Bandai-san Gold Line A break with a view of Lake Inawashiro after an autumn drive through the mountains

On a sunny mid-October morning, I drove through the autumn trees and arrived at Sankodai. I parked my red car and stepped out. Beyond the rope fence and Japanese silver grass, I could see little fields and houses, with Lake Inawashiro stretching out behind them.

I was looking out over the lake with my friend when I remembered we still hadn’t opened our snack. I’d brought tempura manju. Unlike ordinary manju, it has a coating of batter on the outside. I took another look at it.

“Apparently, they’re fried,” I said, showing one to my friend before taking a bite. First came the crisp coating, then the sweetness of the manju. I could see the coating, but the texture still surprised me when I bit in. That unexpected crunch made me happy.

When I looked up from the little snack in my hands, the lake seemed to stretch on forever. The trees I’d driven through were in their autumn colours, and the fields by the lake were neatly divided into little plots. From this high up, I could see the town as well.

While my friend looked across to the far shore, I adjusted the wrapper in my hands. A snack beside the car is part of the drive, too. I wanted to stay here a little longer before choosing our next song and setting off again.

“Was it good?” my friend asked. I showed her the manju I had left. I’ll have one more bite, then look at the lake. Today, the mountain drive isn’t the only pleasure. There’s fun to be found in the places I stop, too.