Tea, Trails & Talks - Roadtrips, Friendships & Exploring Jap

### 🌸 About the Event / イベントについて

🍵✨ This is the final official hike of the year to Mt. Nantai (男体山)!
From November 11, the sacred mountain will close for the winter season — this is our last chance in 2025 to reach its summit, surrounded by Japan’s most breathtaking autumn colors.
Join us for the first official adventure of Tea, Trails & Talks — a mindful journey through forests, shrines, and clouds.
We’ll hike together, share tea at the summit, talk about travel and life, and feel the beauty of connection — with nature and with each other.
Whether you come for the challenge, the colors, or the peace — this hike will mark the perfect farewell to Japan’s hiking season. 🍁

> “Let’s climb slowly, breathe deeply, and feel every step — from warmth to cold, from green to gold.”

***

## ⚠️ RSVP Policy / 参加について

Because this is a long, full-day hike with strict timing and limited seats, please RSVP only if you are 100% sure you can join.
This helps us manage car space, safety, and coordination fairly for everyone.
If you’re unsure, please wait for the next event — there will be many more! 😊

> ⏰ RSVP only if you can definitely attend and are ready for an early 5:30 AM departure.
> Each RSVP spot matters — let’s keep it meaningful and considerate for others.

参加について
長時間の登山で出発も早いため、確実に参加できる方のみRSVPをお願いします。
定員が限られているため、他の方のためにもご協力ください。

### 🗓️ Date & Time / 日時

📅 Saturday, November 08, 2025
🕔 Departure : 5 : 30 AM sharp from JR Utsunomiya Station East Exit
(Peak Nikko autumn = heavy traffic! Please be punctual — car leaves at 5:30 sharp; 10-minute delay = missed hike.)
🕗 Start : 7 : 30 AM @ Nikko Futarasan Shrine Entrance (日光二荒山神社入口)
⏰ Return : 6 : 00 – 7 : 00 PM (total 8–9 hours)

***

### 🚗 Meeting & Transportation / 集合と移動

• Pickup: JR Utsunomiya Station East Exit
• Car: 4-seater rental (3 available seats)
• Departure: 5 : 30 AM sharp — no waiting due to traffic to Nikko
• Alternative: Meet directly at Nikko Futarasan Shrine by 7 : 30 AM
• Note: Nikko roads are very crowded during the autumn season, so early departure is essential.

***

### 💴 Participation Fee / 参加費

To share costs fairly and keep our events sustainable:

• 🚗 Car riders: ¥1,500 per person (covers car rental ¥5,860 + fuel + tolls + parking share)
• 🚶‍♀️ Direct joiners: ¥500 per person (symbolic support for coordination and group materials)

💡 The organizer also contributes personally as driver and planner.
💡 If the weather changes significantly within 8 hours before departure and the event is cancelled, no charges will be collected.
💡 Even if only one trailmate joins — the hike will still happen!

***

### ⛰️ Hike Details / ハイキング情報

• Route: Mt. Nantai via Nikko Futarasan Shrine
• Duration: 8–9 hours (round trip)
• Difficulty: Intermediate
• Pace: Slow & mindful — respecting the sacred mountain and nature’s rhythm
• Elevation: 2,486 m
• Entrance Fee: ¥1,000 (shrine access)
• Toilets: None on trail — use before starting

## 🌸 About Mt. Nantai / 男体山について

Mt. Nantai (男体山) — meaning “Man’s Body Mountain” — is one of Japan’s most sacred peaks, located within Nikko National Park.
It rises elegantly beside Lake Chuzenji and is considered the symbolic guardian of Nikko.
The mountain is part of Futarasan Shrine, a UNESCO World Heritage site, and has been a site of worship for over 1,200 years.
Climbing Mt. Nantai is not just a physical challenge — it’s a spiritual journey through history, faith, and nature.

• 🗻 Elevation: 2,486 meters
• ⛰️ Elevation Gain: approx. 1,200 meters from the shrine trailhead
• 🚶‍♂️ Trail Distance: around 12 km round-trip
• 🕊️ Trail Type: Steep, rocky, and forested — featuring shrine gates, stone steps, volcanic rock, and panoramic summit views over Lake Chuzenji and Mt. Nikko-Shirane.
• 🔱 Special Feature: The trail begins from within the sacred grounds of Nikko Futarasan Shrine. Every climber passes through the torii gate and registers with the shrine priests before ascending — a rare experience in Japan where spirituality and mountaineering meet.

Climbing Mt. Nantai during autumn is a once-a-year experience — with breathtaking views of golden larch trees, crimson maples, and the peaceful lake below.
Since the mountain officially closes after November 11, this is truly the final chance in 2025 to stand at its summit. 🍂

男体山について
男体山（なんたいさん）は日光国立公園のシンボル的存在で、標高2,486mの霊山です。
約1,200年前から信仰登山の対象として知られ、登山口は二荒山神社の境内にあります。
登山道には鳥居や石段、岩場があり、山頂からは中禅寺湖や白根山を一望できます。
紅葉の季節は特に美しく、11月11日で今年の登山期間が終了します。まさに今年最後のチャンスです。

***

### 🧳 What to Bring / 準備するもの