It is said that Takehara began when Shimogamo Shrine in Kyoto developed the land based on the law of the Nara period that allowed the land that was cultivated by oneself to be owned by oneself. This law was the beginning of the manor system, and wealth was concentrated in those who had the financial power to cultivate the land by themselves, and it triggered the collapse of the world centered on the emperor.
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takehara2 chosei temple
takehara12 golden tree
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Anyway, Takehara has a connection with Kyoto and still retains a townscape called Little Kyoto. Incidentally, the Kamo River, which has the same name as Kyoto, runs through the center of the city. Also, like Kyoto, sake brewing is thriving, and one of its descendants founded Nikka Whiskey in Japan.
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takehara4 takezuru sake brewery
takehara5 frontier of japanese whisky
takehara6 massann and lita
A feature that is completely different from Kyoto is salt making in salt fields. At that time, 80% of the salt produced in Japan was produced in Hiroshima Prefecture.
As you enter the temple next to the Botanical Garden, you will find a place overlooking the famous Akiu Otaki Big Waterfall. Before that, there is something to write down. There is a store selling various herbs at the entrance. Among them was a tree of eye drops found in the real botanical picture book in the garden. ‘Tree of eye drops’ is just the name of tree. When the bark of the tree was boiled, it turned into a pink liquid, and drinking it helped with eye fatigue. I felt a bit bitter but healthy.
akiu big waterfall walking
A trail extends to the bottom of the waterfall. The bottom of the waterfall was wider than I expected. I’ve come a long time ago, but at that time I had a narrower memory, but has it collapsed?
As the waterfall runs down east, if you try to take a picture, it will be backlight or strong shade unless it is early in the morning.
Although it is close to the border of Yamagata prefecture, I arrived in about 30 minutes from Sendai city due to the development of transportation.
The botanical gardens have wonderful flowers, fresh greenery and autumn leaves in each season(closed in winter), but in
sudare waterfall
addition there are two wonderful waterfalls that cannot be seen unless you enter here. A typical tourist will return home after seeing Akiu Otaki Big fall near here, but let’s step on the fallen leaves and find your wonderful autumn here.
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.
‘Red Pond’ in literary among Goshiki-NumaPonds is not real red. The color of Hell Ponds in Beppu Hot spring (Oita prefecture) reproduces the color more faithfully. Five colors here mean that various colors can be found depending on the weather and season, etc. Its color is due to the reflection of particles of the melted mineral matter.
goshiki numa map
To save time, recommend to use a bus for one way. Return to Goshiki-Numa entrance / Urabandai-Kogen by bus (to Inawashiro / Kitakata for each) to pick up the parked car there. Check in advance a time table of bus available per about one hour. In case go forward to the other starting point taking a bus immediately after parking a car.
Matsukawa Hot Spring watching autumn colorsexplanation on the way
A walking tour with a guide (no charge) is held every morning at the hotel ‘Kyounso’ where we stayed at Matsukawa Hot Spring of Hachimantai. Extensive explanation and stories over one hour before breakfast made us feel rich nature of Hachimantai. The following stories, for example, are very attractive !
find water passage on the beech tree surface
<Story 1> (photo 14)
Each beech tree is stored 8-tone water under the ground through the mechanism of the shape of a leaf and water passage on a trunk . So landslide or wildfires do not occur in the beech forest, and they are naturally digested even if they are bonfired or left in the forest. It would be an overstatement to not extinguish the bonfire.
<Story2>
Why is the beech tree growing straight and thick, but not suitable for building materials? It has the property that it cannot grow easily because it is covered with bamboo grass when it is small, and it grows all at once when the bamboo grass dies in about 50 years. As a result, the beech grows straight and large, creating a genuine beech forest like the Shirakami Mountains. Therefore, the center of the annual ring is dense (that is, hard), and the outside of the annual ring is sparse (that is, soft), so it is not suitable as a building material. It is the only building material used in the main hall of Yamadera, Rissyaku-Temple, in Yamagata Prefecture, so be sure to take a closer look before heading to the summit if you go there.
walking 9 Mori-Utsuri
<Story3> (photo 9)
The raw material for Japanese paper is said to be Kozo-mitsumata, but glue is required to bond the fibers. It can be collected from the tree “Nori Utsuri”(see photo 9 below), as the name literary “glue transfer”.
walking 10 Kuromoji
<Story4> (photo 10)
The “Kuro-moji” tree (see photo 10 below) is a material for high-class toothpicks used when eating Japanese sweets in the tea ceremony. Kuro-moji tree is a relaxing fragrant tree and is said to relieve the tension of the tea ceremony.
<Story 5> (photo 13)
A maple designed for Canadian flag colors the forest as autumn leaves. The size of leaves in Japan are small and the Japanese name ‘KAEDE’ came from a flog(‘KAERU’)’s hand(‘TE’), ‘KAEru-no-T(D)E’.
walking 17 Honoki
<Story6> (photo 17)
“Honoki” (see photo 17 below) is a material that is neither hard nor soft. Therefore, it is used as a material for cutting boards that do not lack the teeth of kitchen knives and clogs (wooden shoes) with good cushioning.
I was told a lot of plant names and useful stories, but I couldn’t remember them because of the capacity of my brain.
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 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
*)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)
Many photographers visit Tsuta swamp for the bright red autumn leaves illuminated by the morning sun. Therefore, general vehicles are restricted from early morning except for the shuttle bus during this period. You’ll have to choose between booking the historical hotel near here or giving up on the relaxing breakfast at other hotels to get a shuttle bus. Fortunately or unfortunately, we enjoyed a calm and fresh walk in the light rain. The hotel will lend you an umbrella and boots.
tsuta swamp
tsuta swamp right
The bathtub of Tsuta Hot Spring is deep and is filled with overwhelming hot water. And don’t forget that there is a fresh hot spring right under the bathtub. You can directly receive the blessings of the earth with delicious dinner.
It is easy to approach the entrance to World Heritage, but places inside where a tourist could reach by himself were limited. Furthermore ‘Anmon Fall’* was closed due to typhoon damages. You should chose between to be satisfied with a glance or to spend all day. Next time I would like to challenge with a guide.
kumagera tapping the tree
*)There are many approach routes to the heart of Shirakami mountains. ’Twenty ponds walking course’ is easily accessible from the sea side with public transportation and you can feel variety of nature.
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’.
alpine plant4 akita
alpine plant6 akita
alpine plant7 akita
alpine plant8 akita
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.
