First, write your name in the climbing record book at the management office at the entrance to the mountain trail. It takes about 15 minutes to reach the ridgeline, so you just keep going up the mountain trail with no views until then.
ginsendai 1 entrance
ginsendai 2
Once you reach the ridgeline, there are a series of spectacular views. A brocade of autumn leaves spreads across the huge flat slope.
ginsendai 4
ginsendai 5 forcus
Don’t be satisfied here, let’s at least go to Daiichi Hanazono (First Flower Garden). It’s less than an hour from the parking lot. The view of the sea of trees below is amazing from here, and you’ll want to dive with your whole body.
ginsendai 6 left
ginsendai 7 center
ginsendai 8 right
ginsendai 10
ginsendai 11
ginsendai 12
ginsendai 13 left
ginsendai 14 right
A little further ahead is a rocky area where pikas live. It is a small animal of the lagomorph family that survived the Ice Age and physically resembles a mouse. Listen carefully and look in the direction of the sound. They move quickly, and the bottom of the rocky area is a passage for pikas, so you can see their faces from various angles. This is also cute. There is a regular photographer with a telephoto lens, so it’s a good idea to ask him/her about various things.
From the Amakusa Islands, Mount Unzen on the Shimabara Peninsula can be seen nearby, and many wild dolphins live here where the Ariake Sea exits into the East China Sea. In any case, as soon as we set out on our fishing boat, the dolphins started chasing us as if they were enjoying the competition. Several of them work together to blow the tide and pass under the bottom of the ship. It’s like a messenger of peace.
Although it is advertised as a sightseeing boat for viewing dolphins, the hull is essentially a fishing boat. The price includes lunch. I was wondering to myself what would happen if I ate it, got on board, and got seasick.
dolphin watching1 almost fisher boat
dolphin watching2
dolphin watching5
dolphin watching3
A detour
As you head north along the west coast of the island from Sakitsu Church, you will see “Myoken-ura”, a sea cliff shaped like an elephant, “Tits Rock”, which is difficult to take photos with women, and a lighthouse floating off the coast that looks like “the Statue of Liberty”. In Amakusa City, you can buy Amakusa pottery “Kohiki” that was introduced from Korea, and Gion Bridge, which is a stone bridge but has multiple girders lined up instead of arches, is a must-see.”
myokenura1
myokenura2 elephant
amakusa beach3 tits rock
amakusa beach4 statue of liberty
amakusa beach1
gionbashi1 amakusa
gionbashi3 the top
asanijigama2 gallery
Another detour
At the tip of the Misumi Peninsula, where the bridge to the Amakusa Islands crosses, there is a stone wharf called Misumi Nishi Port that remains from the Meiji period, and has been designated as a World Cultural Heritage Site. If you have time, it’s a place where you can relax.
The colonial policy hidden behind the sale of Christian missionary work and trade as a set terrified the Edo shogunate, and with the isolation of the country, Christians fell prey to the banning policy. Shortly after the establishment of the shogunate, there was a large-scale battle to suppress Christianity (the Shimabara Rebellion), and the victorious shogunate suffered heavy losses, and many Christian farmers in the region died or were dispersed. As a result, they were unable to harvest any crops at all. Even so, there were still many Christians remaining in Amakusa and Shimabara. It is said that 90% of the people in the town of Sakitsu were Christians, and since they all survived as they were, it seems that even if they were hidden Christians, it was an open secret.
sakitsu 15 suwa shrine hiding christians
sakitsu 13 fisherman’s workspace
sakitsu 13
The villagers who were accused of being Christians claimed to believe in a local deity inherited from their ancestors, while Shogunate officials, fearing a repeat of the Shimabara Rebellion that had endangered the Shogunate and the subsequent sharp decline in the agricultural population, denied the truth and did not disclose it publicly.
ohe-tenshudo
Perhaps it was wisdom that determined that the villagers had a “misunderstanding of the sect” (they did not believe in Christianity, but that he believed in the wrong religion without realizing it was a mistake) and did not certify them as Christians. I am impressed that there were officials with such good sense at that time. There are many churches in the Amakusa Islands. Many believers still maintain their faith.
