Heading to Momijidani Suspension Bridge Unwrap your tote-yaki before the walk

I drove to Momijidani Suspension Bridge on an early November morning. I parked in a bay and got out, then spotted the tall main tower beyond the stone paving. I straightened my short red jacket and walked toward the bridge entrance. Autumn leaves covered the surrounding mountains, and the morning sun shone through the foliage. It’s the kind of view that makes me want to linger a little, even before I cross.

I opened the tote-yaki I’d picked up in Shiobara, and cream peeked out from the dough. It was sweet, too, with kinako and kanten jelly in brown sugar syrup tucked inside. I was grinning as I peeked in when my friend said, “Looks like you’ve already started on your morning snack.” I was eager to head for the bridge, but maybe I’d better enjoy this one first.

The dough was soft and fluffy, and the cream’s sweetness filled my mouth. When I looked up, the bridge deck stretched away between the main towers. The path I was about to walk began beyond the entrance hut and the low-roofed building. As I ate, my friend and I gazed at the bridge. Somehow, I was even more excited to start walking than I’d been when we first got out of the car.

When we’d finished our snack, I tucked the wrapper away and headed for the bridge. Momijidani Suspension Bridge is a 320m footbridge across the lake at Shiobara Dam. As we made our way along it, I could see the autumn leaves I’d seen at the entrance now surrounding the lake. My friend and I stopped to admire the mountains reflected on the water. I want even that pause halfway across to stay with me as part of today’s trip.

From the far bank, I could finally see how the tower I’d looked up at from the entrance and the path across the lake fit together. On our way back to the car, my friend and I started talking about trying tote-yaki with a different filling. An autumn walk across the lake, with a Shiobara snack to enjoy along the way. Now I get to have fun choosing which tote-yaki to try next, too.