nature | Japanese Countryside Travel Notes

2020-08-07

Hugging Gorge that means you cannot pass without really hugging people you pass by, true or not ?

I tried translating the name of this gorge into English without permission, so it became like this title. So, please do not search seriously with this name. Anyway in the old days, you couldn’t pass each other without hugging each other.
River Tamagawa flowing through this gorge is cobalt blue. It flows from Tamagawa Hot Spring* around Mt.Hachimantai, but since the strongly acidic water contains aluminum as a basic ion, the light with a short wavelength is scattered by its particles and the surface of water appears blue. For the same reason, the water in Lake Tazawa looks blue due to injection of water of River Tamagawa long ago.
If you go sightseeing near here, you will definitely go to the famous Kakunodate with old samurai residence, but as a countryside lover, you should definitely visit the gorge that makes you feel the traces of a volcano.

*)A hot spring that warms your body with geothermal heat while wearing clothes in a sulfur-rich crater is worth a try. Simply lay a straw rug on the ground and lie on your back. You can also enjoy a bathing style where you just put your head out of a box filled with steam.

Gallery (click photos)

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Hugging valley6 waterfall

Hugging valley7 waterfall

2020-08-062020-09-21

Lake Tazawa which looks like a tropical beach is mysterious

It is uncertain that Lake Tazawa is the site of a caldera volcano. However, the lake is surrounded by outer ring mountains at the same altitude, but the bottom of the lake is lower than the sea level. It means that the bottom of the lake is the same or more deep from the surface of the lake to the height of outer ring mountains. It is a mystery where the volcanic product of such a volume were accumulated, so it has not ever been confirmed that Lake Tazawa came from caldera volcano or not.

The lake is so acidic that few fish live in it by drawing in the strong acidic hot spring water artificially. The moment the young girl realized her beauty, she realized that she would grow older. The water of the fountain that she drank according to a message from God to keep her good looks turned her into a dragon, from which the name of Lake Tazawa came. I was convinced by this legend when I looked at the lake that showed the mysterious blue gradation.

Panoramic view

blue gradation left

blue gradation center

blue gradation right

A little break for lunch on the beach

orae salad with tofu and radish

orae Fried Shottsuru

orae pork humbruger

orae ice with extra virgin oil

orae foot rest

Dragon at Tawazako station

2020-08-052020-08-05

Mt.Akita-Komagatake with rich alpine plants, Moomin valley and bears that occasionally appear in the fog

Horses and humans have a long history. It is said that in early spring, a horse is seen in the shape of the remaining snow on the mountain and cultivation is started after the shape appears. Therefore, there are many mountains in Japan with horses ‘Koma’ as their names. Similarly, there are mountains all over Japan with Mt. Fuji as a part of the name, but all of them are called ‘the area name + Fuji’, which is similar to the shape of original Mt.Fuji. However, ‘Komagatake’ has no originator, so each ‘Komagatake’ is an originator and the locals call it only ‘Komagatake’ without ‘the area name’.

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Akita Komagatake is composed of two calderas, with a milky-white Nyuto hot spring in the north, a colorless Mizusawa hot spring in the west, and an emerald green Kunimi hot spring in the south. It is a treasure trove of alpine plants because the airflow from the Sea of Japan hits the mountains and clouds easily form. Therefore, even if the lower world is sunny, fog will be applied around the top and the temperature will be quite low even in the midsummer.

Akita-Komagatake in fog

Akita-Komagatake pond

There seems to be a Moomin valley in the flower field, but recently it was described on the website that there was a personal injury due to a bear. It’s something I don’t want to encounter in the fog. Certainly there was a metal rod that made a sound of a bear repellent, but I wondered how effective it was and gave up on going to Moomin Valley.

On the way down the mountain by shuttle bus

Lake Tazawa looks like a hand mirror. I was convinced that it might be the remains of the caldera volcano.

Lake Tazawa from Akita Komagatake

2020-08-02

Goshogake Nature Park enjoying baby volcanos and sulfur gas?

