Meitsu Port is located halfway along the Nichinan coast. A banner reads, “This is the port with the largest catch amount of skipjack tuna in Japan using the pole-and-line fishing method.” Fishing begins at the end of February, and the lively bonito that arrive on the Kuroshio Current are traded at the fishing port market ahead of the rest of the country. It is said that a wide variety of fish are landed each season. At the port, boats with many fishing rods are preparing for tomorrow’s fishing trip.
meitsu fishing ship (2)
The restaurant at the portside station Meitsu opens at 10:30, but people start writing their names in the reservation book before then. There were clearly more locals than tourists waiting for their turn.
meitsu fishing port (1)
What you order here is a set meal of bonito marinated in soy sauce and grilled over charcoal by yourself. At the end, you ask for green tea and served it with bonito and rice. This is the only place where you can enjoy bonito dishes while looking out at the port where they are caught and landed.
meitsu fishing port (3)bonito
meitsu fishing port (4)grilled bonito
I bought bonito flakes as a souvenir at a portside station, but when I got home and took a closer look, it turned out to be from Makurazaki, Kagoshima Prefecture, and not even from Kochi.
Detour
Lion Rock is located in the open sea of Aburatsu fishing port. If you approach it from the south, it looks like a lion’s profile, but if you approach it from the north, most people will miss it.
Kushima, which includes Cape Toi, was an enclave of the Takanabe clan (Akizuki family) in central Miyazaki Prefecture, serving as a buffer zone between the Satsuma clan (Shimadzu family) and Obi clan (Ito family), who had a grudge against each other during Edo period. Even now, locals don’t seem to think of the Akizuki family very well, as they were one of the families who betrayed their allies in the Battle of Sekigahara, so the guide explained this part in hushed tones.
wild horses in toi cape road (1)
Since ancient times, this area has been breeding horses and supplying them to various regions as warhorses and agricultural horses to earn foreign currency. After the Meiji Restoration, they have been protected in a wild state without human intervention. The only things humans do are maintain water fountains and fences, burn the fields (apparently horses can’t chew if the grass is long), and conduct annual health checks and check on the number of horses. Horses used to have numbers branded on their legs, but now using a method called frostbite branding, only white hair grows over the numbers. I was very convinced when I heard that once the pigment is gone, only gray hair will grow again, similar to how we only grow gray hair as we get older.
wild horses in toi cape road (2)
Breeding is managed by leaving it to nature, so even if many foals are born in the spring (it is called “harukoma”), only a few born in early spring when the season is good will survive. It is said that foals born during the rainy season will die if their mothers do not protect them from the rain because their body temperature will drop due to the rain. In order to preserve their wild state, humans do not dare to help them with their fate.
wild horses in toi cape (13)
wild horses in toi cape (9)
wild horses in toi cape (10)
wild horses in toi cape (7)
wild horses in toi cape (8)
wild horses in toi cape (11)
wild horses in toi cape (12)
In addition, young stallions make up a harem, and drinking water among them is determined by seniority. The question arises as to what happens to other stallions, but it makes sense that stallions only come into heat at a certain age, while females come into heat at any age. In other words, a stallion that is no longer in heat will leave the harem and form a herd with young stallions that are not in heat. It is said that when young stallions are in heat, they will approach females even as old as their mothers and leave the male herd.
wild horses in toi cape (6)
wild horses in toi cape (2)
wild horses in toi cape (3)
wild horses in toi cape (4)
wild horses in toi cape (5)
When horses stand still, they are either paying attention to their surroundings or are sleeping. Therefore, it is dangerous to approach them at times like this. When they get excited, they kick or run, but they usually spend most of their time either eating grass, or pressing their necks against the fence to scratch themselves because the insects around their necks are itchy. Unlike cows, which eat the same grass, horses only have one stomach, so they defecate every two hours to keep their bodies from getting too heavy so that they can run when they sense danger. Therefore, there is feces all over the meadow, but it doesn’t really smell because it hasn’t fermented in the intestines, and many people step on it without even realizing it. We often see pictures of horses raising their heads and running, but this is not a normal situation for a horse, but an emergency situation for the horse.
wild horses in toi cape (16)scratching
wild horses in toi cape (18)
wild horses in toi cape (19)
wild horses in toi cape (17)
wild horses in toi cape (14)
wild horses in toi cape (15)
All of the above is based on the guide’s explanation. As I asked for a guide and observed the horses, I realized that there was so much I didn’t know. Instead of just staring at the horses and taking close-up photos of just the two of you and a horse without worrying about the risks, please ask for a guide.
