Okutama (Part 1)

Hello and hope you’re having a great start to 2015!!

Tamaki san is pretty busy everyday

and his fans are as busy as him,

following his footsteps everywhere he goes XD

Today I’m going to write about his trip to Okutama,

in the westernmost point of Tokyo!

Only one and a half hour away from the center of Tokyo by train.

So let’s see where he’s going to take us this time….

The place is Tokyo…

but we are surrounded by the great nature here in Okutama.

Tamaki san is heading to the station to ride on the “Cable Car”.

Going to mitakesan (Mt.Mitake)

Despite being so close to where he lives,

he has never been to this place before.

And he is amazed by the beauties of the nature around this area.

As he reaches the station,
he gets his ticket and waits with everyone else in the waiting hall.

As always, he says his greetings to everyone he meets…

“Good morning!”

Suddenly one of the ladies in the hall says

“It’s Tamaki… san! Right?”

hehehehe

It was obvious she wanted to ask that since

the moment he entered the station,

and more obvious that Tamaki san was actually

waiting for her to ask because she kept looking at him!

And the way he’s trying to hide his smile when answering

“YES!”

making it all a super cute situation!!

He asks them if they are from Tokyo

and they say that they are from oume

and have been up to mitakesan many times before.

Tamaki san startschatting with them,

saying it’s a good thing the rain has stopped…

seems like it was raining early in the morning.

He passes the gate

and gets on the cable car

off to mitake san!

As he gets off the cable car,

he starts walking around in the good sunny weather!

“Feels good already!”

he says!

Then he finds a funny board saying

“Take a memorable photo of your ride with your pet!”

He laughs and finds it a new discovery!

Normally these boards are made for human beings,

not their pets!

Next he rides on a Lift to go up to the mountain!

It’s almost like the Ski lifts you can find in the Ski resorts XD

he hops on one of the chairs and leaves the platform.

The ride sounds really fun!

He’s enjoying the scenery I guess XD

After getting off the lift,

he starts walking in the mountain…

surrounded by the huge trees…

“It’s so quiet…” he says.

“The sounds are different from what you can hear in the city…

the sound of the trees being shaken by the wind…

the sound of the birds singing…

 nice breeze!”

The road suddenly ends and he enters a small village!

Not too many buildings in this village,

mostly built to welcome the visitors from other areas.

Tamaki sa san starts walking in the village…

then he encounters a man talking to an old lady through a window!

He greets them

“Good morning!”

And he greets him back and comes to him…

Then Tamaki san asks him

“Have you been living here for a long time?”

“No I just deliver the food and ingredients!”

Tamaki san is confused…

“From where do you deliver them?”

Seems like he takes orders everyday and buy them in the morning,

then delivers the ingredients to each of his customers.

Tamaki san is still confused

and asks him if comes up riding on the cable car

but of course he says that he drives a car.

There’s a road other than the one they took to come up here. But it can only be used by authorized people and not all the tourists. There’s no super market in this village. Only souvenir shops and that’s all!! That’s why he makes a visit everyday and take orders.

As the delivery man has a lot more to deliver…

Tamaki san thanks him and says goodbye.

The he uses the chance and starts talking to the old lady in the house…

“okaasan, have you been living here all this time?”

But she says that she can’t hear very well…

Tamaki san apologizes and gets one step closer

and raises his voice a little but while

repeating his question one more time.

This time she can hear him and says that

she’s been here all her life and she’s already 93!

The he asks her if she’s going to cook from now on…

And she answers with yes and says that guests are coming here to visit her tomorrow! Also talks about how working is what matters the most in life… and how she’s been cleaning and working since she woke up this morning!

Busy grandma!!!

He thanks her and says goodbye!

 As he starts walking in the village again while talking

about the okaasan he just met and how hard she works…

Suddenly something gets his attention…

A very beautiful building with a gorgeous architecture

The place is listed as an important cultural property.

馬場家御師住宅
Babake oshijūtaku

He also finds a clinic on his way

but it’s only open for 50 minutes!!