The surface of the rock is exposed in the area due to the emission of sulfur gas. The valley pond is boiling. Mud erupts from the bottom of the earth with steam, and there are mud pots everywhere in the shape of Baby Volcano. It is a landscape that looks like a miniature of a volcano.

The origin of the name of ‘Goshogake’ is the idea of reincarnation in Buddhism. A young man who fell ill was recovered by a young pilgrimage daughter in this hot spring resort, and they got married. However, due to the news of the wind, his wife, who had left home with children, visited and the young daughter prayed for their happiness and poured herself into the boiling water. The wife, who was struck by the chest, followed her also praying (‘gake’ literally) being reborn (‘sho’ literally) after (‘go’ literally) the death. It is a sad anecdote, but it is a story that conveys the utility and fear of a volcano at the same time.

There is a toilet at the entrance of the walk path, but there are metal cans and sticks in front of it, and it is written that you should strike it in advance to inform the bear. But if the bear inside heard the sound and came out of the toilet, I was wondering what to do. Please do not encounter bears.

Gallery (click photos)

Goshokake nature park

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Konya hell

2020-08-01

Mt.Hachimantai trekking searching the peak of the flat mountain

I learned in high school that Hachimantai was a mountain with the shield of a medieval knight lying beside it. Therefore, I remembered it as Aspite (shield) volcano, but recent volcanic studies have called it Konide volcano (stratovolcano) because of its formation process rather than its appearance. The tourist road that crosses the summit was named Hachimantai Aspite Line, but it might be difficult for locals to accept the results of this research and it has not been renamed.

In any case, it is a gentle mountain, and the vast sea of trees spreads below you, making it comfortable to drive. It is also ideal for trekking because the road is not steep. However, the only drawback is that there is no clear peak, so you cannot get a sense of accomplishment. For that reason, a half-timbered observatory suddenly appears among the Todomatsu(pine) and bamboo forest, telling us that this is the peak!

There are ponds around the flat summit, but they became ponds after the steam explosion. Among them is an emerald green ‘Dragon Eye’ that appears in the snow thaw for only two weeks at the end of May. I want to see it even once.

Gallery (click photos)

Buckwheat flower and Mt.Hachimantai

Mt.Hachimantai Aspite Line

Sea of trees

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Hachiman pond

gama pond

sea of trees and Mt.Iwate

2020-07-272020-09-21

Ohtakamori viewpoint of Matsushima at sunset

You can’t see the beauty of Matsushima sufficiently unless you look at it from a high place.
Near the Oku-Matsushima(Sagakei) sightseeing boarding place there was a signpost which indicated a 15-minute walk to the Ohtakamori observatory (106 m above sea level). This was ridiculous mountain climbing and hell especially in the summer season. When I got to the observatory, I was out of breath and sweaty. Matsushima Bay can be seen to the west from Otakamori, but unfortunately it was too early in the sunset. Nobi district on the right hand view remains reddish wasteland due to the tsunami.

Ohtakamori Panoramic View

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Saigyo Modoshino Matsu View

This observatory (122m above sea level) is a 20-minute walk from JR Matsushima Kaigan Station. However, mainly coming to the famous tourist spots from that station, few people walk up to this point. If you come, in the cherry blossom season, take a picture of small islands in Matsushima Bay that shines east and the cherry blossoms in the foreground in the afternoon.
After being sweaty due to climbing, how about taking a public bath at the hot spring below viewpoint!

saigyo modoshino matsu after cherry blossoms season

saigyo modoshino matsu

ohtakamori from saigyo modoshino matsu

2020-07-26

Deep Matsushima Sea Canyon, Sagakei, a little different from typical Matsushima

Matsushima, ah! / Ah ah! Matsushima, ah! / Matsushima, ah!

The haiku poet Basho wrote the above in Matsushima and I was taught so in childhood, but it seems different. I certainly thought that anyone could write this, but Basho himself said that he could not write words in the superb view of Matsushima and did not write haiku.

