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After a large breakfast (I was puzzled as to why the hotel serving us a western breakfast also offered miso soup and rice?! I'm glad "someone" did not also eat this), we checked out and walked along the Tama river.

Satoshi wanted to check out the Shiromaru Dam.

Guess who didn't bring his bear bell?!

After a night of rain and fallen leaves, the trail to the dam was quite rocky and slippery from Hatonosuso (the hotel), so it is best to take your time and go slow. 

The thing that Satoshi wanted to see at the dam was the fish ladder, it is a huge thing where the fish can cross through the dam to go up or down stream, the grandpa overseeing the operation was a character!

We had asked him about how the fish cross the dam and he said he's never asked them so he doesn't know...ha!

Thank goodness we didn't have to climb back up those stairs!

When you exit the fish ladder, you can see a little lake along the Tama River...so peaceful! (well, when the political speaker cars were not passing by!)

Many kayakers...

We then caught the train at Shiromaru, I swear the trail to the station was so local!

We actually walked through someone's back yard to get to the platform!

As we headed back to our area of Tokyo, we stopped in at Sawai where Sawanoi Brewery is located.

The family that runs Sawanoi Brewery, the Ozawas have so much land!

Besides the brewery, there are several restaurants, shops, a museum (which was closed)

even a temple, Kanzanji on the property

Be sure to take a look at the decorative ceiling

It was kind of cold so we decided to have some oden and soba for lunch.

700 yen for Satoshi's soba and 550 yen for Kat's oden.

Even if it wasn't sunny, it was still a nice trip to Okutama, Satoshi wants to check out Mount Mitake next.

We'll be back.

Sawanoi Garden

2-770 Sawai

Ome, Tokyo

Closed Mondays

Hours: 10:00-17:00

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