2020-04-01 Reader\'s Digest AUNZ

Back Roads of

JAPAN

PHOTOS: DIANE GODLEY

TRAVEL

“H

ey,there’sawaterfallup

there,shallwetakea look?”

I askwhenI seea signpost

onthesideoftheroad.My

familyandI aredrivingalongRoute

158,oneofJapan’snationalhigh-

ways,headedforHakubalocatedin

theJapaneseAlpsinNaganoprefec-

ture,onHonshu,themainislandof

Japan.

“Whynot?,”wasthegeneralconsen-

sus.Afterall,wewerenotina hurry.

Wehadlessthan 150 kilometresto

drivetoouralpinedestination,and

themid-Octoberautumnweatherwas

overcast and drizzling lightly.

Atfirstglance,a self-drivingholidayinbustlingJapan

mightseemtoomuchtoconquer,butDianeGodley

foundhavinga cargaveherandherfamilythefreedom

to explore treasures far from the usual tourist sights

Weturnedupthesideroadsur-

roundedbylushmountainforests,

andjustaswewereapproachinga

corner,withoutwarning,wewere

forcedtostop.Wildlifeontheroad.

Nowthat’s something wedidn’t

expecttoseeinJapan.

“Doyouthinkit’sa goat?”I ask.

“No,maybea deer,”sayssomeone

inthebackseat.

Thefourofuscouldn’tagreewhat

itwaswewerelookingatbeforeit

high-tailedintotheforest.What

wedidagreeonwasthatitwasa

particularlyunusual,dare I say ugly,

specimen of nature.

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