autumn leaves | Japanese Countryside Travel Notes

2023-11-032023-11-03

Onikobe in late autumn looks like something strange is going on

The literal translation of the Japanese word Onikobe into English is the head of a demon. The name Onikobe comes from a legend that during the Heian period, the heads of powerful people from the Tohoku region conquered by Sakanoue Tamuramaro were flown to this area. A little further back from Naruko Dam is Onikobe Hotspring, which is famous for its geysers.

naruko dam (2)

naruko dam (1)

Hell valley is nearby, but I’ve never seen many tourists on it, and it’s a wild trail with geysers all over the promenade that erupt out of too hot water as you walk. There is a puddle of hot water in the middle that continues to bubble up, so if you put a raw egg in there and pick it up on the way home, you’ll end up with perfectly soft-boiled eggs. If you don’t prepare a spoon or chopsticks in advance, the boiled eggs that cannot be removed will end up becoming manure in the fields.

hell valley (5) before geyser

hell valley (6) caution with arrow

hell valley (7)geyser

hell valley (1)

hell valley (2) scared

hell valley (3)

hell valley (4)

hell valley (8)

hell valley (9) eggs boiled

hell valley (10)

Detour 1

Naruko Gorge in late autumn, a month after the peak of its autumn leaves, has a dry look. The deep cliffs of the gorge give it an even more rugged look.

naruko gorge late autumn (2)

naruko gorge late autumn (3)

naruko gorge late autumn (4)

Detour 2

Iwadeyama was once the stronghold of the Sendai Date family, and its descendants established an academic school called Yubikan. There is a wonderful garden with Iwadeyama Castle in the background.

yubitei in iwadoyama (1)

yubitei in iwadoyama (2)

yubitei in iwadoyama (3)

yubitei in iwadoyama (4)

yubitei in iwadoyama (5) castle in the background

yubitei in iwadoyama (6)

yubitei in iwadoyama (7)

yubitei in iwadoyama (8)

yubitei in iwadoyama (9)

yubitei in iwadoyama (10)

Detour of Detour

A balloon festival is held in late November mainly on the riverbank at Iwadeyama. In short, there are no obstacles around, the wind is good, and the crops on the large cultivated land have finished harvesting, so this is the time. There are events where you can ride a balloon moored and see it from above for free. However, only 150 numbered tickets will be distributed in the early hours of the morning, so you will need a lot of guts. Moreover, tickets are only given out to people who lined up to get numbered tickets, so even if you line up alone, you won’t get a ticket for your family. If you bring children, it’s a good opportunity to test their mettle, but if the weather is bad, you should be prepared for the fact that the numbered tickets will only serve as souvenirs.

ballon festa on riverside

ballon festa souvnir ticket

soba at momiji-no (1)

soba at momiji-no (2)

soba at momiji-no (3)

not just naruko cover photo — go back to itinerary

2023-11-022023-11-03

Naruko Gorge, Autumn leaves like a picture on a folding screen

naruko gorge from ohfukasawa bridge (1) panoramic view

For backpackers coming from Sendai, I recommend getting off at the next station, Nakayama-daira Onsen, instead of Naruko Onsen Station (2.5 hours by JR from Sendai). The reason for this is that you can briefly glimpse the core of Naruko Gorge that you are about to see between the tunnels passing through the gorge, and the walk from the station to Naruko Gorge is short (about 30 minutes) and there is a flat footpath.

However, as soon as you get off the train, you’ll see a quiet village that makes you wonder if you’ve made a mistake. On the way to Naruko Gorge, you can see the steam rising from the hot spring village where the hot springs are gentle on the skin. You can stop by on your way home.

walk from nakayamadaira station (1) hotspring

walk from nakayamadaira station (2)

walk from nakayamadaira station (3)

walk from nakayamadaira station (4)

walk from nakayamadaira station (5)

walk from nakayamadaira station (6)

Naruko Gorge suddenly appears at the end of the pine forest. When viewed from the top of a steep cliff, it looks like a series of folding screens of autumn leaves.

not just naruko cover photo

naruko gorge view point (1) left

naruko gorge view point (2) center

naruko gorge view point (3) right

naruko gorge upper (4)

naruko gorge upper (3)

naruko gorge upper (5)

naruko gorge upper (6)

In the gorge at the bottom right, you can clearly see the railroad tracks that the train passed through earlier. Many photographers are ready to take pictures of the train coming out of the tunnel exit on the cliff covered in autumn leaves.

Feeling depressed about the prospect of climbing back up, I descended from the steep cliff for 15 minutes and arrived at the deepest part of the gorge surrounded by cliffs covered in autumn leaves (Kaiko Bridge).

naruko gorge deepest part (9)

naruko gorge deepest part (1)

naruko gorge deepest part (2)

naruko gorge deepest part (3)

naruko gorge deepest part (4)

naruko gorge deepest part (5)

naruko gorge deepest part (6)

naruko gorge deepest part (7)

naruko gorge deepest part (8)

naruko gorge deepest part (10)

naruko gorge deepest part (11)

naruko gorge deepest part (12)

Returning to the top of the cliff, you can see the deep meandering of the Otani River, which created Naruko Gorge, from the midway point of Ohfukasawa Bridge, which is located directly above the Kaiko Bridge.