Probably someone comes up to make a visit

and leaves after that everyday.

Then he finds someone…

A man walking by himself…

He approaches him and asks after greeting:

“Where did you come from?”

“Fussa.” He answers.

“It’s around this area isn’t it?

Do you come here very often?”

“No… it’s my first time!” 

the man says ^^

“Even though it’s close to where you live?…

guess it’s like that actually! When you live nearby…”

Then Tamaki san asks him again:

“Did you come here all by yourself?”

“Yes! I’m all alone…”

he answers while laughing

XD

“Taking photos with your camera…” Tamaki san says!

hehehehe

GET to the point already!

“Did something sad happen or something?”

“Well… sort of!”

hahahahahaha!

And they both laugh out loud together XD

Two men understanding each other very well?!?!

hehehehe

Anyway he thanks him and says goodbye!

As he keeps walking and moves on…

he steps into a narrow street with lots of shops lining in the both sides!

He stops in front of a souvenir shop and while wondering

if he should get a rest here or not…

looks inside and finds an old lady sitting in the shop…
then the shop lady greets him and he greets her back!

A photo takes his attention at the entrance…

A woman is wearing a bear’s skin on her head XD

The lady inside the shiop tells him that

he can actually see the bear if gets in!

And he does!!

Seems like there are bears living around the area

and it’s even dangerous to go out in the woods by yourself.

The lady tells him that he can put in on his head

as most of the people visiting the shop would do (￣▽￣;)

but Tamaki san laughs and reuses to do it XD

He’s excited about the real Bearskin he can hold in his hands…

Touches the claw and says that this must be painful!

The decoration of the shop is really interesting!

Seems like the previous owner

has made the table sets all by himself!

Then he decides to order something and take a rest here…

Asking the lady while looking at the menu:

“The water around this area must be delicious, right?”

And the lady explains that the water they

use to make coffee

and soba here,

is all taken from a natural waterfall in the mountain.

So he asks the lady:

“Is Ice-coffee delicious as well?”

The lady says that it’s delicious

but she recommends hot coffee

saying the you can feel the taste better this way…

Tamaki san agrees and looks at the menu again…

but he raises up his head and says:

“But…

I would like to have Ice coffee please!”

hahahahahaha!!!

All the filming crew are laughing behind the camera!

Tamaki san laugsh and says:

“Even though I know it…

I know it will be tastier if it’s hot!!”

He’s just like that!!

And he knows it himself XD

Anyway,

here comes the ice-coffee made from the clean water

coming directly from the heart of the nature!

The lady asks him to drink some without adding milk or

sugar to feel the real taste!

After drinking…

he says that it’s totally different!

The lady explains how she goes to the mountain everyday,

fills the tank with the water

and brings it back home.

“It must be really tough!”

Tamaki san says!

But she says that she rides on a mini bike

when the weather is good…

But when it snows and she can’t ride the bike,

she has to carry the bottles of water in her backpack!!

Then suddenly Tamaki san comes up with an idea

but he can’t say it directly XD

Then asks:

“Have you already brought the water you need for today?”

“Yes I brought today’s water this morning!”

“Don’t you need some for tomorrow?!”

hehehehehe XD

The lady gets what he wants to say and laughs!!

Then after taking a look at the staff members

and thinking for a second,

she says:

“We can go there together if you want!”

ahahahahaha XD

Tamaki san immediately agrees and says:

“Then I will ride on the bike!!” XD

He never changes ^^

After laughing out loud he becomes the polite kind

Tamaki Hiroshi again and says with a sweet smile on his face

“OK… Let’s walk there together then!”

It’s decided!!

Tamaki san will walk to the waterfall

and they will meet up with the lady there!

“Sooo… I will take the poly tank with me…

and after it’s filled with water,

okaasan will take it back riding on the bike… right?”

Then suddenly everyone laughs and he says…

“Then why am I even taking the tank with me?!” 

hehehehehe XD

And off he goes to the mountain…

Be aware of the bears O_O

I will write about what happens next in the next part….

see you soon!!

End of part 1