A drive to Mount Ushifuse Cherry blossoms and a sweet miso break on the mountain

After climbing the mountain road, I reached the summit of Mount Ushifuse and saw a castle roof beyond the cherry blossoms. There it was—the building I’d seen in the photos, right in front of me. I left the car in the car park in front of the lookout and stepped out; the spring breeze lifted the hem of my coat. My friend got out of the car, too, and looked toward the cherry trees first. I followed her gaze, and there was a patch of blue sky peeking through the branches.

Today I’m wearing a pink sweater, a short beige coat, jeans, and white shoes—the kind of clothes I can walk around in as soon as I get out of the car. The lookout is a castle-shaped building, its roofs layered above a stone wall. I wanted to take a closer look, but first: snack time. When I unwrapped the grilled miso-glazed buns I’d brought along, the sauce caught the sunlight and gleamed.

The toasted flavor of the surface came first, and then the sweet-salty miso glaze spread across my tongue. I’d been expecting a sweet filling, but there was nothing inside—just the bun itself. They looked light, but they were surprisingly satisfying to chew. I took another bite while looking at the cherry blossoms. As my friend looked up at the lookout, I dabbed the corner of my mouth with the wrapper to check for sauce. I wasn’t ready to put down my skewer yet.

After finishing my snack, I climbed to the lookout’s third floor. A moment ago, the view had been all cherry blossoms and rooftops; up here, it opened out across the Kanto Plain. Mount Ushifuse stands at about 491 m above sea level. I’d come to the mountain I’d been looking up at from town, and now I was looking down at the same town. My friend and I stood by the window, tracing the distant buildings and fields with our eyes. We got so caught up wondering how far we could see that we stayed there for a long while.

Back outside, I walked a little way along the cherry-tree-lined ridge. I wandered beneath the blossoms and looked for glimpses of the town through the gaps between branches. Being able to move between blossom viewing and taking in the view is what I love about this mountain. Before leaving, I turned around once more in the car park and saw the lookout framed by cherry trees. I’d listened to “PROJECT START” on the way up; on the way back, maybe I’ll keep things quiet and talk with my friend about the views we saw today.