My favorite savannah in Washioyama, Japan
It shouldn’t take you more than two hours to reach the peak…
Located in Kochi Prefecture, Japan, Washioyama is a mountain peak in the neighborhood of Harunocho ,Uchinotani.
Nonetheless, the sense of accomplishment that comes with climbing to this location can endure for days…
Why?
Because there is such a variety in the landscapes that are seen, which, from my perspective, appear just stunning.
My personal favorite is the savanna with the thick and the yellowish or golden-colored vegetation on the right and left.
Plus the sound of the wind sounding in my ears so liltingly sounding as a beautiful backsound that afternoon…
I’m not sure if this savanna will turn greenish or another color as the seasons change.
This was interesting because we were there when winter was still going on.
We didn’t see any snow, but rather a dry savanna.
We also came across some crossed trees and burned signs.
This was confusing.. does winter actually reach this place?:-D
Indeed, Kochi Prefecture is one of the warmest cities on Shikoku Island in Japan. but I guess since it’s high up, we can see snow here.
With an altitude of only 1020 meters above sea level, this mountain is probably more worthy of being called a hill.
Suitable for beginners.
Located on the outskirts of the city, we can walk from downtown to start this journey. However, from the hike's starting point, you can also drive to this location if you don't have much time.
At first, I doubted that we were genuinely going up the mountain because this would be the first time we’d have to walk through the cemetery.
Then we arrive at a point where we can see the entire city of Kochi from afar, complete with roads, rivers, and even the sea in the distance, as well as tall buildings.
The track conditions, like those in Japan’s mountains, are designed to make visitors more comfortable.
Another landscape I liked was the pine forest, which greened up after we walked a bit inward. With the incline track that is not too sharp and made like a staircase, it makes the journey easier.
We only stopped for a while when our breathing became difficult.
Not only is the track comfortable, but there is also a log seat in some places where we can rest comfortably.
Seating, complete with a dining table, was even available when we arrived at the top.
With a beautiful view in front of us, accompanied by several small birds that tried to approach us during lunch, this trip felt so pleasant.
Being able to travel while interacting with and sharing our fortune with God’s other creations was also an exciting experience for us.
Only the interaction is enough with the tame ones. A wild boar encounter in this forest would be terrifying since we could see their footprints along the trail. Because their body was quite big, so you can imagine it must be quite horror if you meet them for real :-P
We took a slightly different route home than when we came, but the travel time was almost relatively the same... Still passing through the savannah, the most favorite place for me and made my day so memorable that afternoon …
Washioyama could be one of the alternative places of choice for altitude enthusiasts.
Just simply going to the savannah and not having to go up or walk too far seems to be one of the good alternative destinations and one of my recommendations if you visit this prefecture.
At sometime, someday :-)
