Spring and Summer at Oze Hut
Oze Lodge offers a panoramic view of Ozegahara, the largest highland marsh in Honshu, as well as Mt. Hiuchigatake and Mt. Shibutsu, two of Japan's 100 most famous mountains.
In addition to the scenery that changes with the seasons, the "Oze Hut Gourmet" served at Oze Hut attracts many climbers.
The encounter between Oze Lodge and Teton Bros. began in 2023 when they were clearing snow from Oze Lodge.
Since then, we have deepened our relationship with the Oze Lodge staff by having them wear Teton Bros. clothing as their uniforms.
This time, we asked Tomohiro Kudo, the fourth-generation owner of Oze Hut, to write about Oze Hut.
The majestic Mt. Shibutsu and Mt. Hiuchigatake float on the snow-melting ponds. In spring and summer, Oze is decorated with over 900 species of plants that decorate the mountains and marshes.
Even though I have taken many mountain photographs, I have never seen any other mountain range that shows so many different faces.
Oze is characterized by a high concentration of visitors from May to July, when the flowers bloom in profusion, and the busy season for mountain huts, which begins with the start of the season, is literally a battle. The mountain hut owners admit that they don't have the time to enjoy the beautiful nature and scenery, but it is a very pleasant season when you can be captivated by the nature of Oze and feel a kind of telepathy with visitors to the huts.
The work at a mountain hut is essentially a lodging business, but it also involves maintaining the mountain trails necessary for the safety of climbers and transporting supplies necessary for business. Furthermore, with climbers getting lost during the snowy season and rescues for injured climbers due to falls occurring on a daily basis, spring and summer are particularly busy. While I can handle it effortlessly now, I recall lamenting how difficult it was when I first took over the hut.
From the perspective of visitors, Oze is one of Japan's most famous national parks. It's only natural that anyone would aspire to a life in nature, away from everyday life, and I often hear people say things like, "It's great to live in a place like this," or "I want to live here forever." I'm sure I would feel the same way if I were on that side.
However, to do anything, I had to walk 10km one way and then drive 12km to the base of the mountain. I couldn't just pop in to do the shopping, and there were no hospitals or banks. I had to convince myself that such inconveniences were part of my normal life.
However, humans are greedy for what they don't have, and while bottled water in the city would cost 100 yen per bottle, in Oze you can drink as much underground water from Mt. Hiuchigatake as you like. You can even use that water to heat your bath, and with porters and helicopters transporting supplies, food and other items are always delivered to you without you having to go out to buy them.
Within minutes of waking up, you can see the mystical morning mist and sunrise over Mt. Hiuchigatake, Mt. Shibutsu, and Ozegahara. The environment in which you can enjoy a meal while looking at this magnificent view is an irreplaceable luxury. If you can focus only on the nature in front of you, without even seeking comforts and entertainment such as television, the internet, or furniture and appliances, Oze can truly be called a heavenly paradise.
The reasons and routes people take to Oze vary.
There are endless ways to enjoy the area, including flowers, mountain climbing, food, painting, photography, and camping. In other mountain ranges, most visitors have the skills and physical strength to tackle the mountain, but here, climbers aiming to reach the summit of a 2,000-meter peak and hikers strolling through the marshes mingle, with people of all ages, from 3 to 90 years old. This is a sight that is unique to Oze. Even if their goals are different, the faces of those who reach the hut are filled with a sense of accomplishment, and seeing their smiles is one of my greatest joys.
I think everyone has a number of interests about Oze. One reason is that I hope that mountain huts will continue to exist in the future. Despite concerns about a decline in the number of people entering the mountains and climbing, the charm of things that can only be experienced by staying in a mountain hut, such as morning and sunset glows, starry skies, fireflies, gourmet food, and nightlife, will never fade. If you experience these things just once, you will feel that a day trip is a waste. What makes a mountain hut attractive? I am always searching for the answer to this question: what kind of mountain hut is needed?
Teton Bros. also works closely with mountain huts like ours, and contributes to promoting the appeal of Oze with their unique brand power.
With a drive that can be said to be a symbol of people who care about Oze, he has an undying love for the fields of Oze and Hinoemata Village, and now he even helps to liven up Oze during the green season for the sake of those fields.
Oze, where domestic and international forces come together, is sure to be a fun place.
Today, I once again think about this as I watch the hikers walking along the boardwalk.