It takes determination to make it there, and it requires perseverance to finish.

強い決意と忍耐が必要な旅です

Those who accomplish it are rewarded with some of the best views in Japan,

その先に待つ絶景を求めて

but watch your step because it's a long ways down.

足元に気を付けて進みます

It's time for our biggest Life in Japan adventure to date:

黒部峡谷での冒険の始まりです！

we're hiking Kurobe Gorge.

出発です

[Life in Japan Theme Song]

冒険には重装備で出掛けます

Well, I am off!

新宿から夜行バスに乗ります

Does it look like I'm going for a big expedition, because it sure feels like I am.

深い峡谷だね

From here we're going to go to Shinjuku and catch an overnight bus to our destination.

カズがこの旅を計画しました

What is Kurobe most famous for?

秋の峡谷登山です

Right now the fall foliage.

私も行きたくなりましたが 過酷さを理解してませんでした

It's the deepest gorge.

座ります

It's the deepest gorge in Japan.

良いシートだね

A few months ago my friend Kazu told me about a trip he was planning to do

カーテンもあるし

a hike through Japan's deepest gorge at the height of fall.

黒部峡谷は富山県にあります 東京からはバスで6時間掛かります

I immediately knew I wanted to go along.

電車で2時間

Little did I know the true scope of the adventure to come.

これで電車は最後？

OK, we're ready for this thing here.

もう1回乗り換えるよ

Looking good. We've got a nice comfy seat here.

次は景色良いよ

Uh huh. A nice privacy curtain.

いいね

Kurobe Gorge is located in Toyama Prefecture, a 6 hour overnight drive to the northwest of Tokyo to the other side of Japan.

急いで乗り換えます！

Oooo going there!

間に合いそうです

And we are on our 2 hour train ride.

まるでミニチュアです

Is this to the trail head or do we still have one more after this?

行くよ！

One more after this.

出発から既に数時間

There's a scenic train. A scenic train.

トロッコで峡谷へ向かいます

Oh common, alright.

素晴らしい景色です

And now we power hike to the next train!

息を呑む美しさです

We are just going to make this.

期待が高まります

It's like a miniature train.

猿用の橋みたいだ！

Alright!

猿はどうやって作ったのか…

It takes several hours on trains just to get to the trail head,

ジョン 晴れるかな？

but the last train you ride is one especially built to service the interior part of the gorge.

雲の切れ間だ！

You see some incredible sights along the way,

空が見える！

and the drop offs are enough to take your breath away.

終点に着きました いよいよ登山です

It makes you wonder what else is ahead.

到着だね ここがスタート？

That's a bridge for monkeys.

急な坂だね

I don't know how the monkeys made it, but...

去年5人亡くなったらしい

It's trying to clear off, John.

誘ってくれてありがとう（笑）

Yeah, it's trying. Look, there's a hole!

今年はまだ1人

There's a hole! We can see some blue sky. Common!

OK 気を付けて行こう！

We are finally at the end of the line here. We're going to start our hike.

出だしから凄いね

OK, here we go. This is it, right?

凄い出だしだよ

It goes up fast! Holy cow.

200メートル直角に登るみたいだ

Last year 5 people died.

40分位で平らになるよ

Last year 5 people died on this? Thanks for bringing me here, Kazu.

最初はずっときつい勾配です

This year only one person.

登って来たね

OK, we're going to keep it that way.

階段が多い… まだあるよ…

It starts off quite interesting, doesn't it?

空が見えてきました

I was going to say, boy this starts off with a bang, doesn't it?

いい兆候です

It's like a 200 or 300 meter climb straight up.

下りだね

And then it will be flat. Like 40 minutes of climbing.

危ない場所は？

So this first part of our train just goes up, up, up and then it will level out

明日

We're getting up there. Look at that.

Life in Japan のキャップです

Lots and lots of stairs. More and more and more.

紅葉が見れると良いです

Oh, there's some color coming out.

登りが終わりました ここからは丘です

That's a cool sign.

峡谷に向かいます

Whew, downhill.

見て！

When is the most treacherous part of this trail?

ネイト？

Tomorrow.

準備は良い？

I'm wearing the official cap today as we are trekking, trekking, trekking.

これから向かう峡谷です

Hopefully we're going to see some really cool fall colors.

峡谷沿いの道が見えます

The big part of the climb is done. Now we get to start traversing.

上に続いてます

We're going to get over to the gorge.

美しいです

Hello! Look this amazing view!

ここから危険になるよ

And there's Nate.

転んだら送電線に引っ掛かるかも

Alright! We're going to do this thing.

角を過ぎたら

We're starting to get a look at the gorge we're going to be hiking.

すばらしい！

There's the trail. It just winds along the side of the gorge.

この道を作った人達は凄いね

And goes up up away.

作ってくれた人達に感謝です

It's just beautiful up here, my goodness.

見てたらコメント下さい

This is where it becomes dangerous now.

