Jumpscares and a job interview on Mt Kumotori

Mountain: Mt. Kumotori (雲取山) 2,017m

Nearest Station: Oku-tama Bus Stop: Kosodegawa Approx hiking time to summit: 6~8 hours (9~12 hours round trip)

Part One: The sweaty hike up Mt Kumotori

In 2020 while living in Fussa, I came to realize that I still had not hiked Tokyo's tallest mountain - Mt Kumotori. The summit of this mountain is directly on the borders of Tokyo, Saitama, and Yamanashi prefecture. With all of the on and off lockdowns due to COVID, hiking was really the only hobby I could to during the year to keep my sanity. It was the first week of August, and I had hoped that if I climbed early enough, I could reach a high enough altitude to escape some of the brutal summer heat.

After taking the first train, I arrived at the base of the mountain around 7 o'clock in the morning, and was well prepared for the big hike. Already I could feel the asphalt below the bus stop starting to cook up, and thus began the race to reach a higher altitude before it became too hot. The path started off quite steep, but I was able to maintain a steady pace.

A Double Jumpscare

At some point along the trail I came across an abandoned rest hut. The years had chipped away at it, and it certainly gave off a "haunted house" vibe. A bit curious, I walked closer to see the condition of the interior and take a video. And then suddenly I heard a loud thudding noise. And all I could see was the outline of two large eyes moving out from the dark hut's interior. I jumped backwards, and I remember the hair on my arm stood up as my adrenaline shot up. The creature finally revealed itself to be a lone young deer, and was probably hiding in the dark hut to stay cool. It leaped through the back exit and quickly disappeared into the trees. My heart was still racing more from the deer than the hour of climbing, so I decided it would be time to take a short break. I walked near a tree and just before I went to sit down, I looked at the tree root by my foot and saw it move. Then I realized I was standing right beside a giant snake. Again I jumped backwards, and like the deer, I think the snake was more startled than I was. Thankfully, it didn't seem to be the aggressive type and also slid away off the trail. I walked a bit further up the trail and found a nice rock to lean on and catch my breath.

Water Management

I had brought 4 liters of water with me, and had drank 2 smaller bottles on the way, so at first I wasn't too worried about hydration. But about 3 hours in I had already drank three full literes, and I still had a long way to go, not including the return trip. Fortunately, the map I had showed a couple small natural water stations as well as a rest cabin about two thirds to the top. I filled up another two liters, changed my sweat soaked shirt, and continued onward.

After another couple hours of sweat, I had finally reached the Karamatsu Pass, where there was a uniquely shaped tree that caught my eye. From this point on the road to the top was fairly level, except for the small steep hill just below an emergency hut beside the summit. Along this road I also saw several more deer that were causally grazing along the mountain road. I also caught a nice photo of a dragonfly. Now just above 2000m, the temperature at the top was a warm and enjoyable 25 degrees. Of course I knew I couldn't stay here forever as I needed to reach the bottom before the last bus back to Oku-Tama station. Following a good home made chicken curry lunch, it was time to head back down the trail.

As I descended, the humidity began to catch up with me. The lower I went, the higher the temperature got, and combined with my exhausted body, I was doing everything in my power to stay cool. I went back to the rest cabin and filled up another 4 Liters of water, and changed shirts a third time. About 2 hours before I reached the bottom, the atmosphere turned into a grey muggy haze. I remember several moments of mild dizziness, thankfully I had brought some electrolyte candies that help keep my balance. I reached a tiny natural waterfall at one of the water stations and just dunked my head below it. It was a very refreshing moment.

I finally reached the bottom about an hour later and bought another water bottle from the vending machine while waiting for the bus. All in all, I had gone through about 10L of water that day. I hadn't eaten much, so I came back to my room & ordered a large pizza and devoured the whole thing to myself.

Part Two: The most unique job interview on Mt. Kumotori

Months later, I still hadn't had much luck in the job market due to the global economic uncertainty caused by COVID-19, and my savings were starting to run very thin. Not many companies were looking for international marketing at the time, so I was forced to look at any alternatives, just to keep the cash coming in. One day a thought came across me - wouldn't it be nice to escape from all this marketing work job search and just and work & live at a mountain cabin. So, I found a website that hired mountain cabin staff, and one was based on Mt Kumotori. I sent them some messages, and they surprisingly accepted my application and asked for me to come visit the cabin for myself to see. I took another bus from Oku-tama, but this time I stayed a bit further and finally arrived in the middle of nowhere.

There, I met a friendly older country man and a backpacker girl and drove with them in a tiny little car up the gravel mountain trail until we reached the trailhead. From there, it was about a 45 minute walk up a winding mountain trail, using the high road above the Ushiroyama river. The two had brought several supplies from town, which could be transported by pushing a little mechanical trolly that was able to move up the narrow mountain path using its track wheels. I helped load it up and clear the path as we moved towards the cabin. There were several toads on the road we had to push out of the way so they wouldn't get squished.

I remember arriving at the creek and campsite just below the hill that lead up to the cabin, Sanjo no Yu. A rain cloud had passed through the area, and looking up at the little hut on the mountain felt like a scene from some old movie. I couldn't help but think to myself, how a strange series of events had brought me here, applying to this mysterious old log cabin out on the mountainside. The staff were very friendly and took their time showing me around the place. We cooked some spaghetti together using a wood stove, and afterwards I got to try out the natural hot spring. They had invited me to spend the night, but I had another interview the next morning, so I walked back down the trail and caught the bus back to the station. Later, I was given another job offer at in Hakone which was a bit less isolated, especially since the cabin couldn't get any phone or wifi signal. I definitely intend to go back and visit again. It definitely has a special, cinematic atmosphere, one which might inspire a setting in one of my future creative projects.