A typical Matsushima sightseeing starts from JR Matsushima Kaigan Station, and Fuku-ura island to pray for getting partner (famous for the combined hike of male and female students; it’s an old story), Godaido temple, a sightseeing boat in the bay inside, and Zuiganji Temple, national treasure, are the golden routes, but those who love the countryside avoid famous tourist spots and crowd.

It is said that the magnificent view of Matsushima Bay was created by rising water levels in the eroded mountains, but erosion due to waves is still progressing outside Matsushima Bay. “Matsushima” is the pine tree on the island when the characters are translated into English. The green of the pine against the yellow of the eroded rock surface could make us feel the bonsai flavor. Anyway, we enjoyed the beauty of nature in the sea canyon “Sagakei” and there were many rocks that remind us of various creatures. The boat is small and very homey, and if there are no waves, you can see the blue cave.

Gallery (click photos)

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sagakei1 net crane

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sagakei5 frog rock

sagakei6 muroto port and boys

sagakei7 floding rock

sagakei8 man and woman rocks

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sagakei14 sea lion like oboshi rock

sagakei15 ｂridge collapse

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sagakei19 long root of pine

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sagakei21 blue cave

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2020-07-122020-07-12

Safflower is the most important trade item in the Edo period

It is often said that beautiful things have thorns.

It’s not about women. It is safflower. ! Roses, which have almost the same origin in the world, have thorns, but safflowers belonging to the Asteraceae family are injured when harvesting.
There is a legend that the young girl who is harvesting safflower bleeds from her hands with the thorns, which makes the color even more crimson. They have the sadness that they cannot use the lipstick made from safflower for themselves because the safflower is the most important trade item.

Why do safflowers turn crimson color when they are blooming yellow? Actually, when I brought back the safflower to dry flower, the flower turned crimson without doing anything. It is said to turn crimson by melting yellow pigment off by water and then fermenting the remaining ingredients. Then the safflower shaped as rice cake was exported to Kyoto and Osaka via the Kitamae ship down the Mogami River. It seems that Mogami (Yamagata) brand safflower was as valuable as gold.

The Safflower Museum in Kahoku town is the former site of the building of a merchant who made a fortune in handling safflower, and you can also see the production of safflower.

museum entrance

kahokucyo museum

2020-07-122020-07-26

Heavenly Paradise: Mt.Gassan surrounded by alpine plants and ponds (Gassan 8th station)

There is Mt.Gassan 8th station at the end of the winding uphill. The Midagahara Marsh, ‘Heavenly paradise’, is spreading there. I feel like jumping into the Shonai plain overlooking the Sea of Japan. It takes 3 hours from here to the mountaintop shrine

entrance to gassan

snow gassan

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pond

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chokaisan from gassan

parking space 8th station

This is also a paradise for common ducks

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2020-07-12

exhausted 2446 stone steps with about 600 old cedar trees to reach Mt. Haguroyama and a traditional tea house in an exquisite location on the way

Unfortunately, it is downhill to the five-storied pagoda, National treasure. But you can meet the 1000 year old grandfather ceder. In 2019, we had a special visit inside the pagoda. The octagonal core was tied to the surrounding skeleton with a kudzu vine. (>click photos)

haguroyama zuishinmon

old grandfather ceder

five storied pagoda

octagonal pillar inside

special visit inside

buddha on the roadside

Uphill surrounded by old cedars feels sacred air, not just forest bath. But it is hard to climb the 2446 stone steps at once. There is a traditional tea house in an exquisite place. And you can overlook the flat Shonai plain facing the Sea of Japan. If the weather is very nice, you can see Tobishima island over the Shonai plain. (>click photos)

stone steps start

stone step on the way

stone step upto tea house

chikaramochi and tokoroten

shonai plain

view tobishima island over plain

We finally reached the summit of Mt. Haguroyama. It took 50 minutes without a break from the foot. It is difficult to go to the other two mountains, so it is also secular that the three gods are enshrined together here.
It seems that the belfry was built as a thank-you for praying for the invasion of Mongolia during the Kamakura period. (>click photos)