驚異的です

So as if it's not dangerous enough, if the fall won't get you, the power lines right next to you can.

今度は下りです

So...

戻ったぞ

Awesome!

草が生い茂ってます

We go around a corner

小道に見えるけど 違うかな？

Awesome!

滑り台

Every corner

滑り台みたいだ

This is incredible that they even could build this here.

出発して… どれくらい？ 1時間くらい？

If whoever build this is watching, thank you very much.

1時間40分

Please comment and let me know.

更に美しい光景です

But this is incredible. Look!

少し休憩です

It just goes down, my goodness!

リーダー次第です

It's great!

こんな経験は初めてです

Thank you

紅葉を見て下さい

Be careful

貴重な自然です

Ah! My wire's back, yeah!

ティムが撮影中です

Wow, we got some thick grass here.

洞窟みたいです

Hello!

狭いな！

Everything good? It's good.

つっかえそうです

It almost looks like a trail there, but it wouldn't be a trail, huh? No.

お昼が潰れちゃう

Slide. Yeah, slide.

今夜は野営します

A monkey slide. Leave slide.

テントで自炊します

We've been going for how long now? An hour and half maybe?

平らで柔らかい地面だといいです

An hour and forty minutes.

もうすぐ最初の目的地

And it just keeps getting more and more beautiful.

昼食の予定です

We'll probably take a breather here in just a little bit.

何てこった！

If Kazu lets us!

手すり

I've never ever been on something quite like this.

動画だと距離感を伝えるのが難しいです

Look at the colors here, oh my goodness!

下に川が見えます

We're getting into some good good stuff.

岩場を切り抜いた小道です 見て下さい！

Uncle Tim's going to capture this memory.

屈まないと リュックが引っ掛かります

Looks like we've got a little cave here.

昔は回り道したみたい

Lower bridge.

本当？！すごいね

Because me and my backpack aren't getting through otherwise.

橋です

I think I just crushed my lunch.

小川の音がします

So we're going to camp out on the trail tonight.

昼食場所が近いです

Cook our own food. Setup our tents that we brought. Our sleeping bags.

昼食はジャーキーと ピーナッツバターサンドです

And hopefully there's some nice soft earth, or at least flat earth, that we can put our tents down on.

野営場所までどれ位？

Well we should be getting close to our marker.

今のペースで行けたら 3時間かな

Oooo, getting close to the lunch marker.

これから通る道です

Whoa yeah!

行きます！

Hand rail!

点灯します

There's probably no way to tell from the video just how far down it goes right there.

トンネルの入口です

Hey everyone, what do you think?

ライトが必要です

Tomorrow is Japanese only day?

尾根を抜けていきます

And today too?

反対側へ行きます

English only for Kazu.

よし… 行きます！

Opposite Day.

- こんな場所にどうトンネル掘ったんだ？ - 写真撮るよ

There's the river way down there.

湿気があるね

You can see how the path just cuts, literally, right through the mountain. Look at that.

またしても凄い道です

I have to bend down here because otherwise my pack gets stuck.

素晴らしい

Oh, before it looks like the path went around.

防水靴で良かったです

Wha?! That's right, they did have it going around.

水溜まりを歩くので

Lower bridge.

引っ掛からないように 屈んで歩くと

We hear a stream, that's a good sign.

水に足が浸かります

That means our rest/lunch area is nearby.

晴れ間です

I got some of my food out. Today I'm having some beef jerky, nuts and a peanut butter and jelly that John inspired me to make.

人間の世界とは離れた 大自然です

How much time we looking at to get to the campsite?

- 凄い道だ！ - 大変だ！

Oh man, well we're about 3 hours to go if we can keep a decent pace.

ヤバイ！

There's the trail we're about to follow.

両手で捕まって！

We can do it.

揺れる！怖すぎる！

Here we go.

今日のモットーだね

Light on.

下を見ないで歩かないと…

So here's where a tunnel goes in.

何てこった！

We gotta turn on our lights and go in this tunnel.

駅が見えるね

And it's going to go through this whole ridge of the mountain.

今朝出発した駅が見えます

And come out the other side there.

遥か遠くです… 何駅だっけ？

Alright. Here we go.

欅平

How did they dig this thing in here? Did they start curving and hope they made it right?

とにかく素晴らしいです

Wait a second. Let me take a picture of you guys.

自然をパパラッチです

It looks to be a little steamy in here or foggy.

滝に向かいます

This is certainly just an absolutely wild trail.

見て！

Amazing.

最高の休憩場所です

I'm glad I had waterproof shoes though

休憩！

Because my feet were in the stream, there was no way around it.

素晴らしい山ですが 家族は留守番で良かったです

You had to duck so low to get through that tunnel so the backpack could pass

子供達には危険すぎます

And then walk through water at the same time.

大人になってからでないと

It's clearing up over there.

滝の下に行きます

And this right here just drops off like nobody's business.

4時半までに野営地到着を目指します

What a feeling!

残り2時間です

Good feeling!