Sakitsu downtown is a part of World Heritage “Hidden Christian Sites in the Nagasaki Region”, although not in the Nagasaki Region.
sakitsu 9 70% of population is hidden Christian
sakitsu 8 downtown
sakitsu church2
sakitsu church3
sakitsu church4
sakitsu church5 backside made of wood due to money short
sakitsu church6 altaar on the former place where to have hidden Christian step on a picture of Christ
sakitsu church7 Japanese style tatami inside
sakitsu 10 sweets shop
sakitsu 12 sweets
sakitsu 11 sweets
sakitsu 14
On the way to the Amakusa islands
Mt.Unzen on the way to Amakusa islands
You can reach the Amakusa Islands by crossing a number of beautiful bridges from the Misumi Peninsula. On the way, you can clearly see the Shimabara Peninsula and Mt. Unzen across the Ariake Sea. However, driving while looking away is prohibited.
go to amakusa islands1 yatsushiro sea
go to amakusa islands2
go to amakusa islands3
go to amakusa islands4
go to amakusa islands5
Cave hot spring inn Yurakutei (Yumigahama beach in Ohyano island)
Guests are welcomed by writing their names on the sake jar at the entrance of the inn. The owner has dug a cave by hand and you can enjoy hot springs inside it. Anyway, for dinner there will be more fish dishes caught in the Ariake Sea than you can finish.
Each arched stone bridge in Kumamoto prefecture exists in exquisite balance with the weight of the thousands of stones that make up it, and the shape is beautiful. It is said that there are approximately 320 existing stone bridges in Kumamoto, but why are there so many stone bridges in Kumamoto? Many factors seem to have contributed to this, including the presence of easy-to-work welded tuff formed by the Aso pyroclastic flow nearby, the presence of a technical group of masons, and the fact that people who learned Western techniques in Nagasaki moved there. There is also a story that the designer of stone bridge was even threatened with his life by other clans due to his high technical skills. This stone bridge is the result of a divine work. The steps involved creating an arch-shaped wooden frame according to the blueprint, fitting stones into it from above, and finally removing the wooden frame.
refer to kintai bridge
Around the same time, a huge wooden arch bridge was built in Iwakuni. This is Kintaikyo Bridge.
stone bridge tsujyunkyo1
stone bridge tsujyunkyo3 a little water
stone bridge tsujyunkyo behind “Anna and the Beast”
Anyway, the Midori River basin in southern Kumamoto Prefecture is full of stone bridges. Some are stone bridges for people to cross valleys, but many are also used to carry waterways to irrigate higher ground. A typical example is the Tsujun Bridge, but for some reason there is an object depicting “Beauty(Anna) and the Beast” in front of it. Let’s visit your favorite stone bridge. Depending on the time of day at Futamata bridge, light from the arch opening and light reflected on the river surface overlaps to form a heart shape.
stone bridge futamata
Furthermore, in order to distribute the precious water carried by stone bridges to the fields, it is necessary to distribute the water equally in proportion to the cultivated area. A mechanism for this purpose is a circular water diversion system, in which water rises from the center of the circle using a U-shaped pipe, spills into partitions set up along the circumference in proportion to the cultivated area, and is distributed in various directions. You can see places where this device is still in use today. You might read the same story at the travel note “Akita in winter”. Forthermore, there is one in the metropolitan area as well as in Mizonokuchi in Kawasaki City.
circular divertsion1 distributing water according to the rice field
circular diversion2 divided water flows above the river
A detour
Mizutama (Polka dots) cafe, a cafe tucked away on top of a mountain. A good place to relax and do nothing. Aso can also be seen in the distance.
polka dots cafe2
polka dots cafe3
polka dots cafe4
polka dots cafe in yamato
polka dots cafe5 lunch
polka dots cafe6 lunch
polka dots cafe7 cheese cake
polka dots cafe8 aso
polka dots cafe10
It’s difficult to get here. Don’t overlook the small landmarks at junctions on narrow roads. It seems that reservations are now required recently.
