2020 | Japanese Countryside Travel Notes

2020-07-032020-07-03

Geto Hot Spring is even unexplored area even in the countryside

If you compare the ranking of hot springs to sumo wrestling, this is said to be Yokozuna (Grand Champion) in the east. There are many original hot springs along the blue-white river, and fresh hot springs spring from the bottom of the wild bathtub. The hot springs are said to deteriorate from the moment they come into contact with the air, so it’s ideal because they come directly to the bathtub without touching the air. On the other hand, however, some hot springs are ridiculously hot, so be careful not to burn yourself. Another point to note is that you have to go down to the riverbed every time you want to enter any hot spring, so you will be exhausted to enter the hot spring. It may be because this is Yokozuna !

Hot spring cabin is dismantled before every winter so as not to be crushed by deep snow. Thank you for their hard work and enjoy the hot springs.

2020-07-022020-09-05

Motsuji-Temple, World Heritage, and Yoshitsune self-harm land overlooking the Kitakami River where basho wrote famous haiku

‘The Summer grasses / Of brave soldier’s dreams / The aftermath’

by Basho

Basho traveled to Tohoku district during the Edo period and left many famous haiku poems. One of them is the battlefield of the distant past. The view of the flowing Kitakami River where Basho wrote this haiku was impressed and too sad because this was just the place where Yoshitsune harmed himself being surrounded by his brother’s army and where the glory of Hiraizumi began to collapse. Almost the same fate as the one of Emishi was repeated.

Stories of Aterui and Yoshitsune in another post >read more

Motsuji Temple, World Heritage

It was said that Hiraizumi had the same scale and brilliance as the capital of Kyoto during its Golden Age. Being far from the political center brought peace and prosperity to Hiraizumi. The garden in Motsuji Temple has been restored and remind us of Uji-Byodoin Temple in Kyoto.

Gallery (click photos)

motsuji temple hagi

motsuji temple pond

motsuji temple garden

motsuji temple dragonfly

2020-06-302020-09-05

Chusonji Temple, World Heritage, where the highlights are connected by a too long slope, and finally arrive at the Golden Hall after getting tired

‘Eary summer rains / Fall not here / Temple of light’

by Basho

cyusonji temple basho — chusonji temple basho

Basho traveled to Tohoku district during the Edo period and left many famous haiku poems. One of them is the Chusonji Temple, especially the golden hall. The hall was shining with a dazzling light, which seemed to have prevented the rain. It may have something to do with the discovery in Tohoku as a result of exploring the whole country because a large amount of gold was needed to manufacture the Great Buddha of Todaiji Temple in the Nara era.

You can’t reach the golden hall unless you climb a fairly long slope. There are many highlights, so let’s save your physical strength. One of highlights I thought was the backpack ‘oi’ Benkei used when he came back to Hiraizumi to accompany his master Yoshitsune and escaped from the army of Yoshitsune’s brother Minamoto no Yoritomo. I was surprised that there was something like this. It was made of wood with ‘Kamakura’ carving. How ironic it is that the name of carving method came from the capital name where Yoritomo put the political center.

Here around Chusonji Temple is strategic region that have been important since ancient times. It was the forefront base when the Yamato Imperial Court was trying to expand its power to the north in Heian period, and it was also the forefront of Emishi defense. The captured leader of Emishi, Aterui, was killed in Kyoto, almost the same as the fate of Yoshitsune. You can look down on Japan’s oldest ancient battlefield from the place you climbed up, but the only trace is the lush river. Against this background, another Basho haiku has been created.

cyusonji temple big trees — chusonji temple big trees

2020-06-272020-09-05

Geibikei Canyon, Boat excursion that invites us to ‘Another World isolated’. Fun at the end !

The Kitakami Mountains have been land for a long time since the Japanese Islands were torn off from Russia by the plate movement. They are older than the volcanic belt that runs through the Japanese archipelago. Therefore, Geibikei was exposed to long erosion and a deep canyon was completed.

Until Edo period the villagers did not list the canyon on the map, fearing that many officials would visit it for sightseeing. Recently, tourism development was carried out as a boat excursion. Autumn leaves and snow boat excursions are also good, but the excursions in the calm atmosphere of the fresh green were exceptional.
In the canyon surrounded by cliffs, I could hear only the voices of birds other than the sound of the water flowing by pointing the river bottom with a rod, and the song of the boatman quietly soaked into the canyon.

