[2024 Katashina Stay] Travel Guide for Fujiya Ryokan (Updated Sep)

Scenes from Hayao Miyazaki's works come to life - Hiking in Oze National Park

Oze Tokura Onsen Fujika Ryokan has been my go-to since partnering with Ctrip. Whether it's for business trips or personal travel, booking flights or hotels, it's all done through them. Especially when traveling abroad, language is no longer a barrier, as everything is taken care of in one stop. There were no client schedules this weekend, so I joined a friend on a three-hour drive from Tokyo to our destination - Oze National Park. It's one of the closest national parks to Tokyo. Strictly speaking, it's part of Nikko National Park, covering areas in Gunma, Tochigi, Fukushima, and Niigata, and is the largest alpine wetland in Japan. The area is surrounded by mountains over 2000 meters high, and due to its highland location, it welcomes the snow season after October each year. Therefore, it's open from May to October, with no admission fee. This period coincides with several long holidays in Japan, making it a perfect retreat for Tokyo residents during these times (there's another place called Karuizawa, which I'll introduce another time). Because of the many marshes, the wetland ecosystem is rich, with an abundance of animal and plant resources that you don't normally see. While envying their environment, I can't help but think of our homeland. I remember when I was young, the village was surrounded by green trees and small rivers. As industrialization progressed, factories and chimneys rose, replacing the greenery. In recent years, the country has been paying more and more attention to the restoration of green mountains and blue waters. Sometimes I think the meaning of travel is to see sights you've never seen before, to realize the real differences, and then to return home and contribute, even if just a little, with your own hands to make your hometown more beautiful.