Bushwalking in Miyagi
I love being outside, so naturally it follows that a bit of bushwalking (Aussie English for hiking) is one of my hobbies. In the last three and a half years of living in Japan, I have walked to the top of most of the major peaks in Miyagi Prefecture, including Mt. Kurikoma, Mt Funagata, Mt Izumigatake, Mt Fubo and Mt Byobu, plus a few outside of Miyagi Prefecture. For those who question the wisdom of getting up at the crack of dawn, driving up to the some forlorn trailhead and then walking 3-4 hours to get to the top of some mountain, it is hard to encapsulate in words the feeling of being at the top of a mountain with a couple of mates, sipping some hot tea or coffee and admiring the surrounding view and basking in the silence. For me, I find it thoroughly invigorating and a great stress-breaker. When I am at the top of a mountain, I feel so alive and the whole world, somehow feels right, too.
In the Tohoku area, there are some great places for one-day hikes, ranging from little steep hills to mountains up to 2,300m in elevation. If you follow the links below, you will have a visual idea of what I am talking about when I tell you about the joys of being out there in the mountains.
Hanayama Village(Flower Mountain Village)
Omoshiroyama (Interesting Mountain)