A Perfectly Autumnal Trip to Soni Village, Mie
Eating well and hiking slowly in the pampas grass highlands of Soni Kogen
The view from my Mt. Nihonboso attempt.
Few trips of mine have been as highly anticipated as this past weekend’s escape to Soni Mura. Originally recommended by my father-in-law, I’d long been debating which season to visit during: the summer, when the highlands form a lush green carpet, or in the fall, when the pampas grass turns the valley into a blanket of gold.
Ultimately, my husband and I decided to wait for the fall season—a decision I am so happy with. A week remained until peak kouyou, but the autumn foliage was already jutting out beneath the misty rain clouds.
It was a lot more than the scenery that made the lengthy journey out here so worthwhile, however.
Five trains later
The carless lifestyle in the inaka, or countryside of Japan, requires an amplitude of patience. Case in point? To get to Soni, we’d need to cross the entirety of Nara Prefecture into Mie on no fewer than four trains and one bus. In total, it took 2.5 hours.
Our schedule was tight, but we managed to arrive by 10:20 a.m. Saving my life on this ambitious itinerary was the belated download of the Suica app on my phone, cutting out the time I’d normally spend getting tickets with each transfer.
We’ve been through this region before on the way home from visiting family in Nagoya, so I spent the majority of the ride taking in the sights instead of on my phone. This area has so many mountainside hamlets and deciduous forests to look at that the ride went by rather quickly. It’s such a nice change of pace to appreciate the travel instead of just awaiting arrival at the destination.
The views got even better on the final leg from Nabari through the Kotoroiwa Valley. The blue waters of Shorenji Lake trickled through the impressive cliffs and brilliant fall colors. I almost didn’t mind that all of us hikers and our large rucksacks were crammed in like sardines.
Because our hotel was in the opposite direction, we got off early to drop off our luggage. Our original plan was to hike the entire ridgeback from the Soni Highlands to Mt. Kuroso and back, which was projected to take five hours, so we opted to stay overnight.
Thankfully, our accommodations weren’t too far from Soni Kogen Farm Garden, the starting point for us. By this time, it was going on 11. Although I wanted to have a picnic moment on top of the ridgeback, Taka wanted to lighten the load. Thus, we ate our PB&J and chips before heading off.
Our moody descent down to Soni Kogen.
Over the ridge I go
With just 2.7 cedar tree-lined kilometers between us and Soni Kogen, it wasn’t long before we joined the throngs of people traipsing through the pampas grass. Again, I made the mistake of assuming that a place so remote would have minimal foot traffic, even on a Sunday. Never underestimate the abilities of obaasan and ojiisan to get anywhere!
It wasn’t just grandpas and grandmas, though. There were families having picnics, couples like us, and a wedding party holding a photo shoot with complimenting burnt orange dresses and brown suits. Together, we formed a line of ants climbing the many stairs to the top of the ridge, and everyone was eager to get their photo-op despite the moody grey sky.
20 minutes later, Taka and I made it to the first summit, Mt. Kameyama. Dozens of people were gathered, sharing food and laughs while taking in the magnificent scene below us. Rolling green mountains framed the golden valley, which was then reflected in the slivers of water snaking through it.
In preparation for this hike, I’d watched several hiking vlogs on YouTube, including one by my favorite Japanese hiking channel, Anzai Mountain. Nowhere did I get a sense of the true scale, and now that we were seeing the narrow trail with scrambling sections and little room for error, both myself and my husband were apprehensive about continuing up the turtle’s back.
Taka had already parked his behind at the viewing spot, so I resolved to get to Mt. Nihonboso on my own—some 800 meters away. Fear overtook my stubbornness when I got to a section of rocks made slippery by the early morning rain. Adding to my terror was a group of college students conversing gleefully below me, which I didn’t care for at all. I managed to get a few shaky photos and videos before carefully making it back down to my husband.
Within moments of reuniting, the sky began to darken, which we took as our cue to begin the descent. Most people were still at the top, so Taka and I darted down the muddy steps rather smoothly. It was sad to leave behind the main attraction of our trip after so little time, but there were still a few more spots to go.
Yoroidake from the bus stop.
Recovery
Our timing couldn’t have been better, because both the onsen and the restaurant we planned to go to for dinner were closing down soon.
Taka and I received free entry tickets to Okame no Yu from the hotel, which we took advantage of on the way back. I could still see the mountains from the outdoor bath and there weren’t any naked confrontations regarding my covered-up tattoos this time around, which is a major win in my book!
The most athletic feat of the day was pulling my sweaty hiking clothes back on my still-wet body because the free towel was drying nothing. My off-brand hydration vest had no room for a change of clothes, so a proper shower and shampoo would have to wait until our return to the hotel.
Passing by Soni Kogen Farm Garden, we saw that the indoor restaurant, aptly named “Susuki no Kan” for its pampas grass surroundings, closed at 3:30, not six like Google Maps said. So, our dinner was moved to an unbelievably early 2:30. Considering the absence of other restaurants (or even a konbini), this was our only option.
