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Nametsu Waterfall like a water slider, stopping by fresh soba festival

nametsu big waterfall2
nametsu big waterfall top
nametsu big waterfall top

Nametsu Otaki Waterfall is a two-tiered waterfall that covers a wide river width (30m), but the remarkable feature is the smooth surface of tuff under the waterfall.  So I intuitively thought it would be interesting if this was a water slider.  Another idea is to pour somen (noodle) from the top of waterfall and scoop it up at the bottom of waterfall.  It would be a fun for cool noodle !
Shichikashuku town wouldn’t adopt these ideas……..

shichigasyuku road soba festival
shichikashuku road soba festival

There are a lot of soba restaurants along Shichikashuku Highroad connected to Takahata town, Yamagata where Takahata winery is located.  In this season  we can eat fresh buckwheat noodles by grinding freshly picked soba with a stone mill.   Especially you can try some remarkable restaurants at the same time at cheap price during soba festival.

soba restaurant
soba reataurant

 

chourou lake3
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Historical Warehouses in Murata Town

warehouse2 murata
warehouse1 murata
warehouse1 murata

Once upon a time, safflower was a big trade product for lipsticks and dyes. Yamagata was famous as a production center, and the decoration of the cap of the Hanagasa Ondo (dance) is safflower.  However, the southern part of Miyagi Prefecture was also a safflower production area, and Murata Town became a trading center.  Then the merchant who made the fortune set up the warehouse.  Historical warehouses remain miraculously because the main railway and road  has passed another route.

kenkon-ichi murata
kenkon-ichi murata

One of these warehouses is now my favorite sake brewery.  It was a pity that the day I visited to buy something it was close.

 

 

 

Detour (Togatta Hot Spring overlooking Mt.Zao)

zao mountains
zao mountains from togatta hot spring

There are many really good hot springs around Mt.Zao, Togatta, Aone, Gaga, etc.  You can feel free to use the public bath to ease the fatigue of your trip.

aone hot spring
aone hot spring on the way to togatta

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Yokokawa Valley with calm and peaceful Chourou Lake was a true discovery !

chourou lake2
yokokawa valley and mt.fubou
yokokawa valley and mt.fubou

Ordinary people will go to Miyagi Zao Fox Village near here, but countryside lovers can’t pass Yokokawa Valley and Chourou Lake which are located on the foot of Mt.Zao.

The name of Zao comes from the fact that Zao Gongen, mountain religion,  was separated from the Kinpusenji Temple in Yoshino, Nara, where cherry blossoms bloom all over the mountain.  Before then, a part of the predecessor of this Zao name was called Mt. Fubousan, now which can be seen well from Yokokawa Valley and Chourou Lake.  It is a mountain that has appeared in Japanese classics, and it means a mountain that you never forget in literary.

The idyllic view of Chourou Lake and the view of Mt. Fubousan from the longest suspension bridge in Tohoku will be a memory you will never forget.

Gallery (click photos)

yokokawa valley suspension bridge
yokokawa valley and mt.fubou
yokokawa valley damm lake
chourou lake2
yokokawa valley jizo
chourou lake3

chourou lake3
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Take a walk from the top to the bottom of Akiu Otaki Big Waterfall

akiu big waterfall bottom
akiu big waterfall viewpoint
akiu big waterfall viewpoint

As you enter the temple next to the Botanical Garden, you will find a place overlooking the famous Akiu Otaki Big Waterfall.   Before that, there is something to write down.   There is a store selling various herbs at the entrance.  Among them was a tree of eye drops found in the real botanical picture book in the garden.  ‘Tree of eye drops’ is just the name of tree.  When the bark of the tree was boiled, it turned into a pink liquid, and drinking it helped with eye fatigue. I felt a bit bitter but healthy.

akiu big waterfall walking
akiu big waterfall walking

A trail extends to the bottom of the waterfall. The bottom of the waterfall was wider than I expected. I’ve come a long time ago, but at that time I had a narrower memory, but has it collapsed?
As the waterfall runs down east, if you try to take a picture, it will be backlight or strong shade  unless it is early in the morning.

 

chourou lake3
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Akiu Botanical Garden only where delicate waterfalls can be seen

akiu botanical garden
akiu real botanical picture book
akiu real botanical picture book

Although it is close to the border of Yamagata prefecture, I arrived in about 30 minutes from Sendai city due to the development of transportation.

