Tag: viewpoint

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too quiet and scared Nakanose Pond is the face that represents Geopark

nakanose numa viewpoint

I have never met such a spacious and refreshing scenery.  But it’s amazing because the horrific volcanic activity in 1888(recently!) created this landscape.  The collapse of the mountain body occurred on the Urabandai side due to the steam explosion as one of the volcanic activity, and rocks avalanche from the collapse dammed the river creating many lakes and ponds.  On the viewpoint, the top of chunk of rock,  you can imagine how Mt. Bandai collapsed and rocks avalanche rushed in the direction you were in to create lakes and ponds.

Geosite View (click photos)

nakanose pond left
nakanose pond right

Taking a walk, many chunks of rocks are recognized here and there and  become a blindfold, so when you pass through it, the scenery suddenly changes and a bear may suddenly appear.   That’s why a bear bell is indispensable if you are not enough bigger than a bear !

*)The Renge Pond walking and the Nakanose Pond walking are connected and enjoy quiet walking except for a bear.

Gallery (click photos)

renge pond parking
renge pond walking
renge pond
bear caution

tou no hetsuri shrine
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Lake Tazawa which looks like a tropical beach is mysterious

blue gradation

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.

blue gradation and cloud
blue gradation and cloud

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
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Ohtakamori viewpoint of Matsushima at sunset

saigyo modoshi pine3

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 viewpoint
ohtakamori viewpoint

Ohtakamori Panoramic View

ohtakamori1 left
ohtakamori2 middle-left
ohtakamori3 middle
ohtakamori4 middle-right
ohtakamori5 right

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

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Shiogama Shrine protecting the demon gate

shiogama shrine cow stroking

Generally speaking of cows in a shrine is associated with Tenmangu, which enshrines Michizane Sugawara, senior official in Heian period, as the god of learning.   So, It is a major source of income for the shrine during the examination season.   However, at Shiogama Shrine, cows are worshiped in the hope that the business will continue for a long time like cow drool.   The drool is not smart, but it is strongly associated with the development of Shiogama as a port town.

shiogama shrine garden
shiogama shrine garden

Shiogama Shrine is the No. 1 shrine in Tohoku, and sits in a position to protect the demon gate of Tagajo, which is the agency of the Yamato Imperial Court.   It is located on a ridiculous hill in expectation of a tsunami caused by an earthquake.   If you climb from the main approach, you will find 202 stone steps.   At the time of the festival, 16 people carry one ton of mikoshi on the stone steps, so each person carries the same weight as their own weight.

shiogama shrine main approach bottom
shiogama shrine main approach bottom
shiogama shrine main approach top
shiogama shrine main approach top

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I could see many small islands floating in Matsushima Bay from the precincts, and I felt that the hard work of climbing was rewarded.

shiogama shrine view matsushima
shiogama shrine view matsushima

There is Shiogama Sakura, a large-flowered double-flowered cherry tree designated as a natural monument in the precincts, but when it was about to disappear due to aging, it revived thanks to Kyoto gardener Sano Toemon.  If you have the opportunity, definitely enjoy the wonderful Shiogama Sakura.

shiogama shrine cherry
shiogama shirine cherry
shiogama cherry
shiogama cherry
shiogama shrine bunji lantern
shiogama shrine bunji lantern

Haiku Basho wrote about this lantern in his travel journal.

 

 

 

 

 

Detour

The Tagajo, which was the agency for the Yamato Imperial Court and  guarded by shrine, is explained at the Tohoku History Museum near  Kokufu-Tagajo station.  Excavations are still ongoing at Tagajo and there is a good walking course.

tohoku history museum1 emishi
tohoku history museum1 emishi
tohoku history museum2
tohoku history museum2

 

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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.