A journey through Hokkaido’s autumn colors. Though I was staying in Ashoro, the promise of clear skies the next morning drew me out of bed at 4:00 AM. I drove eighty kilometers through the dark to reach Mikuni Pass.
The temperature had dropped to -2 degrees Celcius. Despite the freezing air, the pass was already crowded with cars, everyone waiting in hushed anticipation.
As the sun finally peeked over the mountain ridge, a sea of golden trees unfurled beneath me, shimmering in the first light of day.