Another week – another business trip … and this one was bringing me back to Japan. Given the timezone difference and the much cheaper flight ticket, it was a quick decision to fly in on Saturday already. This way, I had a full day for some local sightseeing / exploration, while at the same getting adjusted to the timezone.

I had decided – after having done the important bits of Tokyo last time (and on my previous trip a decade back) – that it was time, to do some outdoor stuff. So I did my research and did come across a hot spring area / valley on the peninsula relatively nearby, with nice surroundings. They also had some hiking trails on offer – so
Yorokeikoku made a good option. A colleague decided to join in.
The train ride, to get to Yorokeikoku took us two hours with two changes of trains (and with this being Japan, no issues with that one – all trains pretty much on time and stations well sign-posted). The train ride itself was interesting … starting with high-rises, then houses gradually getting smaller and gardens bigger – until eventually we were going through rice paddies and ‘up’ into the ‘mountains’ (it felt fairly mountainous – but we were only a good 100/150m above sea level).
On arrival we got off with the hike; we had picked a medium-sized one of about 7.4km (maybe throw in another km or two – to factor in us getting lost here and there – plus sidetrips to temples); this took as a leisurely two hours to complete. The hike (or walk) was really nice, very quiet, not too many other people and really great nature with some good views and a good finish through the river valley.

Overall this turned out a perfect choice … the weather was in our favor – and indeed the trip into a less developed Japan was a welcome alternative, to the big buildings, meeting rooms and office spaces, that did lay ahead of us in the following days.