Another detour
Yuen railway octagon tunnel
At first glance it looks like an octagonal tunnel, but numerous so-called nut-like shapes are lined up along the cliff. Although it is the remains of a former railroad (Yuen railway), it seems to be a preventative measure against landslides. There seems to be a demonic realm ahead, but at the end of the tunnel is a tranquil landscape.
takachiho gorge changing directions of columnar joints
The last major eruption of Mt. Aso 90,000 years ago was so large that volcanic ash fell over the entire Japanese archipelago. That is why Aso still remains a beautiful caldera topography on that scale. Pyroclastic flows covered the ground near Mt. Aso, and columnar joints created by the contraction of rocks due to the heat can be seen everywhere. Takachiho Gorge, which is surprisingly close to Aso, has columnar joints that spread throughout the valley, and it is thought that it has been connected to mythology because it is a structure that does not seem to belong to this world.
takachiho canyon1 columnar joints
takachiho canyon2 3bridges
takachiho canyon3
takachiho canyon5 manai wate fall
When Japan was about to enter high economic growth, Takachiho Gorge, like the Nichinan Coast of Miyazaki Prefecture, was famous as a honeymoon destination. Here I would like to talk about the place named Takachiho, which has been a question for some time. Takachiho, as the Japanese character suggests, refers to rice cultivation in the highlands, but according to Japan’s oldest history book, the Kojiki, it also means the place where the gods descended to earth. This is the so-called “the descent to earth of the grandson of the sun goddess.” However, it seems that the question of whether the god descended first, Takachiho Gorge near Aso or Takachiho-mine (peak of mountain) in the Kirishima volcanic belt, is still unresolved. It’s originally a myth, so I guess it’s not one or the other. It’s just like Yamataikoku is undecided whether it’s Kinki or Kyushu (but the existance of this old imperial court is a historical fact). In any case, the magnificent scenery of nature will make you feel the presence of God. It may be the work of an old travel agency to attract tourists to Miyazaki Prefecture, which has inconvenient transportation (sorry).
However, as a real tourist destination, the sounds of rowing boats sailing through Takachiho Gorge and their collisions echoing within the canyon, which may be the voice of God grumbling. I wonder why young couples jump on rowboats right away. I am tempted to say that they should be satisfied with sailing at Chidorigafuchi or Shakujii Park in Tokyo.
Ama no Iwato Shrine: Riverbed of Ama no Yasukawara
ama no iwato shrine entrance
A famous myth that the older sister’s god (God of the Sun), angry at her younger brother’s violent behavior, closed the rock door and shut herself in a cave, causing the world to become pitch black, and the gods gathered together to deliberate in order to open the rock door. However, there is Ama no Iwato Shrine at the location of this rock door (you must apply for a prayer to see the rock door in front of you.), and Ama no Yasukawara Cave (this is free.) is located at the place where the council held the meeting. It’s natural that the authenticity is questionable, but first of all, even in the world of gods, the younger brother should apologize to the older sister, and the gods are the ones who cannot resolve such matters without deliberating. Furthermore, Takachiho is supposed to be the place where this sister’s grandchild landed on earth for the first time among the gods, but isn’t it strange that the rock door exists in this world?
amanoyasugawara1 meeting cave
amanoyasugawara3
amanoyasugawara4
amanoyasugawara5 salamander
When I was thinking about this, I couldn’t concentrate on sightseeing at all, and all I remember was the appearance of human faces on the surface of the trees on the left and right as I headed towards Ama no Iwato Shrine.
When traveling to enjoy the scenery, the weather is crucial. The scenery shines with the reflection of light, and the wind with just the right amount of humidity makes you feel refreshed. The sun is great! But this time, it’s the complete opposite. The rain was pouring down so hard that I couldn’t even step out of the car in Kusasenri, so I turned on the heater inside the car max to stay warm.
aso shelter
Still, the eruption alert level for Mt. Aso is at its lowest level, so this is a great opportunity to get up close. As we braved the wind and rain, a shelter covered with thick concrete suddenly appeared in front of us. I am reminded of the recent incident on Mt. Ontake in Kiso where climbers were caught in volcanic bombs. Then, for a moment, an emerald blue volcanic lake could be seen through the gap between the clouds and volcanic smoke. The weather was terrible, but it was an unforgettable sight, even though it was only for a short time.
