Tag: Japanese countryside

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Hakkoda Mountains and swamps

hell swamp in Swamp
Mt.Hakkouda
Mt.Hakkoda

The origin of the name Hakkoda Mountains seems to be that there are many shell-shaped peaks and marshes.   Therefore, it is a very complicated terrain.   So the next tragedy may have been born.
What comes to mind at Hakkoda Mountains is the 1902 distress of 200 people during the snow march training of the Japanese Army.   It seems preparing for the war against Russia.   Meanwhile, another unit was also training at the same time, and it is said that it passed through the distress scene but was kept secret.

suiren swamp at hakkoda in autumn

Most travelers look at the rugs of autumn colors on the Hakkoda ropeway, but those who love the countryside want to immerse themselves in a quiet place.   The route going through from Sukayu hot spring to Tsuta hot spring, which is opposite side of the distress,  is one of my favorite driving roads.  Stopping by at Suiren swamp is strongly recommended because Mt.Hakkoda mountains reflect on the surface of the swamp on a sunny day and in the silence, wild birds and toads ! (big frogs) echo their voices in the distance.   Hell swamp with strong acid water near Sukayu hot spring, the photo of which is indicated on the top of this blog page, is also charming.   

suiren swamp at hakkoda in other season

Mt.Gentagatake
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Johgakura Bridge with spectacular view

look down from bridge 1
johgakura bridge

If you travel connecting Shirakami mountains and Hakkoda mountains or Lake Towada, going through Jougakura bridge is highly recommended especially in autumn season.  The color around the bridge changes into red.

autumn leaves from bridge

You can walk on the bridge safely after parking at the edge of it.   But strong winds on the bridge take away heat from the body.

center of bridge plate
center of bridge plate

Look down like a bird at the middle of the bridge !  Deep valley 122m below the bridge is trying to swallow you.  The river is so acidic that no fish can live in it.

 

 

bird eyes

There is Sukayu Onsen(Hot Spring), the bath of which is made of Hiba wood and can accommodate 1,000 people at a time, but it is also strongly acidic and it makes you tingle when you take a bath, so be careful of people with sensitive skin.  It is famous for mixed bathing, but there is a place to take it individually in the back.

sukayu hot spring

Mt.Gentagatake
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Apple Road to Shirakami mountains

shirakami mountains pond 2
apple road seeing Mt.Iwaki
apple road seeing Mt.Iwaki

On the way to Shirakami mountains (World Heritage), we drove through HIROSAKI city which is famous for apple production and Mt.Iwaki the shape of which is similar to Mt.Fuji.
The road connects many apple farms.  Silver sheets under trees reflect sunlight and apples turn into red.  The price of apples is rising due to typhoon damage nationwide, so be sure to buy fresh apples at the production area.  It is said that “Apples don’t need a doctor.”

Mt.Iwaki (Tsugaru Fuji)
Mt.Iwaki (Tsugaru Fuji)

You can reach Shirakami mountains through this road  seeing Mt.Iwaki named Mt.Tsugaru-Fuji with apple trees.

Mt.Gentagatake
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Shirakami mountains (World Heritage)

shirakami mountains walking 1
bear scratches
bear scratches

It is easy to approach the entrance to World Heritage, but places inside where a tourist could reach by himself were limited.  Furthermore ‘Anmon Fall’* was closed due to typhoon damages.  You should chose between to be satisfied with a glance or to spend all day.  Next time I would like to challenge with a guide.

kumagera tapping the tree
kumagera tapping the tree

 

 

 

*)There are many approach routes to the heart of Shirakami mountains.  ’Twenty ponds walking course’ is easily accessible　from the sea side with public transportation and you can feel variety of nature.

 

Galley(click photo)

shirakami mountains entrance
shirakami mountains walking 1
shirakami mountains walking 2
bear scratches
shirakami mountains walking 3
kumagera tapping the tree
shirakami mountains walking 4
shirakami mountains walking 5
shirakami mountains walking 6

Mt.Gentagatake
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Shinjoh Festival (Registered as a UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage)

festival car 4
festival car 1
festival car 1
festival car 2
festival car 2

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.


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Totoro Tree

totoro tree
totoro tree detail
totoro tree detail

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.

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Going down the Mogami River by boat

mogami river

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

boat going down
boat going down

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

fall from the cliff
waterfall from the cliff

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.

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Ginzan Hot Spring too famous

ginzan hot spring
retro modern hotels
retro modern hotels

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.

public bath
public bath

 

 

 

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). 

mine ruins
mine ruins

*)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.

falls at the end of village
waterfalls at the end of village

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Big Zelkova Tree (1500 years old) in Higashine

big tree

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.

rice terraces
rice terraces

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).

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Soba is cool in the throat

white flower of buckwheat

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.