The story of Okutama's Hatonosu Valley, which I couldn't discuss in yesterday's broadcast.
Hello everyone. I'm Tsukui, and I run a cafe called "WAITER-U" in Shimokitazawa, which is designed to feel like a campsite. In yesterday's broadcast, I talked about going to see Hozawa Falls in Okutama, which is a three-hour trip from central Tokyo. I suggested it as an easy way to refresh oneself, by quickly seeing the mystical waterfall that freezes over in winter. However, there was another place I really wanted to talk about in yesterday's broadcast.
And that's the Hatonosu Valley in Okutama, which I'll be talking about today.
Near Hozawa Falls, which I introduced in yesterday's broadcast, in the Hatonosu Valley of Okutama, there's a now-abandoned ryokan called "Isshintei," and the nearby "Soryu Falls" and "Suijin Falls." I learned about these places from a video by Teru-san TV, whom I deeply admire.
Each of Teru-san TV's videos is like a movie, weaving together delicate human sensations, nature, past memories, and feelings like "the person I wanted to be but didn't become." They are beautiful videos that gently resonate with the heart, imbued with an indescribable emotion.
There was a video by Teru-san TV where he visited Hatonosu Valley, Isshintei, Soryu Falls, and Suijin Falls, and after watching it, I just had to go there. Usually, I almost never take action based on what I see on YouTube, but Teru-san TV's videos were an exception. I absolutely wanted to see it with my own eyes and experience the atmosphere of that place.
Isshintei reportedly operated until around 2000, but it's now abandoned, with the old hot spring ryokan signs still remaining. While abandoned places might evoke a scary image, for me, it was a somewhat nostalgic place.
It's a place that brings back memories from when I was little and my grandmother was still alive. It was a completely non-daily space, cut off from everyday life. That one phrase sums it up perfectly.
What was particularly striking was the drum can in the ryokan's grounds, always in the same spot, looking as if it had been shot through by a bullet. Teru-san TV's video also showed that drum can standing quietly. Rusty and full of holes, the drum can in Teru-san's video seemed like a symbol of time standing still, forever unchanging.
Seeing it in person, it was even more impactful and moving than when I saw it in Teru-san's video. It wasn't just a landscape of ruins; it was an indescribable scene that conveyed the lives of the people who once lived there and the passage of time.
As I walked around the drum can, the scenes of the ryokan and Teru-san's own past memories, which were shown in his video, overlapped with my own memories, and I was enveloped in a strange sensation, as if I too had been there.
And then there are "Soryu Falls" and "Suijin Falls" scattered throughout the valley. The mystical sound of the waterfalls, the rustling of the trees, the chirping of birds.
In yesterday's broadcast, due to time constraints, I couldn't talk about Hatonosu Valley, Isshintei, Soryu Falls, and Suijin Falls, but I really wanted to share it with everyone.
I wanted to tell everyone that in Okutama, including Hozawa Falls from yesterday and Hatonosu Valley with Isshintei from today, there are many places that can make you forget your daily life, just by extending your trip a little from the city center.
And so, I've been secretly thinking about giving a name to these activities. If anyone has come up with a wonderful name, I'd be delighted if you could let me know in the comments section of my Instagram, X (formerly Twitter), or YouTube. I look forward to hearing your ideas!
