Japan - Izu Peninsula part 2- spiral bridges; Hakone Tori; Old Buddhas; Fuji views; & train rides.

Now to head further North

The Kawazu-Nanadaru Loop Bridge is one of the most spectacular bridges in the world

It’s a double spiral that brings the traffic up and down a full 45meters while being seemingly suspended in a valley between two mountains.

Almost giddy!

Mountain roads

? Where is the road ?

Elevation 1200m

Wild Camp 48- old Buddha Camp .

At the end of the road and an old tunnel

Surrounded by the beautiful mossy Buddhas

Then a very steep 600m walk down into the valley to see the below.

Steep as your toes are squeezed into the front of your shoes-

Back up that was not the issue!

Shogun-Minamoto hid in this cave following his defeat at the hands of the Heike Clan in 1180.

Yes 600 years before Capt Cook sailed in Australian waters, such recorded history!

Old tunnels

The railway journey between Gora and Hakone-Tozan is the steepest in Japan at 8%, and the 2nd steepest in the world.

There are 3 switchbacks like this in the 12km line.

It’s an all electric train passing through 100+ year old tunnels

Owakuzaes is an explosion crater created about 3000years ago.

It’s at 1000m in Hakone. Still smoking with fumarolic gas containing sulfides with sulfur deposits once mined.

The most recent eruption was in 2019

Camp 49 with another view of Fuji

A typical tourist pic at the Hakone Shrine under the water Tori.

A 3/4 hour wait for this pic.

Better tick it!