I took a quick weekend trip to Nagoya and finally visited Kamikochi, a place I'd always wanted to see. Since the route was long and booking tickets seemed too complicated, I opted for a one-day tour. Regarding the tour leader: Our leader, Xiao Shu, was very diligent, providing commentary in both English and Japanese on the bus. She'd speak in English first, then Chinese, which felt a bit like an English listening test. I understood about 95% of the English, with the remaining 5% being place names or proper nouns. Switching to Chinese afterward was like checking my answers, haha! Since Chinese is Xiao Shu's native language, her explanations in Chinese were even more comprehensive and rich. If you're proficient in both English and Chinese, you'll feel like you got a great deal! She offered three suggested routes, and Xiao Shu would walk along one of them. Whether you're traveling solo or with family and want photos, Xiao Shu was always happy to help, even proactively offering to take pictures. Regarding the sights: It was a weekend and peak summer vacation, so there were a lot of people. The weather that day was partly cloudy, and for some reason, I felt it didn't quite live up to my expectations (I'm not sure if I needed fewer clouds and a bluer sky). It might also be because I had just visited Oirase Stream and Lake Towada last month and really loved them (*¯︶¯*). At least I didn't quite understand the appeal of Taisho Pond here, haha. Overall: The sound of the rushing stream, the clear reflections of different shades of blue, the cicadas, and the green trees still made it a very pleasant outdoor experience. Xiao Shu, our guide, was also very easy to talk to. If you ever have Xiao Shu as your guide again, you can confidently put your trust in her! ❤️
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