Exploring Hitome Hakkei (Yabakei) Looking Up at the Peaks, Then Down at the Leaf in My Palm

I parked, opened the door, and looked up: rocky peaks jutted high above the trees. It was November in Shinyabakei. I’d come to see the autumn leaves, but once I saw how massive the rock peaks were, I couldn’t tear my eyes away. The valley seemed to press in from both sides, and my heart was already racing just from stepping out of the car.

I picked up a fallen leaf at my feet in the car park and gently lifted it between my fingertips. The pointed leaf rested in my palm, my hand just visible beyond the cuff of my mint sweater. From a distance, the autumn foliage looked like one great sweep, but up close it was made of little leaves just like this one. I tilted it toward the light to get a closer look at its veins.

I’d gotten caught up in the leaves, but I’d come to see the peaks too. I left my red convertible parked and headed for the Hitome Hakkei lookout. I’d heard the lookout, tucked among the soba shops and inns, offered a view of the surrounding rock peaks. The farther I walked into the valley, the more I wanted to see the peaks I’d glimpsed from the car park.

From the lookout, several distinct peaks emerged between the tree-covered slopes. The name Hitome Hakkei comes from the 8 views you can see at a glance. Once I knew that, I found myself studying each peak one by one instead of seeing them as one big mass. Before long, I’d forgotten all about the leaf in my hand.

After looking at the rocks, I stopped for soba nearby. As I walked, I kept thinking about the cliffs above me. Once I sat down with chopsticks, I could finally relax. I took my time chewing and pictured the outline of those peaks. I was glad I’d have their shapes to remember, along with the autumn leaves.

Back at the car park, the autumn foliage still filled the view beyond my car. I gently returned the leaf I’d picked to the ground and looked once more toward the far end of the valley. My eyes had traveled from the tiny leaf to a towering rock peak today. I wanted to remember this view before getting in, so I stood there for a while without opening the car door.