Tag: nature

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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

shonai plain

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)

five storied pagoda
five storied pagoda
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 steps start
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)

shrine haguroyama
shrine haguroyama
stone astep over tea house
shrine haguroyama
shrine arrival
shrine sumo wrestler
shrine sanzan composed
mirror pond
hydrangea
old belfry
god for healty foot

Only part of the stone steps are crafted with the playfulness of masonry worker.  Find out, so you feel better.

playful mind
playful mind

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Jyoudoga-hama named from paradise of that world is occupied by black-tailed gulls

waiting for food on the helmet
jyoudoga hama 2
jyoudoga hama 2

The Pure Land of Jodoga-hama means the paradise of that world.  I don’t know because nobody has seen it, but it seems to be associated with the appearance of the Buddha in line from the row of eroded rocks.

jyoudoga hama 1
jyoudoga hama 1

What I would like to pay attention to here is the exploration of the blue cave by a small boat(Zappa-sen).   Naples may be famous for the blue cave, but in another sense, exploring the cave here is interesting.
Since a small boat enters a narrow cave, you may hit your head with the waves, so you must wear a helmet. However, I find that this helmet is used in different ways.

zappa boat with birds
zappa boat with birds

When the small boat departs, black-tailed gulls gather for the “Kappa Ebisen”(feed) that was given to the customer in advance.   In short, it’s feeding the black-tailed gull.  The black-tailed gull catches the feed thrown in the air

bird on the helmet 2
bird on the helmet 2

without directly picking up the feed that the customer has, but it is well placed on the helmet worn by the customer, waiting for the opportunity.  It’s a completely annoying story and a lovely time.

blue
blue

I almost forgot to report the Blue Cave. It seems that the sea in the cave looks blue at the timing of the ebb tide in the morning, but the color of the sea suddenly changed to blue as I entered the cave.

Finally, it goes without saying that the coast of Jodoga-hama is also dominated by children chasing black-tailed gulls !

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Exploration of Ryusendo with deep and endless transparent underground lake

ryusendo cover

This is the first time for a limestone cave to go up and down so much.  The cooler seems to have worked hard and it is comfortable in the summer, but the amount of exercise seems to exceed that.  Unexpectedly, I’m more interested in the deep and endless transparent underground lake than the grown stalactite.

The water of the underground lake is rich in minerals such as calcium, and the residents of Iwaizumi who can drink it every day are envious.  I love the Iwaizumi yogurt that uses this water.

Gallery (click photos)

ryusendo entrance
ryusendo stalactite
ryusendo underground lake
ryusendo from top

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Kita-Yamazaki cliff viewpoint where eastern wind blows over the cold current from the north

kitayamazaki 1
kitayamazaki 2
kitayamazaki 2

The sea near Iwate Prefecture is a good fishing ground where cold and warm currents intersect.  In addition, the ‘rias’ coast has deep natural coves created by the sinking of mountains, making it a natural good port, and the fishing industry has developed in combination with good fishing grounds.
I learned the above when I was in elementary　school, but I came here to learn that the northern half is actually a raised coast.  The coast of Kita-Sanriku has a series of cliffs, and there is no very good natural port. It means that there are many things you can not understand unless you come.

nedari hama walking course
nedari hama walking course

 

The Nedari-hama promenade is a short, but refreshing, private beach-like shore and is a part of Michinoku Coastal Trail

 

 

 

Anmo-ura cliff and waterfall that directly falls into the sea  (photo below)

anmo ura
anmo ura

Kita-Yamazaki cliff viewpoint, where eastern wind blows over the cold current from the north, becomes thick fog and you can’t see anything easily, but if you don’t give up, you can open your view as you descend to the observatory below the cliff.  However, going uphill is tight.

Fudai Sluice: The scars of the Great East Japan Earthquake

fudai water gate tsunami overflown
fudai water gate tsunami overflown

The Fudai sluice on the way to Kita-Yamazaki was built from the lessons learned by the victims of the two tsunamis.  Convincing the opposition, a 15.5-meter-hight lock was built at 300 meters from the river mouth over a 12-year period.  The tsunami exceeded this during the Great East Japan Earthquake, but the town of Fudai located upstream of the floodgate escaped.

