Living in the Flow: Okutama’s Lake Shiromaru and River

Lake Shiromaru in Okutama is a perfect blend of natural beauty and is easily accessible from the city of Tokyo. Here, Megumi Goto has been teaching river kayaking for nearly 30 years. Locals admire Megumi not only for her kayaking expertise but also for her warm smile. Her passion for river kayaking began in her mid-20’s while working as a graphic designer. This was during the height of Japan’s bubble economy in the late 1980s and early 1990s, a time when many people approached both work and leisure with intense energy.

“At that time, many kayakers were copywriters, designers, photographers—people with unique personalities. Working in a company makes it hard to form friendships outside of business, so meeting people through kayaking, where gender, age, or profession didn’t matter, was incredibly valuable.”

“There were so few kayakers back then that everyone you met on the river became a familiar face, which naturally fostered close relationships. It’s a bit like mountaineering, where you find yourself in situations where you rely on each other. For example, if your kayak flips and you get swept away, your friends are there to help you out. That kind of mutual support deepens connections. I’ve tried skiing and tennis in the past, but I never experienced the same level of camaraderie as I did with kayaking.”

Living in the Moment: The Art of MeTime and Essential Rest

In the late 90s, the river kayaking school that Megumi founded on the upper Tama River—known for its clean water and proximity to Tokyo—was thriving. It was so successful that she hired multiple staff. During her 30’s and 40’s, she worked tirelessly, taking reservations, instructing, and serving lunches, working from 6 AM to 10 PM every day. Those years are almost a blur to her. Reflecting on that time, she says, “I was fully committed to promoting river kayaking back then. I never took a weekend off and accepted every reservation. If someone asked me to do the same now, there’s no way I could.”

Her mindset shifted when a personal tragedy made her rethink her life. Her older sister, who lived in New York, passed away unexpectedly. “My sister worked hard and always talked about how one day she would travel, eat good food, and live leisurely, but that ‘one day’ never came. Her death made me realize that sacrificing the present for an uncertain future isn’t the way to live.” This prompted Megumi to start taking breaks from her school, attending events, and reconnecting with people.

Today, along with running her school, she operates the Shiromaru Café, which opens only on Tuesdays and full moon nights. “When you start a café, you’re full of energy and ambition, but it’s hard to keep that going. I realized that once a week is the perfect pace for me. I open at 1 PM because I didn’t want to go all out with cooking. If I opened at 11 AM, people would come expecting lunch,” she says with a laugh. “As for the full moon nights, it’s for those who can’t visit on Tuesdays. Since the full moon falls on different days, it feels manageable. Plus, with the mountains to the east, the moon rises only after 8 PM, when the café closes. At night, it’s pitch black here, but the full moon lights up the lake, making it glow white. It’s magical.”

Megumi’s calm and warm presence creates a soothing atmosphere, blending tranquility with genuine warmth, while also radiating a quiet yet dynamic energy. When asked about the key to a fulfilling life, she explains, “Distance yourself from things you dislike and reduce their influence in your life. Don’t force yourself to overcome what you can’t; instead, focus on what you do well.”

“Working with nature often means facing situations beyond your control. Megumi believes that embracing uncertainty helps cultivate a mindset of going with the flow. “There are seasonal changes, and typhoons can cause the river to rise. Sometimes, we have to close for a week due to the weather, but there’s nothing you can do about it. On the other hand, when things get really busy, you know it won’t last forever. It’s because there are times when you can’t work that even during the busiest moments, I don’t mind.”

Paddling a Kayak is Like Living Life

During her river kayaking lessons, Megumi teaches that kayaking is about enjoying the turns and changes in direction—very different from the straight paths of recreational kayaks often used in tourist spots. She encourages her students to keep their eyes on where they want to go while paddling.

“Your personality really comes through in how you paddle,” Megumi explains. “Those who aren’t afraid of making mistakes tend to improve more quickly. By taking bold strokes, they begin to grasp the mechanics of kayaking and gradually learn how to fine-tune their movements. In contrast, people who try to avoid mistakes by taking smaller strokes lack the experience to correct themselves when the kayak makes a big turn. They haven’t learned how to recover from failure yet.”

She also notices that some people seem to create their own challenges when learning to kayak. “This is especially common among people in their prime working years, who want to control everything in their lives. They have this belief that kayaks should go straight, so when the kayak naturally turns, they get frustrated and try to force it back on track. They struggle against something that’s completely normal.”

