A Must-Visit: Oirase Stream Trail

One of the highlights of this trip to Tohoku, Japan, is walking the Oirase Stream Trail. Although I knew the autumn foliage would be delayed this year, it didn't dampen my spirits for visiting here. We opted for a self-driving tour, which allowed us to plan our schedule flexibly. We stayed the night before at the Hoshino Oirase Keiryu Hotel, initially planning to set off at 9 AM. However, it was raining heavily in the morning, which gave us the chance to enjoy the high-quality hotel a bit longer. The hotel is located at the source of the stream, and walking the entire trail would take 14 km, which is quite time-consuming. Since we were on a self-driving tour, we waited for the rain to subside and then drove to the parking lot at Nenokuchi by Lake Towada. We started walking from the end of the trail, following the stream for over two hours, covering half the distance, and then took about an hour to walk back to the parking lot via the road. Most of the main attractions are in the latter 7 kilometers, so this decision worked out well. The entire stream trail is very easy to walk, with no mountain paths or stairs, making it suitable for visitors of all ages. Although we walked for two hours, the scenery in the forest was so beautiful that every step revealed different natural landscapes. The sound of waterfalls and flowing water was very soothing, naturally calming the mind and body. Since it was drizzling, the trail was quite muddy. Fortunately, I brought an extra pair of shoes that could get dirty, which was very important.