Countryside Rollercoaster Ride

Tim and I were privileged to stay at Aya’s house in Nishikatsura, a small town in the Yamanashi Prefecture. Aya is a staff member and a good friend from the camp we just attended to a few weeks back. Nishikatsura is situated at the foot of Mount Fuji with a population of more or less five thousand, if I am not mistaken. The town is quite small and everyone sort of knows each other. I wonder...