Shirakaba Highland, a traditional Japanese resort

shirakaba highlands (2) center shirakaba lake

What conditions make it feel like a resort?     It is important not only to have a good view, but also to have a painterly color and a quiet atmosphere.

 

Perhaps it’s because the white birch (Shirakaba in Japanese) forest looks completely white and gives off a feeling that can’t exist in the ordinary world.    So why are pure white birch forest areas created?   This is because seeds in the soil stay dormant until the conditions are right, and when a forest fire or landslide leaves a ruin, they all switch to germinate all at once in order to suppress other plants and monopolize the area where they can grow as quickly as possible.   That’s why there’s a white forest all around, so it’s beautiful.    However, the lifespan of a tree is about 70 years, so the expression “beautiful and short-lived” can also be applied to these trees.

Lake Shirakaba View Point

Although it looks like a picturesque scene, Lake Shirakaba in the center of photos is actually an artificial lake.   There is a restaurant called Asahigaoka on this lakeside that serves very delicious soba noodles.    It’s more like a private house than a storefront.    You can also eat rainbow trout caught in Lake Shirakaba.    This is real, not artificial, indeed.

Detour (Goddess View Point on the way of Venus-Line)

Detour (Going down to Lake Tateshina on the way of Venus-Line)

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The most densely populated area, foothills of Yatsugatake

chino hightland1 cabbage field and yatsugatake

This was during the Jomon period.    To begin with, the Suwa region is where the Japanese archipelago was split in two after it was torn apart from Asia due to tectonic plate movement.   It is said that 5,000 years ago during the middle Jomon period, it had the highest population density in Japan.    The reason for this is said that people have fled as sea levels have risen due to global warming, people have fled ash fall from a major eruption in Kyushu, and people have come looking for obsidian to use as arrowheads and knives.   The Jomon period had a strong image of being primarily about hunting, but recent research shows that there was a lot of farming involved.

hacchi clay figurine2 national tresure
go to Hachinohe clay ( national tresure)

Chino also has two of the five national treasure clay figurines.   Pregnant Jomon Venus, masked goddess (above).    Their shape probably have a meaning from the Jomon period, but their deformation is amazing even as modern art.    I also like the clay figures with palms together of Hachinohe.

 

The current foothills of Mt. Yatsugatake are cool throughout the year, sometimes causing rice harvest failures.    The water is warmed by a reservoir, and the crops are protected by a windbreak forest of red pines.   The cabbage fields, buckwheat fields, and windbreak forest with Yatsugatake in the background are the best photo spots.

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Moss Forest, a gathering place for people who love the world of Ghibli

shirakoma forest21
shirakoma forest3 moss
shirakoma forest3 moss

As soon as you step inside, you will be greeted by a ”moss forest” that covers everything from the ground to the roots of the primeval forest.    This scenery has been used in various TV commercials, so you may have seen it somewhere at least once.    It is said that 485 types of moss live there, so I went in with a magnifying glass, but I couldn’t really observe each one individually.

shirakoma forest6 huge rocks
shirakoma forest6 huge rocks

Anyway, as I climbed up to the Takami-ishi Hut enjoying the scenery I had never seen before, I suddenly saw a mountain piled up with large rocks that looked like they had been piled up by giants.     If you drop something into a crevice between rocks, you will never be able to get it out, so be careful when climbing.    When you reach the top of the rocky mountain, you can see the round Shirakoma Pond floating just below, and beyond that you can see a vast panoramic view of the Saku and Karuizawa basins, and even Mt. Asama with its volcanic smoke behind them.

 

We crawled down the rocky mountain, passed the mirror-like shores of Shirakoma Pond, and returned to the parking lot through ”Mononoke Forest”, which is also reminiscent of the world of Ghibli.    It’s a different world for three hours above the clouds, but it’s a beauty that no amount of words can express.

The largest lake above the clouds, “Shirakoma Pond”

Detour (View Point)

Midway through the winding descent on the way back, at a point where my fellow passengers were beginning to feel uncomfortable, we came to the Hinata-Koba Observation Deck.     A resting place, not a detour.   You can see the Yatsugatake Mountains to the east, the Southern Alps and Kiso Mountains to the south, the Northern Alps to the west, and Mt. Tateshina at the northern tip of Yatsugatake.    I have never seen so many mountains in Japan in one direction.    The weather was so nice that day that I could see the summit of Mt. Yarigatake and was very impressed.