Luckily, Susuki no Kan didn’t disappoint. Whether it was the vegetable pizza stacked high with leafy greens and parmesan, the decadent pumpkin soup, the umami vegetable curry, or the salad with mashed Okinawan sweet potato, the focus on fresh, mostly locally-grown produce was backed up by rich flavors.
Leave it to my husband, then, to order a plateful of sausage at a restaurant that caters to plant-eaters like myself! Regardless, I couldn’t have asked for a better recovery meal.
With everyone clearing out, we picked up some kusa mochi with sweet red bean paste from the shop across the street for a late-night snack while bingeing Watcher’s latest episodes of Ghost Files.
Our night in the kura, or Japanese storehouse, was comically terrible. Both of us banged our heads on the low wooden beams and stubbed our toes on the steep stairs more times than we could count. The shower had two settings: scalding hot or freezing cold. Our only towels were still wet from the onsen, and there was no body soap, so I resorted to using hand soap. Needless to say, there was no bath to use my strategically packed yuzu bath bomb in either.
But hey, at least there were plush Tempur-Pedic mattresses with fuzzy sheets!
Okaeri
After a wide spread of more local cuisine for breakfast, we packed up and got the hell out of Taroji. Too bad the bus only came every other hour, giving us a large chunk of time to observe the gargantuan Yoroidake looming over the neighborhood.
As consolation for our delay, we were met with a largely empty bus, allowing me to get some great footage of Kotoroiwa with no one in the way.
Unfortunately, we were met with further disappointment when we found out that the buses to Murouji Temple—where we planned to stop by on the way home—were too far and few between to justify the side trip. Already past other destinations like Akame 48 Waterfalls, my husband came up with the idea of going to Hasedera instead.
Swapping one five-story pagoda for another, the grounds of Hasedera were equally as photogenic. Even better was the short walk from the station and numerous options for lunch, unlike the konbini-less village of Murou.
Known as the “temple of flowers,” Hasedera Temple is especially popular during sakura season, but a sizable group of people were there with us on Monday morning to revel in the autumn colors. We even got to witness a prayer ceremony dedicated to the eleven-faced Kannon statue!
Once the terrace got too crowded for my liking, we headed back to the main street to find, of all things, a pizza shop in the middle of the village.
The head chef and owner of Pizzeria Ashioto runs the restaurant on the first floor of his house, which is decorated with Japanese antiques and velvet furniture. This was a one-of-a-kind dining experience for me, and the Genovese pizza and blue cheese honey pizza hit the spot.
Making the experience even more memorable was our conversation with the chef upon leaving. He told us how he’s been learning English to bring in more customers, and how he used to run a shop in our district of Ikoma. Apparently, he takes a few months off during the winter and hibernates at home.
My Japanese is rusty from disuse, but I managed to catch almost everything he said. My husband and I shared a little about how we met and our trip to Soni Mura, which led us to his restaurant. Moments of connection like this are rare in introverted Japan, so it touched my heart to experience one for myself in Hasedera.
After saying goodbye, we only encountered one more 40-minute wait for a train before finally making it home. Reflecting on our trip, Taka and I greatly enjoyed our time in the village of Soni, even if the journey to and from was less than convenient.
If anything, this trip showed us how far we’ve come in being able to roll with the punches of travel. Because the weather can always turn, the transportation can always be delayed, and your partner (or you) can decide the hike is too much, but the two of us made memories and had lots of fun regardless, and that’s what’s most important.
Access:
To get to Soni Kogen, you’ll first need to get to Nabari Station, where you’ll take the Soni Kaochidani bus towards Soni Kogen. The bus station is just outside the exit. You can get off at Soni Kogen Farm Garden if you want to add some extra distance—the walk is just a few kilometers via a paved road. This is also a good place to stop for a restroom and some food, either outdoors in front of the vendors or indoors at the restaurant.
Alternatively, you can get off right at Soni Kogen. It’s about 20 minutes of climbing stairs to get to the main viewing point in the middle of the Kameyama Pass. Turn left for Mt. Nihonboso and Mt. Kuroso, or turn right for a shorter ridgeback section.
From Nara, take the Man-yo Mahoroba Line towards Sakurai Station before transferring to the Kintetsu Osaka Line Limited Express. From Osaka, take the Osaka Loop Line Yamatoji Rapid to Tsuruhashi Station, switching to the same Kintetsu Osaka Line Limited Express and getting off at Nabari. Including the final leg to Soni Kogen, it takes 2.5 hours from Osaka and 2 hours and 15 minutes from Nara.
If you’re not planning on hiking too far, I don’t think staying overnight is necessary, but do keep in mind that the buses in and out are far apart, so make sure to plan ahead or be prepared to wait. Bringing your own food is recommended, although Soni Kogen Farm Garden is a great spot if you can arrive there before it closes.
Overall, I highly recommend coming out to Soni, especially if you can hit some other spots in Mie or Uda, Nara while you’re here!
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