aso crater2
aso crater1
aso crater3
After lunch at an herb farm* in Minami-oguni town, I went to Daikanbo, which has an observation deck for Aso mountain range, without high expectations. Although the clouds were not clear, I could see the Aso mountain range, which has been compared to the reclining statue of Buddha, and the somma with deep valleys surrounding it. It’s not all that the weather is bad. It seemed like a ray of light was shining.
aso statute of nirvana left
aso statute of nirvana right
aso somma2 water vapor
aso somma4 burnt remains
aso somma1
aso somma3
Detour (an herb farm* in Minami-oguni town)
wind forest 2 café
wind forest 1
wind forest 3
wind forest 4 lunch plate
wind forest 5
wind forest 6 dessert
wind forest 7 terrace
Overnight at Kurokawa Onsen ”Sanga”
The garden is well-maintained while retaining the atmosphere of deep in the mountain, but I was surprised to learn that it was all planted by hand. I fell in love with the richness of the ingredients and the delicious taste, and now I stay here regularly. It seems that all the accommodations in Kurokawa Onsen are wonderful, but I hope that the regular accommodations do not suffer from the negative effects of overtourism.
Arrive into Chichibu city early, visit Chichibu Shrine (be sure to check out the carvings and the parents’ warning signboard), and select the Chichibu meisen (silk fabric with an innovative design that was popular during the Taisho era). Let’s simulate nighttime behavior. If you don’t decide on your route back to the inn and the final time in advance, you won’t really be able to return the inn.
chichibu shrine1
chichibu shrine2
chichibu shrine3
chichibu shrine4
chichibu shrine5 chained dragon
chichibu shrine6 three monkeys with opposit action against those at Nikko-Toshogu
chichibu shrine8 lever
chichibu shrine7 knowledge of parents
“Kledge of paents”
>Don’t leave your skin unattended to babies
>Don’t leave your hands unattended to young children
>Don’t leave your eyes off your child
>Don’t leave your mind from young people
fes1
fes2
fes7 paris collection
fes8
fes9 waitig for kabuki
fes10 kabuki
fes11 kabuki wisteria daughter
fes12 old street of wholesaler
fes13 chichibu meisen
fes14
The operation plan for all the festival cars is open, just like a railway schedule, so you don’t have to worry about when and where they will change direction, where they will stop and stay, and when and where the children’s kabuki on the festival cars will be done. If you want to see the festival cars with fireworks in the background in the middle of the night, be sure to read the schedule.
operation plan of festival cars
chichibu festival cars road map
A festival car does not have a steering wheel like a car, so it can only move in a straight line. How do it change direction at crossroads? There will be no forceful change of direction like one at the Kyoto Gion Festival does. The method is to use a lever to raise it, attach a rotating shaft underneath it, and then change direction. The work before and after rotation is a bit tedious. On the other hand, when pulling straight, it is much rougher than the Kyoto.
fes3
fes4 lever
fes5 lever
fes6 lever for turn
In the middle of the night, as festival cars cross the railroad crossing befor going up Dango sloop, the railroad overhead wires are cut off for about two hours. How bold!
preparation to remove overhead wire
dango sloop beyond the railway crossing
fes17 toward dango sloop
At the end, as all the festival cars line up at the Otabisho, the fireworks go off directly overhead, and you’ll be more overwhelmed by the huge sound than the gaiety of festival cars decorated with lights. However, please note that seats inside the Otabisho are reserved in advance, and the fireworks are going off behind your head.
fes16
fes18
fes19 square of city hole and goal
There is only one free place in Chichibu Park where you can watch the festival cars panting up Dango sloop and the fireworks in the back, and you might feel scared of crowd like sad accident at Soul during Halloween week. If fireworks are important to you, give up on Otabisho, but anywhere along National Route 140 is the best place because you can see clearly and it’s right next to the launch site.
