Yaita to Nasu

The last day. The distance was short, but the road tilted up as we left Yaita behind. This was the climb, the one that had been waiting. Each push felt slower, the gradient asking for more, but the mountains ahead pulled us on.

The destination was not just another hotel. Épinard Nasu sat in the hills, tucked into the green. Reaching it meant arriving in the mountains, not just finishing a route. The views opened as we gained height, valleys stretching below and ridges stacked against the horizon.

This trip had a purpose. To be at Gordon's wedding. Not just a good friend but a fellow member of the 2017 Japan scooting trip. Rolling into Nasu by scooter tied the two journeys together, six years apart but connected by the same simple way of moving.

By afternoon I checked into Épinard Nasu. The room looked out to trees turning with the season, a quiet space after the climb.

The next day I stood among friends including Tresha who was also a member of the 2017 team, and family, watching Gordon and his bride in the centre. To arrive there by scooter felt improbable and exactly right.