Lake Shima and Onioshidashi Park

One night in Gunma with my wife. The plan was loose: paddle a canoe on Lake Shima on day one, stay the night in a SANU cabin, and stop at Onioshidashi Park on the way home on day two.

Past the red bow of a canoe, a blue-green lake and a mountain ridgeline — Lake Shima

Day one: canoeing on Lake Shima

We pushed off around 10:30 in the morning and stayed on the lake for about an hour. The water was blue-green, and near the shore you could see fallen leaves sunk on the bottom. We slipped under cliffs and tree branches and paddled deep into the inlets.

A red canoe and paddles on the grassy shore before setting out

The bow of a red canoe on blue-green water, with a forest starting to turn in the distance

A rocky cliff with pale tree roots crawling over it, leaves floating in the water below

From behind, a person in an orange life jacket in the front seat of a two-person canoe — My wife in the front seat

Paddling the red canoe under overhanging branches, green reflected on the water

Shaded water under the trees, and a sunlit inlet beyond

After lunch we looked down on the lake from above, then headed to our lodging.

A pot on a tabletop induction cooker, wide noodles and vegetables simmering

Looking down from high up at the blue-green lake winding through the mountains

The SANU cabin

The SANU cabin was nicer than I’d imagined. Under a wooden A-frame roof there was a kitchen and a round table, and the forest was right outside the window. We played board games and watched a movie on the projector, and had plenty of fun without leaving the room. At night we made a fire outside and grilled meat.

An A-frame cabin with wooden walls standing in the forest, metal steps at the entrance

A wood-paneled interior, with a kitchen and round table beyond an arched wall

Flames rising behind the window of a black pellet stove

On a stump table, plates of beef and yakitori next to bottled beer

Flames rising over the grill of a fire pit at night

A large window seen from inside the A-frame, with a wooden deck and forest outside — The window when we woke up

Day two: Onioshidashi Park

In the morning we lit the fire once more.

A fire burning in a fire pit in the morning forest

A cup of yogurt topped with green grapes, held in front of the fire pit

Onioshidashi Park is a rocky field of lava that flowed out of an eruption of Mount Asama and hardened. It was more beautiful than I’d imagined: low trees in autumn colors mixed in among the black rocks, with Mount Asama behind them. Walking around, we stayed so long that the rest of our plans fell away.

Mount Asama rising beyond a field of black lava rock — Mount Asama from Onioshidashi Park

Low shrubs in reds and yellows dotting the rugged lava field

Black rocks piled up everywhere, from the foreground to the far distance

A single larch turned yellow, standing in the lava field

A temple gate with red pillars and a tiled roof, the approach continuing beyond it

A narrow walking path squeezed between lava rocks on both sides

Lunch was egoma (perilla) soba. It tasted like something new, and it was good.

On a vermilion tray: soba, tempura, dipping sauce, and small dishes of condiments — Egoma soba

Through the windshield, a straight road lined on both sides with tall trees — The tree-lined road home

Back home

The highlights were Onioshidashi Park, where we stayed so long we dropped our plans, and the SANU cabin, where just hanging out in the room was fun. I want to go back to SANU.

My regret is the camera. I brought DJI’s smallest Osmo action camera but hardly ever got it rolling. Because it’s so small, it’s surprisingly awkward to carry in your hand, and I couldn’t be bothered to take it out. I’m debating getting a handheld one next time.

I also put the trip together in a video.