“On the other hand, people who can just go with the flow and enjoy the experience don’t feel stressed, even when the kayak veers off course. The difference lies in how they deal with what they can’t do. As you build more skills, you’ll naturally be able to do things you couldn’t before. But if you focus too much on your limitations, you create unnecessary frustration for yourself. It’s okay not to push yourself to do what you’re not yet capable of.”

When we mention that paddling a kayak feels like a metaphor for life, Megumi nods in agreement. “Actually, river kayaking mirrors life even more closely than regular kayaking. It’s about not fighting against the current. Rather than struggling against the flow, you learn to navigate through it with grace, working with the river instead of against it.”

When the Mountains Change, the River Changes

Eight years ago, Megumi began holding workshops to raise awareness about a phenomenon where stagnating water in the soil weakens mountain vegetation and increases the risk of landslides and environmental degradation. This concern arose from her long-time kayaking experiences on the Nagara River in Gifu Prefecture, where she noticed significant changes over the years. It became clear to her that changes in the mountains inevitably affect the rivers. “The Nagara River used to stay crystal clear, even during typhoons, with water levels rising and falling gradually. But as time passed, the river’s water level started fluctuating more drastically.”

“The biggest cause is probably the construction of highways. Over the past 30 years, roads like the Tokai-Hokuriku Expressway were built along the Nagara River to connect Nagoya with Toyama. This development required cutting down trees, compacting the soil with heavy machinery, and building concrete structures along the riverbanks. These changes have significantly impacted the surrounding mountains. Normally, forests help rainwater seep slowly into the ground, regulating the flow of water into rivers. That’s why, in the past, even when it rained heavily, the river didn’t get murky.”

“But when trees are cut down, and the ground is compacted, rainwater can’t seep in—it flows directly into the river. Since the highways were built, we’ve seen two major floods, with water levels rising higher than ever before. While highways have certainly improved convenience for people, we need to think more about conserving the mountains. If we don’t, we might lose the ability to enjoy kayaking on these rivers. We need to act thoughtfully.”

During her kayaking lessons, Megumi explains to participants how the upper Tama River, maintained as a water source forest by the Tokyo Metropolitan Government, benefits from well-managed mountain conditions. After World War II, Okutama’s forests were replanted with cedar and cypress for timber. Even though the demand for wood has decreased, the trees are still thinned (the selective removal of trees, primarily undertaken to improve the growth rate or health of the remaining trees) and maintained, which helps keep the river’s water clear and pristine.

When asked what makes Okutama special, Megumi proudly shares the “Bird Karuta” card game she co-created with local creators. “As one of the bird specialists involved in the project explained to me, Okutama has moderately tall mountains and rivers, making it an ideal habitat for many of Japan’s native birds, plants, and animals. I grew up near Mount Fuji in Yamanashi, where the winters are freezing, but Okutama’s winters are much milder and more comfortable. Also, the Kanto region has a lot of sunny days, so it’s easy to enjoy the outdoors year-round. It’s a rare and special place where you can take a train, walk just a short distance from the station, and find yourself surrounded by rivers and mountains. You don’t find that combination anywhere else.”

Megumi Goto, Owner of Gravity Canoe School and Shiromaru Café, Canoe Instructor

Megumi was born in Yamanashi Prefecture and first experienced river kayaking in 1986, becoming fully immersed in the sport by 1990. She competed in the early days of freestyle kayaking, including the Ocoee River World Cup in the U.S., and placed 7th in the women’s division at the 1994 Pre-World Cup held at the Augsburg artificial course in Germany. After gaining experience at a canoe school in Nagatoro, Saitama prefecture she founded her own school, Gravity, in April 1997, located in Mount Mitake on the upper Tama River. She also runs Shiromaru Café, open every Tuesday and on full moon days.

About Okutama

Okutama is known as a hidden gem in the vicinity of Tokyo, which has a rich natural environment where traditional mountain village culture remains intact. Numerous traditional performing arts have been passed down through the generations, and there are many intangible folk cultural assets, such as the Kashima Odori dance, Shishimai (lion dance), and Kuruma Ningyo (puppet theater). Additionally, many people enjoy mountain climbing, camping, cycling, and fishing in the area.

Photography Seiji Kondo