Typical of regular horse-related tourism
Yabusame in Tono City and horseback hockey in Hachinohe City show the close relationship between horses and people. On the other hand, the wild horses of Cape Toi can be observed in their completely natural state, offering new discoveries never seen before in tourism.
Udo Shrine is called “Jingu,” so it has a high status among shrines. The myth is a continuation of the story of Aoshima Shrine, where Yamasachihiko, who had a great time at the Sea Palace, formed a vow with the daughter of the Sea God. The origin of Udo Shrine is said to be that a birthing house for his wife was built in a cave that was created when the strata rose diagonally.
udo shrine (1)
udo shrine (2)
udo shrine (9)pocket monster
udo shrine (19)
udo shrine (20)
The name Udo was given because its roof was covered with cormorant feathers, and since the rabbit, which has the same zodiac sign as the pronunciation of cormorant, has been worshiped as a messenger of the Gods, rabbit figurines have been donated everywhere in the shrine. Japanese people really like playing with words. At temples, for example at Zenkoji in Nagano, there are statues “Nade-botoke”(Buddha being stroked) who heal people’s diseased parts by be stroked on the same parts of them, but this is the first time I’ve seen statues “Nade-usagi”(Rabbit being stroked) moreover at a shrine.
udo shrine (3)sculptures rabbit donated
udo shrine (4)please give me
udo shrine (11)rabbit being stroked
Now, the famous attraction here is the luck ball toss. If you can toss and place an unglazed ball into a 60cm square hollow on the back of a stone resembling a turtle at the bottom of a cliff, your wish will come true. If that’s the case, why do people visit shrines? Moreover, women are told to use their right hand and men are told to use their left hand. Although it doesn’t say that left-handed men should throw with their right hand. This is complete sexism. Who decided that? That’s strange!
udo shrine (16)luck ball thrown
udo shrine (17)goal
udo shrine (18)
By the way, the luck ball that goes into the hollow is later collected by the shrine staff, placed in an amulet bag, and sold for 500 yen. They charge you 200 yen for throwing balls, and sell them for an additional 500 yen, so you’re paying double. If someone does not realize this and is making a fuss and throwing luck ball, please think carefully about what he is doing.
geibikei senryutan
geibikei throwqing stones for lucky
geibikei stones
By the way, there is a similar attraction as above at Geibikei Gorge in Iwate Prefecture where you throw a luck ball into a hole in a cliff. There is no right or left hand restriction here. I got in 3 out of 5 times. Each ball you throw has a different letter engraved on it, which is supposed to help you read your fortune, but I completely forgot to check what was engraved before I threw it.
udo shrine (12)concr etion
Another highlight is the concretions, which are spherical calcified bodies of dead jellyfish and other creatures trapped in the sandstone, which can be seen all over the cliffs. The water that permeates through the ground contains lime and falls into the cave as water droplets, creating a structure similar to a limestone cave. Although it does not have icicles like a limestone cave, from a distance, the water droplets look like a mother’s nipples, and there is an explanation that says that these are the milk for the baby born in the birthing center. At shrines, these water droplets are collected and sold as milk candy.
udo shrine (10)
udo shrine (14)tits
udo shrine (15)mother’s milk of earth
The concretion at Udo Shrine is broadcast on the NHK program Buratamori, and the details are written on a signboard inside the shrine grounds. It’s in Japanese though.
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.
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.
naruko gorge from train (2)
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)
naruko gorge upper (2) train
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.
When you look at the Tanabata decorations in the shopping district, they all look the same(sorry), but when you learn that each shop displays their own decorations in front of each shop, your perspective changes. The results of contest are indicated unobtrusively beside each decoration.
By the way, a famous person signed a streamer for Tanabata decorations, so it seems that there was an event to find it, but the person who found it would definitely tear it off, so I thought the game wouldn’t work.
tanabata8
tanabata5
tanabata6 gold
tanabata2
tanabata3
tanabata4
tanabata1
Recently, sparrow dances have been incorporated into festivals and contests have also been held. After all, decorations alone lack excitement, so it has changed to a participatory festival. By the way, the sparrow is also the family crest of the Date family of the Sendai clan.
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……..
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.
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
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 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 on the way to togattaGo back to itinerary
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.
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
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.