 

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Ordinary tourists don’t go to Yokoya Ravine

yokoya ravine11 upper fall

Chino people cultivates the highlands at the foot of Yatsugatake mountains for farming, but the valleys are deep and it is difficult to get water on the highlands.    This Yokoya Ravine is one of those deep valleys.    On the other hands, during the season of autumn leaves, it is beautiful to look up from inside the valley, and from the high ground you can see the Central Alps beyond the carpet of autumn leaves.

yokoya ravine1 otome fall
yokoya ravine1 otome fall

From the Fairy Tale Road, take the side road to Yokoya Hotspring Hotel and first go down to Otome Falls.    However, this is an artificial waterfall.    They simply drop water by forming part of a waterway on a plateau where water is not available due to deep valleys.    I ended up taking many pictures thinking it was a completely natural waterfall.   Afterwards, we continued on the promenade for about an hour along the valley to the Ohtaki(King, directly translated) Falls, one of the highlights and the shape likes a crown, although we felt a bit uneasy along the way not meeting anybody.

Oshidori-Kakushi(Pair birds hidden, directly translated) Falls, another highlight located upstream, can be approached from the only opposite bank, so it is efficient to descend to Yokoya Ravine after seeing Mishakaike on Yumichi Street.    It is a dynamic waterfall with a large amount of water.

 You can also see this valley from the top of the hill, then return to the Fairy Tale Road and enter the side road that leads to the Yokoya Kannon view point deck.   After walking for about 30 minutes along a scenic promenade from the parking lot, you will arrive at the deck covered in autumn leaves.    From here you can see Ohtaki fall from above.    Furthermore, when I crossed the villa area on my way back to the Fairy Tale Road from Yumichi Street, I came across a family of deers many times.    We cannot tell you where it is, but if you see one, please pass by quietly so as not to startle it.

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Feel like you are a painter too, Mishaka pond

misyaka pond (4)

The pond that served as a motif in the painting “Green Echo” by Japanese artist Kaii Higashiyama.

  (source: https://www.higashiyama-kaii.or.jp/)

Karamatsu pine trees change color with the seasons, and the tranquil surface of the water reflects them.    It’s a very famous sight that everyone has seen it somewhere at least once, but when you go to the real site you will find out that it is actually an agricultural reservoir.    Since the area is so cold that agar can form, there is a pond to warm up the water for agriculture.

Even when you go out first thing in the morning, photographers with super expensive telephoto lenses line up and take up space.    That may not be interesting, but it’s definitely a sight you should see at least once.

Photography locations are limited to the west side of the pond, and in the afternoon the surface of the pond reflects light, making it unsuitable for photography.   The best time to take photos is in the morning, because the pine forest on the east side of the pond acts as a light shield and prevents the early morning sunlight from directly reaching the water surface, making the water surface look like a mirror.

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Thoroughly explore Suwa Shrine

suwa shrine kamisyahongu5 front entrance

Naturally, travelers planning to visit Suwa will have researched the Onbashira Festival, which is held once every seven years, in advance, so I will omit any details about it.

suwa shrine kamisyahongu8 haiden
suwa shrine kamisyahongu8 haiden

Shrines with a long history or, more directly saying, with the enough funds, are rebuilt in different near locations every 20 years.    Some people think of this as the rebirth of life, but I think it’s an exquisite way of thinking from the perspective of passing down techniques and connecting people in carrying out festivals.    With the same idea of ​​rebirth of life, you can think of Suwa Shrine as having the pillars at the four corners surrounding the shrine replaced every seven years, but without changing the location.    Some people think of these pillars as a barrier that marks the boundary between the divine world and the human world.    Furthermore, there are four Suwa shrines with the same name in this area, and Lake Suwa is in the middle of these four shrines.

Let me mention here that there are shrines with the same name in various places.    Shinto shrines are translated into English as one word ‘shrines’, but in Japanese they are roughly divided into several groups based on their relationship with the imperial family, those with special pedigree such as historical figures, the centers of local beliefs, and etc.  The Japanese names of ‘shrines’ also change depending on the relationship, for example, ’Jingu’ like Ise Jingu shrine, ‘Gu’ like Kitano Tenman-gu shrine, ‘Taisha’ like Suwa shrine.    They are further divided into several groups depending on the purpose they are enshrined.    For example, there are about 30,000 ‘Inari’ shrines for  agriculture or business, about 40,000 ‘Hachiman’ shrines for military luck (The head of it is Usa Shrine.), about 12,000 ‘Tenjin’ shrines for academics, and about 25,000 ‘Suwa’ shrines for agricultural irrigation.    This is why the same name ‘Suwa Shrine’ is also located in Nagasaki, for example,  which is not only Suwa.   Four Suwa Shrines in Suwa region are the head of the group.