naruko gorge from ohfukasawa bridge (1) panoramic view

naruko gorge from ohfukasawa bridge (2) left

naruko gorge from ohfukasawa bridge (3) left

naruko gorge from ohfukasawa bridge (4)

naruko gorge from ohfukasawa bridge (6)

naruko gorge from ohfukasawa bridge (7)

naruko gorge from ohfukasawa bridge (8) directly below

naruko gorge from ohfukasawa bridge (9) right

Beyond that bridge is the entrance to a quiet road that Edo period haiku poet Matsuo Basho wrote about in his travelogue on Oku no Hosomichi (about 45 minutes on the Ohfukasawa Promenade). There is “Shitomae barrier for defense” nearby.

ohfukasawa promenade (1)

ohfukasawa promenade (2)

ohfukasawa promenade (3)

ohfukasawa promenade (4)

ohfukasawa promenade (5)

ohfukasawa promenade (6)

ohfukasawa promenade (7)

ohfukasawa promenade (8)

ohfukasawa promenade (9)

ohfukasawa promenade (10)

ohfukasawa promenade (11)

ohfukasawa promenade (12)

ohfukasawa promenade (13)

ohfukasawa promenade (14)

ohfukasawa promenade (15)

ohfukasawa promenade (16)

“Shitomae barrier for defense”

The literal translation of the Japanese word naruko into English is a crying child. There is a theory that Naruko was named after the cry of a child that Minamoto no Yoshitsune’s wife gave birth to while he was on his way to Hiraizumi, and that the place was named “Shitomae barrier for defense” because the child urinated there for the first time.

Basho is said to have been suspicious of this barrier official when he was leaving for Yamagata, and he also wrote a poem in which he woke up to a horse urinating on his bedside in the stable of a private house where he was staying in the constant rain. However, it is said that this is just an exaggeration since they probably won’t be able to sleep in the stables. When I read that haiku for the first time, I believed it with all my heart.

“Plagued by fleas and lice,

I hear the horses urinating

Right by my pillow”

naruko gorge map

2023-10-282023-10-29

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.

venus line (3) mt.tateshina

venus line (2) white birch

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

shirakaba highlands (1) left kurumayama

shirakaba highlands (2) center shirakaba lake

shirakaba highlands (3)right yatsugatake

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.

shirakaba highlands (6)

shirakaba highlands (5) soba at asahigaoka

shirakaba highlands (8) sibukawa maron

shirakaba highlands (7) nijimasu

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

menokami viewpoint (1) left

menokami viewpoint (2) center left yatsugatake

menokami viewpoint (3) center right central alps

menokami viewpoint (4) right

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

venus line down (2)

venus line down (3) mt.tateshina

venus line down (4)

venus line down (5) tateshina lake

shirakoma pond0 cover photo — go back to itinerary

2023-10-212023-10-29

Ordinary tourists don’t go to Yokoya Ravine

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.

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.

yokoya ravine3 kirifuri fall

yokoya ravine4

yokoya ravine5

yokoya ravine7 eagle rock

yokoya ravine9 monolithic

yokoya ravine8 walking pass

yokoya ravine10 king fall

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.

yokoya ravine (4)

yokoya ravine (2)

yokoya ravine (1)

yokoya ravine (10)

yokoya ravine (8)

yokoya ravine (9)

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.

yokoya kannon viewpoint (4) left

yokoya kannon viewpoint (5) center

yokoya kannon viewpoint (6) right

yokoya kannon viewpoint (1) approach

yokoya kannon viewpoint (2)

yokoya kannon viewpoint (3) terrace

yokoya kannon viewpoint (8) center back central alps

yokoya kannon viewpoint (7)

yokoya kannon viewpoint (9)

2023-10-182023-10-29

Feel like you are a painter too, Mishaka pond

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.

misyaka pond (1)

misyaka pond (2)

misyaka pond (3)

misyaka pond (5)

misyaka pond (7)

misyaka pond (8)

misyaka pond (9)

misyaka pond (10)

misyaka pond (11)

misyaka pond (12)

misyaka pond (13)

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.

misyaka pond (6)

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.

2021-10-312021-10-31

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

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

2021-10-302021-10-29

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

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.

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.

2021-10-262021-10-26

Akiu Botanical Garden only where delicate waterfalls can be seen

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

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 autumn leaves

2020-11-172020-11-16

too quiet and scared Nakanose Pond is the face that represents Geopark

I have never met such a spacious and refreshing scenery. But it’s amazing because the horrific volcanic activity in 1888(recently!) created this landscape. The collapse of the mountain body occurred on the Urabandai side due to the steam explosion as one of the volcanic activity, and rocks avalanche from the collapse dammed the river creating many lakes and ponds. On the viewpoint, the top of chunk of rock, you can imagine how Mt. Bandai collapsed and rocks avalanche rushed in the direction you were in to create lakes and ponds.

Geosite View (click photos)

nakanose pond left

nakanose pond right

Taking a walk, many chunks of rocks are recognized here and there and become a blindfold, so when you pass through it, the scenery suddenly changes and a bear may suddenly appear. That’s why a bear bell is indispensable if you are not enough bigger than a bear !

*)The Renge Pond walking and the Nakanose Pond walking are connected and enjoy quiet walking except for a bear.

Gallery (click photos)

renge pond parking

renge pond walking

renge pond

bear caution

tou no hetsuri shrine — Go back to itinerary

2020-11-162020-11-15

deep Nakatsugawa Valley with bright autumn leaves

The normal tourist overlooks here, but those who love the countryside cannot. You can enjoy the autumn colors even from the bridge, but for those with good legs, let’s go down the deep valley 15min for one way.