The botanical gardens have wonderful flowers, fresh greenery and autumn leaves in each season(closed in winter), but in

sudare waterfall
sudare waterfall

addition there are two wonderful waterfalls that cannot be seen unless you enter here.  A typical tourist will return home after seeing Akiu Otaki Big fall near here, but let’s step on the fallen leaves and find your wonderful autumn here.

Gallery (click photos)

akiu botanical garden entrance
akiu botanical garden
sudare waterfall
akiu botanical garden
mizore waterfall
akiu botanical garden
akiu botanical garden
akiu botanical garden autumn leaves

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Craft Balloon Festival

akita-nairiku railway
craft balloon ignition
craft balloon ignition

During craft balloon festival people return from urban to reunite with family. Their wishes drawn on the balloons by themselves will come true with craft balloon lift-up.  People including  tourists participated releasing balloons.  It was a fantastic moment !

craft balloon releasing
craft balloon releasing

 

Many balloons stay in the night sky and eventually disappear into the mountains.
What will happen to the balloon blown away at last ?  “Maybe falling in the deep mountains”, local people said.
*) Caution
It was too cold not to stay venue long time.

balloons stay in the sky
balloons stay in the sky

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

rough sea
rough sea
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Construction of snow house

snow mountain
snow house
snow house

‘Snow house’ named as ‘KAMAKURA’ in Japanese is a famous play spot among children. They enjoy eating something and playing games in the house.  The water God is enshrined inside for wishing coming Spring to bring a lot of water to fields.
Even if not during festival period, we enjoyed a permanent  ‘snow house’ in a huge refrigerator.  Children inside surround fireplace and look warm, but never warm rather cold !

 

Just then, people were constructing snow houses here and there in YOKOTE city.   First making a snow circle mountain by hand, next making a side hole.

snow field
snow field

 

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Tug of War

snow life
tug of war
tug of war

To tell the truth,  we could not participate in the tug of war because of Craft Balloon festival held on the same night, so enjoyed tranquility in advance of fight in front of ropes enshrined in the center of town.

KARIWANO is a small town. The residence are divided into 2 groups at this event and fight.  Tourist participant is free but no guarantee of accident.

At the next time challenging the exciting match,  I would like to make a question, “How do you ensure equality on volume of participants between 2 groups?”

Japanese style hotel 'shouho-en'
Japanese style hotel ‘shouho-en’ near Kariwano

 

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Amekko Market

amekko-market
candy-selling
candy-selling

‘Amekko’, meaning candy in local pronunciation  language, helps us healthy to protect catching  a cold especially in winter season because licking candy makes your throat moist.
Furthermore in this market, all elements of products and culture in OHDATE city are found.

 

 

 

 

akita-inu(1)
akita-inu(1)

Akita dog(inu) is a friend of hunting and famous for ’Faithful dog HACHIKO’ statue on Sibuya scramble crossing waiting several years for his owner return.   OHDATE is focusing on breeding Akita dogs.  This was the first time to look at such a lot of Akita dogs on the parade in the festival !

craft work 'Magari-Wappa'
craft work ‘Magari-Wappa’

Long winter season made people trapped in deep snow produces ‘craft  work using Akita beautiful cedar’ , the effect of which is bactericidal and moisture proof for food.

The best detour

Huge dram, the radius of which is about 2 meter, could call thunder to make it rain wishing for a good harvest. That’s why a dram became huge.  You can enjoy the demonstration and self-playing all season except for summer festival.

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NAMAHAGE Festival

namahage drams
namahage parade
namahage parade

NAMAHAGE Festival held during 3 days is composed of Shintoism, ‘Drama where NAMAHAGEs visit your home’, ’’Ancient dram music’ and NAMAHAGE parade.  A lot of kinds of NAMAHAGE are found and they were told to come here from north foreign countries.
Coordination in advance of early check-in and early dinner in your hotel and transportation to reach the venue are strongly recommended for the best place to enjoy NAMAHAGE Festival.

namahage festival venue
namahage festival venue

’Drama where NAMAHAGE visiting your home’

This video is one scene of NAMAHAGE festival.  NAMAHAGE could visit your home to scold lazy children in winter season because they stay away from the fireplace. After scolding, Japanese SAKE is served as a sigh of gratitude.

’Ancient dram music performed by NAMAHAGEs’

Ancient dram music was played and performed in the heavy snow ! Except for in the winter season, you could enjoy these performance in the theater near hot-spring town. Take care of your place or positioning if you would like to record real performance in the festival.


rough sea
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