Mt.Oyama is one of the greatest spots to hike in eastern Japan, and it’s very accessible from Tokyo. The mountain is located within Tanzawa-Oyama Quasi-National Park in the northwest of Kanagawa prefecture. The national park with 38,762 hectares of space is rich in nature and has mountains, forests, dams, rivers, lakes, and waterfall. [photo credits to https://i.redd.it/675btq9wkx2z.jpg]
Objective: To talk about trekking to Mt. Oyama
Vocabulary
|
“both of you”
|
|
the two of you example: Mr. and Mrs. |
|
shrine |
[ shrahyn ] |
a place connected with a holy
person or event where people go to worship. example: Oyama Afuri Shrine |
|
peak
|
[ peek ] |
the pointed top of a mountain example: Me and
my friend hiked to the peak from the Afuri Jinja shrine. |
|
steep
|
[ steep ] |
almost
straight up and down example: The
hiking is medium level with some steep areas along the trail. |
|
summit
|
[ suhm-it
] |
the highest point of a mountain example: It takes 120~180 (mins)minutes
from the mountain foot to the summit. |
|
accessible |
[ ak-ses-uh-buhl ] |
able to be reached example: Mt.Oyama is accessible
from Tokyo.
|
Conversation Practice:
A : How
are you both doing?
B : We
are both fine! Thank you for asking. How about you?
A : I’m
good. Both of you are in your home?
C : Yes, currently, we are at home.
A : What have you been doing lately?
B : We
went trekking around Mount Oyama.
A : Can
you tell me about Mt. Oyama?
B :
Mt.Oyama is one of the greatest
spots to hike in eastern Japan, and it’s very accessible from Tokyo.
The mountain is located within Tanzawa-Oyama Quasi-National Park in the
northwest of Kanagawa prefecture. The national park with 38,762 hectares of space
is rich in nature and has mountains, forests, dams, rivers, lakes, and waterfall.
C : Mount Oyama is located at the border
of Isehara, Atsugi, Hadano in Kanagawa prefecture, peaking at 1252 meters. I
and my friend hiked to the peak from the Afuri Jinja shrine. The hiking
is medium level with some steep areas along the trail.
A : Wow! How tall is Mt. Oyama? Is it hard
for hiking beginners?
B : The 1,252 tall Mt.Oyama
attracts thousands of hikers in the Kanto area. It takes 120~180 mins from the
mountain foot to the summit, and the trail is quite rough and not
well-paved, yet it’s not extremely hard for beginners and you may see
many Japanese elder people hiking there at age of 70!
A : What can I enjoy if I am not into
hiking?
C :
If you are not into hiking
and just want to enjoy spending time in nature, don’t worry, there is a cable
car services before entering the hiking trails, which can take you to the halfway
up (700 m) where the mountain’s main attraction Afuri Shrine is located
within 6 mins only!
A : I see. Why is Mt. Oyama regarded as a holy mountain and an object of worship?
B :
Mt.Oyama has long been
regarded as a holy mountain and an object of worship. Religiously motivated
mountain climbing has been practiced since the 18th century, and Oyama Afuri Shrine
is the head office located at the top of this sacred mountain.
A : Are there many visitors using
cable car to Oyama Afuri Shrine?
C :
Many visitors take the cable
car from the foot to Oyama Afuri Shrine then continue hiking to the
summit for about 90 mins.
A : What can I enjoy when it's sunny?
B :
When it’s sunny, you can
enjoy the panoramic view of Kanagawa Prefecture and Sagami Bay from the top.
Also, while hiking, there are several viewpoints of Mt. Fuji on the west side.
At the summit, hikers usually enjoy having lunch, tea break, relax and take
pictures.
C : From my experience, going down on
the mountain was harder than going up, as I did not have fully equipped
climbing shoes, the rough and uneven ground got my tired feet sliding down a
few times and I almost fell.
B :
Keep your own pace and don’t
rush.
C : We had a great time hiking Mt.
Oyama.
A : It's been nice talking to both of you! See you soon!
Reference:
https://jw-webmagazine.com/mt-oyama-hike-on-the-sacred-mountain-near-tokyo-af4ac2195e09/