Suwa Shrine Kamisha-Maemiya (Chino city)

Suwa Shrine Kamisha-Hongu (Chino city)

Suwa Shrine Shimosha-Harumiya (Shimo-suwa town)

Suwa Shrine Shimosha-Akimiya (Shimo-suwa town)

express kaiji at chino
express kaiji at chino

Although you will not receive any blessings if you do not visit all four Suwa shrines, you can visit them all in one day.    You can get off the JR train at Chino Station and rent a bicycle to visit Kamisha-Maemiya and Kamisha-Hongu, then move to Shimo-Suwa Station and rent a bicycle or walk around Shimosha-Harumiya and Shimosha-Akimiya.

miya river1
miya river1

The two Shimosha shrines are similar in structure, so if you don’t have time, you can lie and say you visited both shrines even if you only visit one.    Only God knows!   If I was really short on time and had to choose one of the four shrines, I would choose the most rustic Kamisha-Maemiya.    There is another reason to chose it, Matsuki Agar Industry is right in front of it.    Being an agar-producing area means that there are harsh winds in the winter, but the factory here lets you try plenty of samples, and you can get  agar at a cheap price.

suwa shrine kamisyamaemiya6 yatsugatake from shirine
suwa shrine kamisyamaemiya6 yatsugatake from shirine
agar factory direct sales store at chino
agar factory direct sales store at chino

You can make delicious milk agar at home using just canned pineapple, granulated sugar, and milk.   First, soak one stick of agar in 300ml of water, heat until it dissolves, add half of the canned syrup and 3 tablespoons of granulated sugar, heat further, turn off the heat, and slowly pour in 500ml of milk.    Sprinkle finely chopped canned pineapple in a container, add melted milk agar, and serve.

The Onbashira Festival is a series of events in which a pillar of a fir tree weighing 10 tons is cut down from the mountain, dragged by hand on the road, descended down a steep slope with many people straddling on the pillar, and finally placed at the four corners of the shrine.     Therefore, if you don’t come across it once every seven years, you can find it on a dragged road (Onbashira road, especially the sharp curve in front of the Tamagawa post office), on a steep slope (Kiotoshizaka, near Toda Sake Brewery of Chino, Daiya-Kiku) or on the flat side of the dragged pillar in shrines.     You can think about the grandeur of the festival by looking at them.    There is also a demonstration at Onbashira-kan near Suwa Shrine Shimosha-Harumiya where you can ride a pillar and feel going down a steep slope, so be sure to try it out.

Onbashira Festival               (source: suwataisha.or.jp)

suwa shrine simosyaakimiya1 wash your hands at hot spring
suwa shrine simosyaakimiya1 wash your hands at hot spring

Also, at the entrance of the shrine there is a place to wash your hands to purify yourself, but I was surprised to find out that the water at Suwa Shrine is hot spring water.

Detour 1 (Ghibli World near Shimosha-Harumiya )

Manji’s stone Buddha statue reminds you of the robot soldiers in the world of  Ghibli, “Laputa: Castle in the Sky”.    There is a legend that when trying to put a chisel into that stone while making the torii gate of Shimosha-Harumiya, blood spilled out.    So the stonemason used that stone to carve a stone Buddha.

Detour2 (Real hot spring)

The old road from Shimosha-Harumiya to Shimosha-Akimiya remains.    Spring water is everywhere, and most of it is hot spring water.    There is a public bath called ‘Tanga no Yu’ with hot water being poured of 52 degrees. The hot springs are colorless and transparent, but once you dip one foot in, you’ll be hesitant about putting the other foot in.     It’s more than just a good bath, it’s a test of patience.    When I came out, I felt the woman at the reception desk look at me, as if to say, oh, you’re already here, you’re early.    Someone please look back.   By the way, one person who appeared to be a local was soaked up to his shoulders!  Brave !

Detour3

There are various places to view Lake Suwa in its entirety, but if you are driving, the best option is to go up the narrow road that leads to the back door of Suwa Lake Service Area building (used mainly by employees) without entering the expressway.    You can take fine photos with the sun behind you.

Takashima Castle is located on the eastern shore of Lake Suwa, and the cherry blossoms surrounding the moat are spectacular in spring.    There is a record that it once faced Lake Suwa, but the special feature is that the roof tiles were broken due to the cold climate, so at that time the roof was changed to shingled roof.   The famous historical building with shingled roof is Ginkakuji Temple in Kyoto.

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