Three days filled with gratitude.

We had our wedding photos taken over three days from August 2nd to 4th.
The location was Tateyama, a place full of memories.
In my four years of mountaineering, these were the three days I saw the most beautiful scenery.
I will never forget seeing such scenery with
Ari-chan, of course,
and the photography crew, Occhi, Rina-chan, and An-chan.
It truly was the best three days.
Including a look back,
I will write this note while also introducing the works that Occhi captured for us.

▼ Wedding photo request and meeting

I was connected with Occhi on Instagram, and I would look at their posts thinking,
“They take photos with the exact compositions I like.”
“Oh, they’re a Z user! Same here!”
“The color grading of the photos is also so beautiful.”
When we decided to declare our partnership,

we weren't planning on having a wedding ceremony, but
I thought, “I want some kind of commemorative item that will last,”
so I asked Occhi, who takes wedding photos in the mountains,
to take ours.

Once I made the request,
Occhi immediately set up a meeting time.
This was my first time meeting the planner, Rina-chan.
It was also my first time speaking directly with Occhi.
Even though my vocabulary was zero, thinking, “This planner is incredible. She’s so professional,”
I still remember how deeply impressed I was.

The two of us had already decided on the mountain range we wanted to be photographed in, and
we had also mostly decided on the places we wanted to be during sunset and sunrise,
but we wanted to do a fairly intense traverse hike,
so we asked for a plan that didn't seem like a photoshoot (lol).
I thought it might be quite tough for a photoshoot,
but I proposed it to the two of them.
I asked for something quite unreasonable, but
they accepted everything, saying, “Let’s go to the places you two want to shoot!”
They were truly two people overflowing with kindness.

Furthermore,
An-chan decided to join us on this mountain trip as well.
It was so reassuring, and I was also moved that she would come all the way from Kyushu for us.

▼ The itinerary for the day

The itinerary was originally planned like this.

Since it’s a relatively orthodox mountain walk,
it’s easy enough if you’re just walking normally,
but because we had to walk
“while taking wedding photos”
and “while considering that we would be at the mercy of weather conditions,”
I believe the difficulty level increases significantly when it’s a photography hike that involves changing locations.
Also, it was Occhi and Rina-chan’s first attempt

at shooting while doing a traverse in Tateyama.
Because of that,
they also had to do location scouting at the same time,
and looking back on it now, I reflect on how I really asked for something harsh (lol).
I spent every day looking forward to the day and praying for good weather.

▼ The shooting day has arrived!

The weather forecast was “Sunny on both 8/2 and 8/3” and “Almost no wind”
—the best weather conditions!!!
Thank you so much, Yamaten!
Thank you, Earth!
Thank you, God of Sunshine!!!

Even though it was a weekday, Friday, I was surprised by how many people there were.
I’ve been to Tateyama many times, but this was the first time I couldn’t park in the first parking lot (lol).
We met up with everyone at Murodo, and off we went!!

① Murodo - Ichinokoshi - Oyama - O-nanji - Fuji-oritate

We gathered at Murodo around 8:30 and departed around 9:00!

Taking a break at Ichinokoshi for a bit.
Good pace so far!

I remembered eating ice cream at Ichinokoshi,
but there was no ice cream, so I cried! I gulped down some soda.
There was ice cream three years ago, right?
I ate a Choco Monaka Jumbo, didn't I? (lol)
Took a quick break and headed toward the peak of Oyama.

There's a wide spot halfway to Oyama, so we took some photos there first!
The location here was seriously so good,
and even though it wasn't originally planned for a shoot, they took photos for me.
I'm grateful they were so flexible.

People we passed by and others climbing at the same time
congratulated us, saying "Congratulations!!!"
It's embarrassing, but I felt so much happiness.

The area in front of Oyama Shrine was bustling and crowded.
It wasn't a great location for a shoot, so we skipped it.

At Dainichi, we ate udon at the quirky Dainichi Hut.
The master of Dainichi Hut is so eccentric, I ended up loving him lol
He served us cola in a teacup with our udon,
which made me laugh so hard (lol).

Since the location at Fuji-Oritate doesn't really change either,
we skipped that too!

We didn't step on the peaks of Oyama, Dainichi, or Fuji-Oritate and moved on to the next!

② The scree slope heading from Masagodake to Tsurugisawa, then to Tsurugigozen-goya

From here, you start to see a bit of Mt. Tsurugi,
and a series of spectacular viewpoints where you can see the ridgeline stretching out ahead and behind.
Before reaching Masagodake, there's the Kurazumi Cirque,
which is also really cool.
I was dreading the one steep descent we had to make (lol).

Once you reach Masagodake, Mt. Bessan (Mt. Tsurugi) is right in front of you,
and if you look back at the way you came, you're sandwiched by the main peaks of Tateyama.

