「レッツゴー キャム！」Cam, Ikuzo! Come follow Camden’s journey! December 2023

"Benkei Nana Modori"

On November 18th I went to go hiking at Mt. Tsukuba, which is considered to be one of the “100 Famous Japanese Mountains.”

As part of MIEA’s (Matsudo City International Exchange Association) “Ibunka Exchange Club,” an event was held for people of different backgrounds living in Matsudo to go hiking together, and it turned out to be a great time. The route that we took had steep slopes at times, but as we climbed up we were able to come across many of Mt. Tsukuba’s famous landmarks. One that really stood out to me was called “Benkei Nana Modori.” “Benkei” is a word referring to a person putting on a strong front, but originates from a legendary warrior called Musashibo Benkei. The landmark is a large rock ledged in a way which makes it appear to be suspended in the air over a cliff-side, with a hiking trail that people pass through beneath it. The name in English translates to “Benkei goes back 7 times,” in reference to a legend that says even Benkei hesitated to pass under the rock which looks like it could come falling down at any moment.

The reddening of autumn leaves came a little bit late this year for the timing of our hike, but the trees that were tinted with red and yellow colors were very pretty, and there was a great view with Mt. Fuji visible in the distance waiting for us at the peak of the mountain. Due to it raining the previous day, there were lots of slippery parts of our route, so we made sure to be very careful of where we were stepping as we hiked up the mountain. By the way, the participants for this event talked in mainly Japanese or English, and there were very little issues in regards to communicating with each other during the hike.

Tsukuba Shrine grounds

On the top of the mountain there was a place to eat, where I had a chance to talk with people from a wide variety of backgrounds, so it was a great opportunity for international exchange. For going back down the mountain, instead of going by foot we chose to take a ride down on the Mt. Tsukuba Cable Car. Once we got off the cable car, we visited Tsukuba Shrine at the foot of the mountain. Around this time the sun started to set, so from the shrine we had a great view of Mt. Tsukuba being illuminated by the rays of the setting sun. Matsudo City is also home to plenty of famous spots that are surrounded by nature, such as Hondoji and the Forest and Park for the 21st Century, so I am going to make sure I visit all of those places while there are still some autumn colors that can be seen.

The “Ibunka Exchange Club” is looking for people from the age of 18 through 39 who want to be part of more events like this in the future, and when the next event is decided it will be posted on MIEA's Facebook page, so for those who want to have fun and meet people from many different countries, please be on the lookout!

「弁慶七戻り」

11月18日に日本百名山の一つである茨城県の筑波山に行ってきました。

今回の松戸市国際交流協会（MIEA）が開催している「異文化交流クラブ」のイベントでは、様々な国の方と一緒に山を登り、楽しい時間を過ごしました。私たちが通ったルートは時折急勾配があり、道が険しかった半面、筑波山の名所にも巡り合うことができました。特に、「弁慶七戻り」（べんけいななもどり）という頭上に絶妙なバランスで止まっている大きな岩の下にくぐるスポットが印象的で、岩が今にも落ちそうなので、弁慶も通る際に躊躇し、7回も後戻りをしたという神話が名前の由来だそうです。

紅葉が少し遅れた中のハイキングでしたが、赤や黄色に染まっている木々はとても綺麗で山頂に上るといい眺めが迎えてくれて、その日には富士山も見えてきました。前日に雨が降った影響で、山登りのルートは少し滑りやすいところがあり、慎重に足元に気を付けながら登っていっていました。ちなみに、参加者は主に英語と日本語でコミュニケーションを取り、不安を覚えることはありませんでした。

筑波神社の境内

山頂には昼食を頼める場所があり、そこでは様々な国の方と話し、異文化交流を図りました。帰りは山を足で下るのではなく、筑波山のケーブルカーに乗ることにしました。下りたら、山の麓にある「筑波山神社」を訪れることができ、そこでは太陽が沈む時間になって筑波山が夕日の日差しに染められる姿が見えました。このように松戸市にも本土寺だったり、21世紀の森と広場だったり、自然に包まれている場所が多くあるので、紅葉が見える時期が終わるまでそのような場所も訪れたいと思います。

18歳から39歳までの対象の「異文化交流クラブ」はまた今後イベントがMIEAのFacebookで掲載されるため、様々な国の方と触れ合いたい方は是非参加してみてください！