Gallery (click photos)

geibikei entrance

geibikei approach to the end

geibikei named from nose

geibikei senryutan

geibikei stones

geibikei throwqing stones for lucky

geibikei boat

geibikei bird

geibikei boatman

Fun at the end !

At the turning point of excursion, once get off the boat and enjoy the spectacular view for a while. At the end of walk, throw a stone toward the hole in the cliff and wish yourself good luck, or just try your own pitching control. The things written on the stone that became a strike will be fulfilled, so it is necessary to check the things before throwing !

2020-06-252020-06-27

Shinjoh Festival (Registered as a UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage)

This festival is held for 3 days in the end of August. Each neighborhood association(small town) competes for floats composed of the festival car decorated* by a lot of arts(dolls) based on classical subject and the following musical accompaniment. The decoration is like ‘Nebuta’ in Aomori.

*)Due to festival cars decorated only one side (left side in the direction of parade), pay attention to the trends of the locals so that you do not fail to pick up space(side) for seeing the festival parade.

2020-06-252020-06-27

Totoro Tree

No matter how you look at it, it looks like a Totoro tree ！

In fact, a cedar tree is divided into two at the base, which is only visible to Totoro’s ears at a distance. Even so, the shape is really good.

There is an observation deck with a parking lot nearby, but let’s walk around the Totoro tree through the thickets.

*)On the way I often worried about whether I could reach my destination or not in the real countryside.
By the way, Sakekawa village is famous for various mushroom cultivation. I learned later looking at the production area display at the supermarket in the neighborhood.

2020-06-252020-06-27

Going down the Mogami River by boat

‘Gathering early summer rains / Even more rapid / The Mogami River’
by Basho

Basho traveled to Tohoku district during the Edo period and left many famous haiku poems. One of them is the Mogami River.

The seasons were different, but the flow was not as intense as I expected.
Time seems to have stopped and the area is quiet. I can only hear the sound of pointing the boat’s rod to the river. A stream of water falls from the cliff and the boat song of the boatman is sucked into the mountains. On the way you can see the ruins of Oshin’s outdoor studio. I fell asleep on the way.

The following is a boat landing. One-way, two-way, etc. you can chose according to your schedule.

2020-06-252020-06-27

Ginzan Hot Spring too famous

In the Edo period, silver production in Japan was about one-third of the world and the representative ‘ Iwami Ginzan(Silver mountains)* ‘ became World Heritage. ‘Ginzan Hot Spring ‘ has the same story adding hot spring and the downtown is said to be retro-modern and is visited by many foreign tourists like Kyoto.

But the best way to spend time was to take a public bath in the entrance of the village designed by Mr.Kuma Kengo, architect who designed the main stadium Tokyo2020 after visiting mine ruins at the end of village (small walk).

*)Ginzan and Ginza(silver guild or place)
Since the foundry of silver coins was placed in Tokyo during the Edo period, Ginza has developed into a high-class shopping district and any central shopping districts of even small towns in Japan have been named as the same Ginza district.

2020-06-252020-06-27

Big Zelkova Tree (1500 years old) in Higashine

Higashine city is famous of cherry producer and even the station name has the name of cherry like ‘Cherry Higashine’. But ‘Big Zelkova Tree'(Keyaki) is far more famous since ancient times. The sacred tree quietly stands in the lively voice of elementary school students.

Yamagata was a place to ship rice to the Edo Shogunate by Kitamae ship being collected through Mogami River, so rice production was also popular. You can still see many beautiful rice fields. I like branded rice, ‘Tsuya-Hime'(Shiny princess).

2020-06-252020-09-21

Soba is cool in the throat

Soba, a thin noodle made of buckwheat flour, is eaten or the scent enjoyed all over Japan and had become a subject of classical literary arts, especially rakugo.
Yamagata was a place to ship rice to the Edo Shogunate by Kitamae ship, so rice production was popular. Soba has historically been offered as thank-you after the rice farming work that many neighbors helped, and its taste was a showcase for the farmers. That is why soba became famous in Yamagata prefecture.
Soba fields spread along the Oishi Kaido(highroad) in the countryside, and many soba restaurants are concentrated in it. In August, the fields are filled with small white flowers, and in the fall you can enjoy the fragrant new soba.

Gallery (click photos)

soba highroad left

soba highroad right

soba menu left

soba menu right

The restaurant ‘Heikichi’ I found in the countryside by chance is the following.
The place name is “Jinego”, literary ‘next year’s children’ in Japanese characters, because it was too snowy to register the birth at the government office only next year.

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Motsuji Temple, World Heritage

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Fun at the end !

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