Shosenkyo Gorge, the source of power stones

shosenkyo cover

There are three parking lots along the 5km promenade.    There is also a bus stop at each parking lot, which connects these parking lots once almost every hour, so it is convenient because you can walk one way and then use the bus to return to the parking lot.

As you climb the gentle promenade, you will see one after another of strangely shaped rocks carved out of granite by rapids.    The amount of water is huge, and large rocks that appear to have fallen in chunks are scattered along the mountain stream.    The scenery looks like something out of a Chinese ink painting.    And at the end, there is a waterfall that falls violently vertically.

Yamanashi Prefecture has long been famous as a crystal production area.    It is said that since the Jomon period it was used as an arrowhead instead of the precious obsidian mined in nearby Suwa, so in retrospect, it is quite expensive, so I hesitate to shoot it carelessly with a bow.   Quartz is formed when silicon dioxide dissolved in water gradually crystallizes under high temperature and pressure underground for a long time.    At a souvenir shop, a stone cut in half (a geode) is on display, and you can see how the cavity is filled with crystals that have grown.   It was strange that it was inside the stone, but I heard from the man at the crystal processing craft shop that it was the result of water containing silicon dioxide entering granite or igneous rock and gradually growing crystals.   That made sense to me.

I was completely taken in by the store owner, and in the end I was forced to buy a bracelet made of terahertz stone, which was made by melting and alloying crystals.    It is said that the power stone activates the body with terahertz.   However, when I got home and put it on ice, I was surprised to see that the ice quickly melted into the shape of a bracelet.    By the way, if you buy some tourmaline and add it to your tap water, it will remove the chlorine odor and make the water mellow, which will make the coffee you brew delicious.

erinji (10) letters written on military flag
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Yokokawa Valley with calm and peaceful Chourou Lake was a true discovery !

chourou lake2
yokokawa valley and mt.fubou
yokokawa valley and mt.fubou

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)

chourou lake3
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deep Nakatsugawa Valley with bright autumn leaves

nakatsugawa valley viewpoint
nakatsugawa valley bridge
nakatsugawa valley bridge

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.

nakatsugawa valley4
nakatsugawa valley4

 

 

 

 

 

 

Gallery (click phtos)

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 !

tou no hetsuri shrine
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Matsukawa Valley near Hot Spring

matsukawa valley 1
matsukawa valley 2
matsukawa valley 2

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.

 

Mt.Gentagatake
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Oirase Valley in the rain

oirase river 6
oirase valley start
oirase valley start

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.

choshi big waterfall
choshi big waterfall

 

 

*)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 !

Highlight from Ishigedo to Choshi-Ohtaki(click photo)

Start Point

Goal Point

Mt.Gentagatake
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