Occhi really loved Masagodake,
which made me so happy.
Masagodake is so flat you can't even tell where the peak is,
it's like a runway,
but being sandwiched between the ridgelines makes the location incredible.
I might get requests for shoots at Masagodake in the future (lol).

Leaving Mt. Masago behind, we skipped Mt. Bessan and took the traverse path toward Tsurugisawa Campsite.
The access to the campsite from the traverse path involves passing through a steep, loose, gravelly section.
On the way, there was a spot that looked like a podium, and I had them take a photo of me there.
This podium is one of my absolute favorite spots, and I was so happy to be able to go back for the first time since I found it three years ago!

The location is amazing, but the path is so narrow and gravelly that there are very few places where you can actually take photos.
Still, I am truly satisfied that we were able to capture this.

After this, we were supposed to have sunset photos taken at Tsurugozen, but we all started thinking, 'It would be really tough to hike down to Tsurugisawa...'
We held a meeting right there on the gravelly path to change our plans (lol).
We decided to try our luck and see if Tsurugozen-goya had any vacancies so we could stay at the hut instead.
We turned back toward the hut.
Everyone was so good at adapting to the situation that I thought, 'Ah, mountain people are the best...'

When we arrived at Tsurugozen-goya, Rina-chan went straight to the hut staff at the reception and asked, 'I know it's a long shot, but do you have any vacancies?'
To our surprise, they did! And they even had a private room available!
They even said, 'This is an important photo shoot, isn't it? I can tell just by looking. I'll get it ready for you now, so please wait,' which was such a warm thing to say.
That was the first time I teared up (lol).
The people at the Tateyama huts are truly so warm, and that is one of the reasons why I've come to love Tateyama so much.
I am truly filled with gratitude.

Since we had some extra time, we waited at the hut until sunset!
An-chan brought lots of souvenirs and even handmade portrait cookies.

They were so cute and healing. I'll post photos later, but I used them as props on the second day!

3. Tsurugozen

We left the hut in time for the sunset and headed toward Tsurugozen.
It takes less than an hour from the hut to Tsurugozen.

It's quite close, but there aren't many people there, so it's a place I really love.
Mt. Tsurugi towers right in front of you, and it's such a cool spot that I highly recommend it.
However, the summit is quite small, so I was worried about whether we could get a variety of shots, but Occhi was truly amazing.
He took so many different photos for us.

As evening approached, a sea of clouds began to spread out.
I had never seen such a vast sea of clouds in my life.
The upper clouds were also thin and just right, so I was convinced, 'Oh, this is going to glow.'

There is still so much data I can't even post it all.
Occhi, Rina-chan, and An-chan all looked like they were having fun
while helping with the shoot and assisting.
Ari-chan and I were expressing our gratitude, saying, 'We are truly so happy.'

We returned to the hut just in time to not need headlamps,
ate dinner in a hurry, and went to bed.
The next morning, we were going to attack Bessan.
I went to sleep praying that we would be able to see a beautiful view.

4. Bessan

Was it a 4 AM departure? Or was it 3 AM?
I don't really remember that well,
but the starry sky and the vast sea of clouds I saw when we left the hut
convinced me that this would be the best view of the day.

It took us a little over an hour to get from the hut to Bessan, I think?
I love night hikes because you really reach your destination
in the blink of an eye.

Bessan is a location with great conditions,
where you can see Mt. Tsurugi right in front of you and get a panoramic view of the entire Tateyama range,
and it's incredibly spacious.

I was thinking about how the view from Bessan was this beautiful,
and how we were truly blessed with the best weather,
while everyone was lost in thought
as they took photos for us.
Occhi said, 'Rina-chan was so moved she was crying, so that's really saying something!'
I had never seen such an intense morning glow before,
and I was moved to see the sea of clouds being dyed in color.

5. Mt. Masago (2nd time)

After that, Occhi seemed to really like Mt. Masago, so
he invited me, saying, "Let's go again!"
We headed toward Masago.
(Occhi realized he forgot his trekking poles and went back to the hut for a moment lol)

On our second time at Mt. Masago, we had someone take photos of us
with our favorite matching backpacks,
and also photos with An-chan's cookies!

6. Raichozawa

All that's left is the descent!
There's a steep route down from Mt. Masago to Raichozawa,
so we descended it with absolutely no emotion (lol).
This part is quite tough. The campsite is so far away.

We had no idea what was about to happen at Raichozawa,
so we were descending while complaining.

"Alright, just a little further to Raichozawa! Let's cross the bridge!"
Just as we said that,
we ran into my dear Yukiko-san and her partner, Pikuhan-niisan!!!!
I was so happy that my fatigue just blew away (lol).

To put it simply, Yukiko-san is a monster hiker,
and her partner, Pikuhan-niisan, is probably a monster too (not an insult lol).
Yukiko-san is currently working at the Kita-Hotaka Hut, so please check it out♪ (advertisement).

