Oze National Park

So we’re in Japan on work, and unlike the other times I’ve written blogs, I can’t make this just a travel blog about what I do everyday. However today is an exception as I have to spread the word of how awesome Oze is.

We drove to Oze a couple weeks ago where I met the other teachers I would be working with. After all that introduction stuff, we drove up to the Oze National Park. We weren’t able to go far into the hiking area, as we didn’t have time, but I definitely want to go again. First there is a paved road that goes all the way deep into the mountains, and it’s one of those super curvy narrow roads too that just keeps going up and up. There’s a bus that goes up too, but since we were in a car, we didn’t have to bother with the bus. I also don’t want to think about making that trip in a bus...which is significantly wider and longer than a car. The higher we got, the more amazing it became. The clouds were hugging the tops of the mountains like a fine veil, obscuring the mountains and making them seem solitary and mysterious. We weren’t quite high enough to be in the cloud cover, but we were very very very close.

After parking, we walked to the shop at the beginning of the hiking trails. Bus stop, restrooms, restaurant, and gift shop all in one area. And the shop even sells hiking equipment. One of the first things we noticed about getting up that high was that it was significantly cooler up in the mountains. The second was that the shop sold bells. Why? To keep away bears of course! Yeah there are bears in those mountains, but that doesn’t stop people from visiting. The Oze National Park is actually pretty famous in Gunma, and there’s a beautiful lake and marsh that you can walk to via the hiking trails. It’s a little late in the season right now, but I definitely plan on coming back and hiking the trails in spring time. Watching out for bears of course.

Our second stop in Oze was Fukiware no Taki, or the Fukiware Falls. This is considered something like the Eastern Niagara. It’s not because the falls are as big as Niagara, but because they share the same shape. But oh man, it was amazing. We parked, walked a little ways down some steps, and came upon the river. There was an announcement continuously playing (in Japanese, English, and Chinese), warning people that the path was slippery and dangerous and not to cross the white line.

Now when I say we came upon the river, I don’t mean we came to the fence where we have to stand back five feet from the river and look down. No no, the walkway has no fence and runs directly against the river. If the water had been higher (it’s been a light season for rain this year), you could actually bend down from the walkway and touch the river. Obviously this is dangerous, hence that white line painted on the cement walkway to keep people from going over.

You walk along the river and out near the falls. And again, I mean right near the falls. You can take amazing pictures because there’s no fence or anything, just a little ‘Danger Rope’ to keep people from getting close enough to fall over the cliff. The waters were fast, and the falls were loud, and it was awesome because we were right next to them. You can keep walking around further down the river too and come to another set of falls where the spray is a continuous mist in the air. Needless to say I and my phone got damp while taking pictures. Along the way, you can see how the river has worn the gorge smooth over time. Because, lets face it, we’re in the mountains. The mountains are everywhere and this river cut a path right through them.

It’s such an amazing experience because you are right in the middle of this powerful natural phenomenon. If anyone is in Gunma Prefecture and wants to head up north to my area, I highly recommend Oze. It’s not a big city, and there aren’t any big shops, but the mountains, the river, the nature of it all are definitely worth the trip.