We set off early towards the Tateyama National Park. We had a few doubts about the efficiency of the Sat Nav as it seemed to take us round in almost circles. We were heading up to Murudo to see Mt Tateyama, but all of a sudden the Sat Nav lost the route. We saw a sign for Shimyo Falls so decided to head up there. It wasn't far and at the Falls we saw a map which showed where Murodo was. We decided to walk up to the Falls which was about half an hours stroll. The rivers here have very artificial banking and there seem to be lots of mechanism controlling the water flow.
Back in the car we drove the short distance to the Murodo junction only to be told that the road was closed to all but local traffic and that we would have to drive back to Tateyama Station and catch a cable railway (a bit like a funicular) and a bus. None of the Guide books told us that we could not drive there.

It was already nearing 2 o'clock when we reached Tateyama railway station and getting up to Murodo would take over an hour. When we got there the main attraction were still 15 minutes walk away. Luckily the last bus back was at 4.30 so we had an hour and a half to explore. There was a lake in a volcanic crater called Mikuriga-ike with very clear water.

Already we could smell the sulphur in the air. We walked to what is called Jigokudani, Hell's valley, a geothermal field with fumaroles belching out gas. Since last year the amount of volcanic activity here has increased and the hiking route through the field is closed due to risk of poisoning, but we still could see and smell the fumes.

We completed the walk back around the lake and headed back down to the car.

About five o'clock and now going quickly dark, we plugged in the number of the hotel we are staying in at Matsumoto and were shocked to see it was 265 km away and we wouldn't be there till 9. This was strange as Tateyama and Matsumoto aren't that distance as the crow flies. Given it was dark and Japanese roads are not genrally lit, we went with the Sat Nav which took us on toll motorways up to the Sea of Japan (which we couldn't see as it was dark) and then down past Nagano to Matsumoto. Looking at the map we had done 5 sides of a hexagon. Still we made it.

The area around New Station Hotel in Matsumoto was busy with slightly wobbly Salarimen wandering in to the streets. This was at 8.30 at night.

Amazingly our hotel had a restaurant that was open and had an English menu. So we ordered aubergine and sweet potato with miso, deep fried cheese, hijiki seaweed salad in sesame, miso soup and rice with a bottle of chilled(!) Chilean red. By the time we had eaten it was 11.30.