Nissho Pass I hold my jacket collar and look out over the plain beyond the autumn leaves

My friend and I stopped at a lookout on the Shimizu side while driving over Nissho Pass. When I got out and walked over, I saw autumn leaves covering the mountainside in front of me. Beyond them, the Tokachi Plain opened up—something I hadn't been able to see from the mountain road. I came expecting to look at the leaves right in front of me, but suddenly I wanted to take in the view all the way to the horizon.

The mountain air in October was chilly, and I reached for my jacket collar. In my other hand was the folded map I'd been looking at a moment earlier. I love checking the route ahead, but right then I wanted to take in the view instead of looking down at the paper. I'd worn tights under my shorts, so I could linger here for a while.

From beside the log bench, I could see low hills layered beyond the nearby birch trunks. To the right, the Tokachi Plain stretched out, its fields laid out in little blocks. It was only here, after winding through the mountains, that I really felt the openness of the landscape. My friend said, “Tokachi really is huge,” and for a while, she just looked instead of unfolding the map.

Nissho Pass itself is 1,106m above sea level. I'm not at the summit, though—this lookout is near the fifth station on the Shimizu side. There's something lovely about crossing the pass that divides Hidaka and Tokachi, then taking a moment to look down over the land on the other side. After I've taken in this view and started down to the plain, I think the next stretch of road will feel a little different.

After my friend and I compared the trees nearby, I looked into the distance once more. The leaves nearby were moving in the wind, but the plain seemed vast and still. I'd been on the road since morning, and that quiet expanse finally let me settle down. I lowered the hand holding my map and wished I could stay here just a little longer.

I'm eyeing Tokachi-tei's Tokachi Shimizu Beef and Egg Steak Bowl for lunch. It'd be lovely to pair a local bowl with the view. When I asked my friend, “Shall we eat before we head down?” we knew where we were headed next. I want to take in the view, enjoy lunch, and then head out onto the roads of Tokachi.