Steam locomotives run on holidays and special days
Hei-rin-ji Temple was named after the flat (“Hei” in Japanese) forest (“rin” in Japanese). Friendly and easy to understand. The entire vast precinct is colored with autumn leaves, and there is a walking path within the precinct. If you go to the back, there are places where the leaves have not turned autumn yet, so you can enjoy the gradation. But anyway, it’s hard to take a detour. You have to take a bus from Hibarigaoka station on the Seibu Ikebukuro Line.
heirinji temple walking map
heirin temple15 promnard of backyard
heirin temple1
heirin temple2
heirin temple3
heirin temple4
heirin temple5
heirin temple7
heirin temple8
heirin temple9
heirin temple10
heirin temple12
heirin temple13
heirin temple14
heirin temple17
heirin temple16
heirin temple18
heirin temple20
heirin temple19
heirin temple22
heirin temple21
heirin temple23
Hibarigaoka is a famous place that was developed as a mammoth housing complex to meet the demand for new families to live during the time when Japan’s population increased explosively due to the baby boom. The housing complex is on the opposite side of the station from Heirinji Temple, but renovations have progressed and some of the former housing complexes are now being used as shops, one of which is a café that serves giant pancakes. It’s baked after you order it, so please look forward to it.
Chichibu is a place where you can see that the ocean floor strata have sunk beneath the Japanese archipelago due to the mantle, and have come to the surface. The limestone from Mt. Buko, which is still being scraped away, was a concrete material that supported Japan’s period of high economic growth, but it originally came from coral reefs in the Pacific Ocean.
nagatoro rock tatamilegs holding on crystalline schist
Nagatoro’s rock tatami is made of crystalline schist, which forms thin horizontal cracks (like puff pastry) when the pressure on the rock that was buried deep underground is released.
nagatoro3 left
nagatoro4 right
nagatoro6 left
nagatoro7 right
nagatoro9
nagatoro8
nagatoro5 rever rafting
“Tsukinoishi Momiji Park” is literally translated in English to “moon stone and maple park.” “Moon stone! ” Does this indecates the first one collected by Apollo and exhibited at the Osaka Expo 1970 ? That’s what you could think. It’s confusing because it’s said to have been named after the phrase “moon stone” that appears in a haiku written by a Meiji haiku poet. Maple trees grow in clusters on the west bank of the Arakawa River that runs through Chichibu, so when you come up from the river, you can see the red leaves of the maple trees shining in the clear setting sun.
When you get off at Agano Station, you will see the station plaza, which is not very popular for sightseeing. Following a group of energetic elderly people who have finished their warm-up exercise in front of the station, we follow the group up and down the narrow cliff-top path and mountain path along the railroad tracks until we arrive at the entrance to Togo Park.
seibu railway agano station
seibu railway walk along rail1
seibu railway walk along rail2
chichibu mitake shrine entrance
chichibu mitake shrine3 black cat
chichibu mitake shrine2 cosmos
togo park2
Chichibu Mitake Shrine and Togo Park coexist there. A little further up, you will see a blanket of bright autumn leaves surrounding the bronze statue of Marshal Togo. From there, the autumn leaves continue all the way to the mountain.
togo park1
Along the way, the actual deck of the battleship Mikasa, which was the flagship during the Russo-Japanese War, is on display, with many holes punched by cannonballs. This is also the shrine that deified Mr. Togo Heihachiro, who defeated the Russian fleet.
togo park4 deck of battleship Mikasa in Japan-Russia war
At the top of the stone steps, you will reach the main hall of the shrine, but it can be flinching to climb up such a steep slope. You can enjoy the autumn leaves without even climbing. I have never seen a mountain so bright red during the autumn leaves.
togo park6
togo park5
togo park7 long stairs
togo park8 chichibu mitake shrine
togo park8 view
togo park9
togo park10
togo park11
By the way, there are many names of places near the mountains of Saitama Prefecture that are reminiscent of Korea. It is said to have originated during the Nara period in Japan, when people who fled from Goguryeo, which had been destroyed by the Tang Dynasty, were given a place to settle from the goverment. This kind of history is not learned in Japanese history. There has been a lot of exchange with the mainland since ancient times.
(*)There is a road that goes into the mountain along the railway from the Agano mining site. Believe in yourself and move on.
Goal to Chichibu (detail of Soba restaurant “Nagomi”)
The only way to get to Nagomi is to walk 20 minutes along a mountain path from Bushu Hino Station on the Chichibu Railway. However, it is a soba restaurant that is worth the walk. The restaurant serves only 50 meals a day, and for the first meal, the owner gets to sample the finished product. On the way, I don’t think I’m the only one who gets surprised when someone calls out to me, “It’s dangerous,” when I cross an unmanned railroad crossing. Who is that voice?
