Tokyo's Hidden Summer Retreat: Spend Your Summer at Akigawa Valley

Recently, the temperature in Tokyo has been extremely high, making it unbearable to go outside. I wanted to find a place where I could enjoy riverbed cuisine and cool off, just like at Kyoto's Kibune Shrine. So! I discovered Akigawa Valley, about 60 kilometers and an hour's drive from Shinjuku, where you can reach the fresh and cool nature. Initially, I planned to sit on the terrace facing the valley and eat shaved ice 🍧, but due to the long queue, I made a reservation for kaiseki cuisine at Kurochaya in advance. Happily finished eating indoors, and then went stream climbing as soon as I stepped out! The stream water was very cold, with pebbles of various sizes underfoot. The girls who had just entered the water nearby were all screaming in pain (including me, haha). A gentle breeze blew through the valley, and there was a group of people laughing and playing in the water. This scene really felt like summer in an anime!