We crossed the bridge and arrived at Raichozawa!
At Raichozawa, we ran into Misakichi, Manashan, and Ryota-kun!
I was so happy!

After settling down,
I wrote out the final event, the "oath," by hand.
I was nervous. My handwriting is shaking (lol).

I never expected this!
Pedi and Yabe Yuki
came to Tateyama as a surprise.
What's more, they brought a group message card from
everyone at 728/ACTIBASE who always takes care of us,
and a photo album packed with
all the photos we've taken together.
I was so moved I cried. Kana Nishino is just unfair.

Actually,
it seems An-chan planned the surprise,
and everyone at 728/ACTIBASE cooperated so much,
which is what they told me at that moment.

An-chan... you really are something...
I'm just overflowing with gratitude for meeting someone
so thoughtful, honest, and wonderful.
Even a week later, the emotions are still washing over me.

Everyone at 728,
it seems you all wanted to come to Tateyama too,
and I'm so happy to have met such wonderful hiking friends. I'm so happy.
Please stay my friends for life, okay?

To the members of ACTIBASE,
I know you're super busy with production and everything,
but thank you so much for writing all those messages
and everything else.

It was a wedding mountain trip overflowing with gratitude.

It's not often you get the chance to have so many people
say "congratulations" to you,
and I realized once again how blessed we are to have met such amazing friends
who would travel all the way from Kyushu and Kansai
to pull off a surprise like this.

We received so much happiness,
so now it's Arikuma's turn to give back to everyone.
We will do our best to make sure you feel happy
when you're with us.
Really, truly, thank you.

⑦ Lounging around the Raichozawa area

We said goodbye to Rina-chan here,
and it became a day for Occhan, Pedi, Yabe-yuki, and me to just enjoy the mountains normally!
We can use the tent! So happy!
Ari-chan, who was pitching a tent at Raichozawa for the first time,
was so moved.

Yabe-yuki and Pedi said,
Since we're here in Tateyama, we're going to go for a traverse~
and headed off quickly (well, not that quickly lol).

After lounging around leisurely,
we went to Raichozawa Hutte and washed off our sweat in the hot spring.
It was truly the best.
A mountain where you can take a bath and wash your body thoroughly is just genius.
We also made sure to eat ice cream before heading back to the tent site.

On the way, Karen-chan, who works at Mikurigaike,
came to visit our tent!
She's a dama-hiker, so she brought lots of kendamas!

At night, the Milky Way was clearly visible, so
I took some photos casually (lol).
It's amazing that the Milky Way shows up even when you take photos casually.
【Lens and Settings】
Z24-120mm f4 / ss 20 seconds / f4 / iso 2500

⑧ Morning walk

Everyone was tired from the traverse, so we took a walk around Raichozawa.
There was such a great location,
so we took various photos there!

The morning walk was so meaningful.
Being able to walk at a relaxed pace is the best...

⑨ Descent

And so, with the weather starting to take a turn for the worse,
I quickly started preparing to descend, and we set off.
Pikuhan-niisan took some great photos of us.

The stairs up to Raichoso are tough as always.
My throat got wrecked by the sulfur gas on the way (lol).
I wasn't really thinking about anything, just heading straight for Murodo.

Arrived at Murodo.
We also managed to meet up with ACTIBASE members (Miki-chan and Shoma-san)
who had just returned from Goshikigahara!
I was so happy.

I'm sure I'll be able to see the ACTIBASE members again soon,
so I put aside the sadness of parting and headed down the mountain.

After descending, I took An-chan, Yabe Yuki, and Pedi
to the famous Toyama restaurant 'Sushi Daruma'.
Ever since Saya-san introduced me to this place,
I've been a regular.
The portions are huge, delicious, and melt in your mouth. Highly recommended!

We couldn't finish talking at Sushi Daruma,
so we went to a nearby Joyfull (lol).
We ordered from the drink bar and had shaved ice while we talked.
It was honestly so much fun doing something like high school students lol.

We talked the night away at Joyfull, then headed our separate ways home.

10. Summary

I've written a lot, but
these three days were packed tight
with even more memories than I could ever write down.

I was filled with so much gratitude for the warm kindness, thoughtfulness, and consideration of my friends,
and for the warm words from everyone I met while hiking.

Without a doubt, I think these three days
were the happiest in my life so far.
I'm also grateful to Ari-chan for spending such happy days with me.
Thank you so much!
Let's keep making more memories together.

I'm also really grateful to everyone who helped out in various ways.
Thank you!!
Please continue to support both Ari and Kuma in the future!

So, that being said,
the 'Mountain Wedding Photos' provided by Occhi and Rina-chan
are the best and the greatest!

Please, definitely try requesting them!