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Don’t miss the coastal scenery. Sanriku Railway does not run along the sea than expected. 

santetsu temporary stop
big catch flag
big catch flag

National railways have been privatized and local lines have been abolished. With the advent of the society of motorization, the abolition of local lines continues. But wonder why, the train running in the countryside even on a single-car train gives us courage. That is Sanriku Railway, we call ‘Santetsu’ with friendliness.  It run on the remaining section five days after the Great East Japan Earthquake, also overcoming the damage caused by the typhoon in 2019 and impressing us.

bridge view from train
bridge view from train
seawall
seawall

It was originally built to deliver goods in the event of a disaster, so there are few sections where you can see the sea from the train window. What’s more, unfortunately, the section where the sea can be seen is valuable because of the construction of a seawall to prevent a tsunami after the Great East Japan Earthquake. Rikuchu-noda station to Horinai station is a valuable section, so take a look at the sea.  Note that the station name is also included in the drama settings. It’s complicated……

scallop and sake at noda
scallop and sake at noda

 

 

Salt, scallops and kelp are recommended in this region.

 

 

 

 

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Kuji Amber Museum with jewels lighter, warmer and more expensive than expected!    jejeje!

amber in kuji 90m years old
amber art in russia
amber art in russia

Other amber mining sites are the Baltic coast and the Dominican Republic, but only 90 million years ago is Kuji.  At that time, it was just the age of dinosaurs, and the sap became fossils over a long period of time.  Furthermore, it is an event before the Japanese archipelago was torn from Eurasia and evidence that Kuji was part of Eurasia.

 

 

 

amber jewel gemstone
amber jewel gemstone

Amber was discovered as a jewelry in the remains of 20,000 years ago, and is still an attractive gemstone.  Compared to mineral gemstones, they are much lighter and warmer than I expected due to their resin origin.
Amber with insects is even more expensive.  The fiction setting of the movie “Jurassic Park” is to extract dinosaur blood and DNA from mosquitoes in amber and restore real dinosaurs.   Maybe you could get a ticket to travel to the dinosaur era !    jejeje!

Samurai-Hama (Giant granite coast and pool in the drama)

samurai stone
samurai hama
samurai hama pool

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walk on Tanesashi Coast with abundant landscape changes for 4 hours

ashige right

Tanesashi Coast is not monotonous. There are reefs, sandy beaches, and green pine forests.  And finally there is the natural turf, which is mistaken for a completely artificial golf course.  Alpine plants grow along the coast because of the easterly wind blowing over the cold current from the north.

Panorama view from Ashigezaki (click photos)

ashige left
ashige middle not found hokkaido
ashige right

Root for 4 hours*

*)Community bus is available here and there on the root.

  1. start from ‘Same’ station. Not the ‘same’ but shark in the meaning.  Take a photo with the shark monument in front of the station. (walk next 15min)
  2. Kabu island is occupied by a lot of black-tailed gulls and the sacred shrine on the top of the island was turned white due to their activity !  (45min)
  3. Ashigezaki viewpoint is surrounded by reefs. It seems that Hokkaido can be seen if the weather is nice.  (10min)
  4. Nakasuka coast where It is unusual for various alpine plants to bloom (20min)
  5. Osuka coast is like a tropical country with too long sandy beaches. (90min)
  6. Yodo-no-Matsubara is green pine forest rising from the coastline.  On the way huge remarkable round ‘white rock’ comes into view.  ‘White’ came from activity of sea cormorants. (30min)
  7. The natural turf suddenly spreads in front of you. I wonder why such a large lawn was created. (Goal !)

I stopped by Tanesashi Coast Information center near the turf to get certification for walking 10km on Tanesashi Coast and a pin badge.
Before going back to Hachinohe from Tanesasi Coast station, I charged energy with sea urchin bowl.  Sea urchin is a food unique to this season and seems to be steamed rather than raw in this region.
How about taking public bath after walking exhausted.  There are a lot of bathes opening in the morning around Hachinohe harbor, so the sailors can always take a bath after coming back on a long trip.

Root Gallery (click photos)

shark station
kabu island
black tailed gulls aligned
ashigezaki viewpoint
ashige left
ashige middle not found hokkaido
ashige right
nakasuka coast 1
nakasuka coast 2
nakasuka coast 3
osuka coast 1
osuka coast 2
osuka coast 3
tanesashi coast 2nd floor rock
tanesashi coast 2
tanesashi coast 3
tanesashi coast 4 white rock
tanesashi coast 5
tanesashi coast 6
tanesashi coast 7
tanesashi coast 8
tanesashi coast nature turf
sea urchin bowl
public bath in the morning

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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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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).