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There are a number of people who have chosen to live here in Kamiyama based on the pure notion of living a natural life. You can drink from wells, the air is clean, plenty of edibles thrive in this environment, it's super cheap, bigger towns are nearby for bigger needs, and you can move yourself so high into the mountains that you need chains on your tires in winter to manage the crazy road to your house.
[Also, to attract young families, a local initiative provides tons of funding for fixing up old abandoned houses.]
I got invited to Sada and Kiko's house, high up on a mountain behind us, to spend the afternoon with a lovely group of ladies and their kids. About 7 of us ladies and at least 8 kids, a couple of them being tiny little babies.
It was a gorgeous day, the air crisp and dry, and once we arrived after a vertigo-inducing drive, it felt so very removed. From everything. They have neighbors, so it's not like they are lone mountain people, but there was a certain feeling of being in a different layer, like being in the clouds, viewing life from above. I suppose it's the feeling that "mountain" people find so addictive, like the feeling I get at the beach looking out over the horizon.
The ladies are from all over Japan but have come around to eschew the modern hustle and bustle of city life in exchange for child rearing in nature. It must be a great pleasure to have found each other and share similar views, to engage in a life that a lot of people might think strange.
I certainly look forward to spending more time with them, and joining in on Wednesday play days. Hopper immediately connected with their son Bongo, who is a year older, with their shared love of shinkansens and capes. The kids were great, welcoming him in without so much as a side glance. And the women were just so kind and sweet and funny and generous.
Arigato Kiko for extending your home and offering such a wonderful afternoon. We'll see you soon.
PS. Whoa. The drive. I'm curious how I would feel going up there again. It's super steep, too narrow for my comfort (Um, what if a car is coming at you. Who backs up and who passes who where?!), and there are no guard rails on these crazy elevated sections of cliffs. The photo I took was the tame part of the road that I could stop and look out and take my hands off the wheel without feeling queasy.
