I left my house near Yoyogi Koen and headed for Shinjuku Station at 12:20, arrived in Shinjuku Station about 15 minutes later, then purchased a 13:00 departure ticket for the Kinugawaonsen Express (terminating at Kinugawaonsen Station), leaving on platform #6. That platform is quite familiar, since it is on the same set of platforms for the Narita Express. Ticket purchases and getting to the platform is much easier through the New South Exit (新南口).

The train approached Kinugawaonsen Hot Springs at 15:04, grabbed my gear, caught a short taxi ride to the Matsuya Hotel. In this part of the country, just about any taxi ride is 1,000 yen, because the distances are different. A taxi ride to the Matsuya Hotel that was the next station down (about one or two trains per hour) cost JP Yen 1,000. However, the walking was, while typical Japan safe with sidewalks, there are some dark areas to avoid at night, and there are some cliff line road parts where sidewalks are not available. The infrastructure is designed so that these parts can be easily avoided from about any hotel.

Hotel check-in was completed swiftly by 15:20, and was online in a meeting by 15:30. I basically told the team that I would take a late, longer lunch, since I had night meetings the night before. I ate a box lunch, then connected and worked while on the train, and lost very little work time. Wifi was available, but there were disruptions during the longer rural mountain tunnel areas about 1.5 hours into the ride.

Overall, very little hassle to endure for this …

And a few minutes later this …

I set out for what we are calling a creative ‘workation’, a combination of work and vacation if you have not heard the term yet. Friday night was here, so I could go check out some photo spots and scenes the next morning then make a second visit at the right ‘daylight’ time on the following Sunday. Basically, a stake-out, because good photos are rarely taken someplace that you have just arrived to – they are generally taken in places you know well. I think some parts paid off better than others, but you just have to keep on trying.

Work was mainly in the early mornings and early evenings but managed to catch up and get ahead while at Kinugawa Hot Springs for the weekend at a very affordable price. Single stay in a 12 mat tatami room with everything except English television and a shower/bathtub only cost JP Yen 11,000 per night. If you add the dinner and breakfast to the bill, it will double to about JPYen 22,000 to 25,000, but that is worth it at least for the first night. It is a seven or eight course meal in very traditional Japanese form complete with kimonos, awesome food, awesome presentation, and world-class service.

Really, you have to do the dinner at least … tell them you are vegetarian when you make the reservation, if necessary.

Early Saturday morning after breakfast and yet another trip to the hot spring and sauna, I looked out the window next to the elevator and saw that there was access to the river from a Japanese garden accessible from a door on the first floor.

Caught this scene at about 10:30 in the morning and the sun was bright behind me so it worked. A little earlier in the morning would have been better, so next time. The Japanese garden was photogenic with a healthy carp pond and a crossing bridge, but everything seemed solitary since it was winter. There is something here, so have to come back.

When I go on these trips, one of the first things I try to do is background research on the local situation before or while traveling. During research, I found a scene that could prove to be a spectacular shot, but I needed to know how to get it and what time. The King Dragon Gorge (or, the Royal Dragon Gorge? 龍王峡) offers an awesome scene and setting but access to the bottom river would be the challenge.

I went on Saturday and looked across this bridge at about 13:30, and saw a fisherman who was fishing in the pond below a beautiful waterfall.

While walking around I looked very closely at trails to see if there were any side trails, and heeded all the warning signs. There was nothing prohibitive except for one passage that was further up the gorge trail. Anyhow, I figured out how the fisherman got down to the river and followed his trail on the following Sunday a little later for better light with my tripod. Here is the reward for the winter shot. Now time to get the other three seasons.

The King Dragon is waiting and I look forward to going back.