JOURNAL γ» FIELD NOTES
The Lady of Odashirogahara β A Lone White Birch in Morning Mist
In Oku-Nikko, Tochigi, at about 1,400 meters above sea level, lies a quiet meadow called Odashirogahara. Just west of Senjogahara and ringed by mizunara oak forest, it is a small hidden world, two to three kilometers around. Near its center stands a single white birch β the tree people call "The Lady of Odashirogahara." On this dawn, heavy clouds pressed low, mist drifted slowly across the meadow, and the Lady rose quietly behind her veil.
The tree they call the Lady
The lone white birch standing in the middle of the meadow earned her name from the slender elegance of that pale trunk. Her age is estimated at around seventy years or more, and since the photographer Yasuhiko Miyajima devoted a book, "A Single Tree," to her, photographers from all over Japan have kept returning in every season. Morning mist, golden autumn grasses, hoarfrost, snowfields β the same tree, never the same expression. In some years, after great rains, water gathers across the meadow and the Lady stands reflected in the phantom "Lake Odashiro."
A light only a clouded morning gives
That morning the forecast had promised clear skies; instead, thick clouds covered them. But the basin-shaped meadow had gathered cold air overnight, and mist rose from the damp ground, flowing slowly past the Lady's feet. Mountains sunk in blue, ink-dark clouds, the white of the fog. It was a deep, quiet hour, the very opposite of a taut night in the emergency room. If mist under a clear sunrise is radiance, mist under clouds is gravity β a mood you only meet on mornings that refuse to go as planned.
Beyond the veil of mist, the Lady stands alone.
The deep stillness of a clouded daybreak.
Planning your visit β season
A few notes for those hoping to see her in person.
Odashirogahara was registered in 2005 as part of the Ramsar-listed "Wetlands of Oku-Nikko." The meadow is enclosed by a fence that protects its plants from deer, and you enter through a revolving gate. June brings fresh green, the white blossoms of the zumi crabapple, and tufts of cotton grass; summer, the soft pink spires of meadowsweet. The golden kusamomiji grasses from late September to early October, and the larch woods turning to a "folding screen of gold" in late October, are the highlights of the year. Mist favors cold, windless mornings of strong radiative cooling, and in early winter the Lady sometimes wears hoarfrost.
Getting there
The road through Odashirogahara has been closed to private cars since 1994. From the Akanuma depot, a low-emission electric bus reaches the meadow in about 12 minutes (500 yen for adults, 2025 fare). It runs from late April to the end of November, with pre-dawn services on certain days. On foot, the boardwalk nature trail from Akanuma takes about 35β40 minutes. From Tobu-Nikko Station, take the local bus bound for Yumoto Onsen to the Akanuma stop, roughly an hour. Check the Nikko Natural Science Museum website for current timetables.
Tips for photographers
The classic viewpoint is the wooden observation deck beside the Odashirogahara bus stop, facing the Lady straight on. For mist, aim for the hour around dawn after a cold, windless night. A telephoto lens compresses the layers of fog and the mountains beyond, and a slightly darker exposure keeps the texture of the mist. Never step off the deck or boardwalk into the meadow, and on crowded mornings keep tripods modest and share the view.
While you're in the area
Neighboring Senjogahara is the classic boardwalk hike of Oku-Nikko. At Senjugahama, the bus's last stop, great drifts of kurinso primroses bloom from early to mid June. On the way back, stop by Ryuzu Falls, Yutaki Falls, or Lake Chuzenji β in half a day, Oku-Nikko offers meadow, waterfall, and lake.
This photograph of the Lady of Odashirogahara in morning mist is available as a fine-art silver-halide print on premium FUJICOLOR paper, hand-printed in Japan and shipped worldwide.
View the print β