ワーオ！

That is quite the place! Holy moly!

凄い滝だ！

Holy moly!

凄い！

What in the world?!

ごちゃごちゃだ

Hold on tight. Yea hold on tight with both hands.

防水でも染みるよ

Oh my goodness. That one moves, that's even freakier!

野営地の写真を撮ろう

This is really amazing!

野営地が見えました

Be careful!

テントが見えます

That's the understatement of the day.

温泉もあります

Dude, it's true. You shouldn't look down and try to walk at the same time.

やる気が出てきます

Oh man!

見えてきました

That was I guess where the station was. Yea.

温かい食事とテント

From our vantage point here right now you can see where we started this morning.

夕方6時には就寝です

Way down at — what's the name of the station?

もうすぐだと思ったら

Keyakidaira

またしても階段です

It just doesn't let up, it's just awesome all the time.

まだ大変な予感です

It's the nature paparazzi team here.

エスカレーターないの？

Approaching a waterfall here.

"着いた！"って感じだったのに まだ丘がありました

Aw, look at that!

あの谷の反対です

We have deemed this place a place worthy of a break.

♪ 緑の谷の下に～ ♪

Break time!

到着です…

This trail is amazing, but I'm really glad my family is not here.

ジョン 良いテントだね

Because this is not the type of trail to bring the family on.

いいだろ？

Unless they're grown and able to handle it.

このテントで一晩過ごします

Going under the waterfall.

温泉に入ります

Our break is over. We're going to try to make it to the campsite by 4:30. That's our goal.

撮影できるか分かりません

And we've got about 2 hours of hiking left.

普段は男女交代制ですが

Whoa!

今夜は男のみです

What a gorge! What a waterfall!

楽しみです！

Holy cow!

温泉から戻りました 食事にします

You get a little bit of everything on this!

6時か7時には寝ます

Ahhhhhh!

3時起床で4時には出発します

Yea, it's definitely not that waterproof.

起床の12時間後に ケーブルカーが出るから

Let me take a picture of where we're going to be tonight.

ペペロンチーノ！

And now we can finally see the campsite.

美味しそう

There's a couple tents. Plenty of space for ours.

3分でごちそう！

An onsen down there!

暗闇です 微かに空が見えます

That was just the motivation I needed right there.

良く寝ないと… 3時に起床です！

Campsite in sight.

おはようございます！

Get some hot food. Get a tent setup.

3時過ぎです

In my sleeping bag by 6:00 PM.

気温が低く 浅い眠りでした

You think all is good. "I can see the campsite!"

夜中にトイレに行きましたが 寒かったです

And then they hit you with a huge stair.

その後は良く寝れました

Which only makes me assume there's going to be an even bigger one going down.

これから出発します

Is there an escalator up here?

4時です 出発します

It was like "Yea, we could see it!"

心拍数が上昇します

OK, now just go up this huge cliff face and then go back down it.

靴紐が解けた…

Oh, there it is. Across the valley there.

きつく結び直そう

(Singing) "Down the valley where the green grass grows"

大丈夫？

Whew! Yea!

- すごい！ - 暖かいね

Ah! We made it!

- 暖かい！ - サウナみたいだ

John, you have quite the tent there, bro.

ダムの真上です

You like it?

轟音だけが聞こえます

This is a tent.

サインを見逃さない様に歩きます

Wow! Tiny.

明るくなってきたね

Here's our tent for the night. Uncle Tim and I are going to be very friendly.

もうすぐ橋です

Well, we're heading down the onsen now.

吊り橋みたいです

I don't know how much I'll be able to show because, well, you get in naked!

何てこった！

Girls and guys take turns, so that they're not in at the same time.

少し怖いね…

But tonight there are no girls here.

ヤバイね！

So it should be cool to have some onsen time.

怖い！

We got back from the onsen, and now we're going to have a bite to eat.

写真撮るよ！

And we're going to get to bed early tonight — like 6 or 7

決して下を見ないように

Because we plan on waking up at 3 AM so we can get all ready to go by 4? Is that right?

安全だと思うけど 揺れるね

That gives us 12 hours to do a 9 hour hike so we can make the last cable car out of the gorge.

ワーオ！

We've got some pepperochini.

渡り切りました

Oh yea, looking good here.

- こんな橋渡ったことある？ - あるよ

And Kazu?

あるの？僕は初めてだよ

Tomato and Cheese Risotto

また大変そうだ…

Good!

そうだね

3 Minutes to gourmet dinner! Gourmet, heh?

大変だ

It's so dark now you can barely see the sky.

暗くなったので 道で一晩明かしたみたいです

We're going to sleep.

77歳だそうです

And then get up early at 3:00.

77歳！

Well, good morning.

凄いです！

It's a little after 3 in the morning.

登山者が下る道です

It was kind of a rough night's sleep. It was pretty cold.

ダムからの下り勾配です

Had to get up in the middle of the night and go to the bathroom. That was really cold.