Text by Alex
Kappa Bridge, Yari-ga-take, and Taisho Pond — these landmarks in Kamikōchi, Nagano Prefecture, may be familiar to many. In summer, Kamikōchi is a popular summer retreat often crowded with visitors, but in winter it is closed to traffic, so not many people have seen its snow-covered landscape. Photographer Yukimiyoshi (@7djet) recently teamed up with his friend Ryuta Okumura (@freestyler_ryuta) to hike up to Kamikōchi hoping to capture the sunrise.
▲ The photographer hiked up to Kamikōchi in the bitter cold early morning to shoot the sunrise. (Photo by 7djet @IG)
Due to heavy snowfall, for safety reasons, the section from the Kanbayashi Tunnel to Kamikōchi is closed to vehicles during mid-winter. However, hikers can choose to walk along the road to reach Kamikōchi, a journey that takes about 90 minutes. Yukimiyoshi chose to park his car at an onsen ryokan halfway up the mountain, then walked from there to the Kanbayashi Tunnel, which took around 45 minutes. At the tunnel entrance, all hikers are required to fill out a mountain entry log and declare personal responsibility for their hike.
He said the temperature inside the Kanbayashi Tunnel was -8°C. Thanks to his heavy winter clothing, he actually felt hot and started sweating. But once out of the tunnel, the cold wind hit him, and the temperature dropped immediately to -15°C.
▲ The two arrived at the shooting location while stars were still visible in the sky. (Photo by freestyler_ryuta @IG)
When they reached the shooting spot, the stars were still shining in the sky. The trees at the foot of the mountain were wrapped in ice as hoped. The sky gradually brightened, and sunlight struck sequentially from Yari-ga-take’s western peak to Yari-ga-take itself, creating one of Japan’s most beautiful mountain vistas. Despite the intense cold, he remained focused on taking photos. Then the pair moved to another location to capture frozen fog formations.
▲ The duo relocated to Taisho Pond to photograph frozen fog. (Photo by 7djet @IG)
▲ (Photo by freestyler_ryuta @IG)
This year's Kamikōchi has been considered a relatively mild winter, with less snow accumulation, and the ice crampons and snowshoes they brought weren’t needed. However, Yukimiyoshi said the weather forecast predicted -11°C at Kamikōchi (at an altitude of 1,500m), but the actual temperature they measured was -21°C.
▲ Taisho Pond (Photo by freestyler_ryuta @IG)
▲ Under the morning light, Yari-ga-take’s western peak glows golden. (Photo by freestyler_ryuta @IG)
▲ (Photo by djet @IG)
▲ Other photographers brave enough to endure the cold also captured impressive shots, such as this image of diamond dust at Taisho Pond. (Photo by hisanori_sasahara @IG)
▲ After sunrise, Taisho Pond transforms into another world. (Photo by hisanori_sasahara @IG)
▲ Taisho Pond. (Photo by ryosuke_kaneda @IG)
▲ Although hiking is allowed during the closure period, it is at your own risk, so you must bring adequate gear to ensure safety. (Photo by ryosuke_kaneda @IG)
Source: Yukimiyoshi