Ryokan's mountain hermitage on Kugamisan 國上山, an hour and a half south of Niigata City is a very quiet unimposing site. He lived here for most of the last 10 years of his life. From the summit of Kugamisan, that Ryokan climbed frequently, there is a great view of the Japan Sea to the west and the snow covered Japan Alps to the east.
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