Yugawara plum event - 22nd February] MARK's LINE ACCOUNT
定員の都合上、お連れ様がいる時は事前にLINEでご相談ください。
The Makuyama & Nangoyama Hiking Course
Walking time: about 3 hours and 30 minutes
From the top of Mt. Nangoyama, 610 meters above sea level, the vista of Manazuru Peninsula jutting into Sagami Bay is quite a beautiful sight.
If you are interested in history, be sure to visit Jikansui Pond on this hiking course! Legend has it that it is where Yoritomo Minamoto fled to after losing the Battle of Ishibashiyama, and where he would have committed suicide after seeing his pitiful visage reflected upon the water’s surface, had his hand not been stayed by his ally, local clan leader Sanehira Doi. It is also known as “Jigaisui,” with “jigai” meaning “to commit suicide.”
As you stroll, nearby you can also see the remains of Shodo Jizo-do (“hall for guardian deities”) ― the Jizo-do appears in “Genpei Seisuiki” (“The Rise and Fall of the Minamoto and the Taira clans”), and is a good place for contemplating the Warring States period of Japan.
OUR ROUTE:
We will take a bus for Kajiya from Yugawara Station, taking about 10 minutes.
Shortly after going up the wide paved road in front of Goro Shrine, you’ll come to the branching road which leads to Mt. Nangoyama. Here, go straight ahead towards Makuyama. You can see the Shiroyama range clearly on the left side, and before long Makuyama will come into view ahead and to the right.
Walk along the narrow paved path, and you’ll see Makuyama Park on the left-hand side, and an ume (Japanese plum) grove with 4,000 trees on your right. A large guide map, reading “2,200 meters to the mountaintop,” marks the start of the trail.
About 30 minutes from the trailhead, you’ll come to an observatory with a rest house, and a scenic outlook of Manazuru Peninsula and the Shiroyama area stretching out in the distance. As you climb up, you’ll get a wider view of Yugawara’s streets and the area around Ito.
After about 40 minutes from the rest house, you will come to the footpath circling the top of Makuyama, covered with various seasonal plants and flowers that make for a pleasant walk.
A grassy hill here offers a 360-degree panoramic view of the Boso Peninsula in the far east, Izu Peninsula in the west, the Shiroyama range nearby, the Nangoyama area, and other places. It is an ideal place for taking a bento lunch break.
Back at Goro Shrine, you can wait for a bus to return to Yugawara Station, or walk to the station in about 35 minutes.
Makuyama & Nangoyama Hiking Course
(blog post)
Hiking course video
Information about the festival at nearby Makuyama Park
(only if we have time during the route)
Additional fees (approximate):
Bus ¥440 (return fare)
Event fee:
¥500 limited to the first 7 applicants (make sure you contact me on LINE immediately!) - payment is required via PayPay within 24 hours and is non-refundable. If you think you may need to cancel, then choose the option below ⬇️
¥1250 if you pay by 7pm on 21st February (PayPay, or in cash at an earlier event).
¥1500 in cash on the event day (22nd February) - please bring the correct money (see the NOTE below).
If you don't have PayPay, please ask a friend or coworker to do the transaction for you (give them cash!).
Cancellation policy:
- Full refund given for ¥1250 payments if cancellation is notified BY LINE MESSAGE at least 36 hours before the event start time.
- Reservation and then no-showing without prepayment requires full payment of the event fee via PayPay within 24 hours. Further non-payment will result in removal from the group.
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After the event, you may submit a review/evaluation. Please kindly rate appropriately as a low evaluation has an impact on the group. Things you should clearly understand in advance:
- I (Mark) am not a tour guide. For many events this will also be my first time, and events are mainly organised based on intensive internet research.
- Nature cannot be guaranteed, so flower festivals may be impacted by the recent climate.
- We aim to depart on time, however bus schedules might change. This is unavoidable.
- We request participants arrive EARLY. In rare cases we might wait a few minutes if we do not need to take a bus.
- The number of participants is not guaranteed. However we will not have large groups.
- The event finish time might be earlier or later than advertised. The hiking time might be longer/shorter than anticipated. Return bus times are not guaranteed.
How to calculate your review appropriately:
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (5 stars) = Everything was as described.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (4 stars) = The event was generally ok, but there were a few things that you weren't happy with (please provide further details).
⭐️⭐️⭐️ (3 stars) = The event was disappointing (please provide further details).
⭐️⭐️ (2 stars) = The event was poor (please provide further details).
⭐️ (1 star) = The event was terrible (please provide further details).