valley | Japanese Countryside Travel Notes

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

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.

Gallery (click phtos)

nakatsugawa valley bridge

nakatsugawa valley under the bridge

nakatsugawa valley2

nakatsugawa valley4

nakatsugawa valley viewpoint

nakatsugawa valley5

Panoramic view of Onogawa and Akimoto Lake (click photos)

On the way to Nakatsugawa Valley, Bandai-Azuma Lake Line(road) runs along the ridge. The mountains colored in autumn colors looked like broccoli !

onogawa lake

onogawa lake broccoli

onogawa lake viewpoint

akimoto lake

tou no hetsuri shrine — Go back to itinerary

2020-09-282020-09-24

Matsukawa Valley near Hot Spring

columnar joint

On the way to Matsukawa Hot Spring village there is a local but famous attraction that tourists miss in the countryside.
Columnar joint with autumn colors decoration welcome you when getting off on the river. It is located on the east side across the river, so it would be better in the afternoon to take a photo of shining autumn colors with columnar joint under the sun. Near here the view from “the big bridge of forest ” is also recommended.

Surrounded by Mt.Hachimantai and Mt. Iwate, the Matsukawa basin is a countryside full of autumn colors. It is the best place to enjoy autumn in Tohoku.

matsukawa valley from the big bridge of forest

2020-09-222020-09-23

Oirase Valley in the rain

It rains! It rains! It rains! …….

Is there something like this? Even thought it’s the highlight of the tourist spot ! But few tourists and the roof of trees as an umbrella made us refreshing.

oirase valley waterfall 3 — oirase valley waterfall here and there

Surprisingly a few person walk* from Ishigedo to Choshi-Ohtaki for 4 hours. Walking road almost goes along the Oirase river and is flat like the flow. Let’s watch slowly calm flow and attractive waterfalls here and there. Choshi-Ohtaki(big waterfall) flown from Lake Towada welcome you at the goal. Coincidentally we saw the moment when part of the waterfall wall collapsed with explosive sound. I’m sure the wallrock broke along the columnar joints.

*)You can pick up a bus almost every hour at several bus stops on the way. If you use a rental car, it would be difficult to find out your parking space at Ishigedo in high season, especially weekend.
At Ishigedo, the cup of coffee using Oirase flesh water after long walk was full of bliss !