walk | Japanese Countryside Travel Notes

2020-08-02

Goshogake Nature Park enjoying baby volcanos and sulfur gas?

The surface of the rock is exposed in the area due to the emission of sulfur gas. The valley pond is boiling. Mud erupts from the bottom of the earth with steam, and there are mud pots everywhere in the shape of Baby Volcano. It is a landscape that looks like a miniature of a volcano.

The origin of the name of ‘Goshogake’ is the idea of reincarnation in Buddhism. A young man who fell ill was recovered by a young pilgrimage daughter in this hot spring resort, and they got married. However, due to the news of the wind, his wife, who had left home with children, visited and the young daughter prayed for their happiness and poured herself into the boiling water. The wife, who was struck by the chest, followed her also praying (‘gake’ literally) being reborn (‘sho’ literally) after (‘go’ literally) the death. It is a sad anecdote, but it is a story that conveys the utility and fear of a volcano at the same time.

There is a toilet at the entrance of the walk path, but there are metal cans and sticks in front of it, and it is written that you should strike it in advance to inform the bear. But if the bear inside heard the sound and came out of the toilet, I was wondering what to do. Please do not encounter bears.

Gallery (click photos)

Goshokake nature park

Sulfur gas1

Sulfur gas2

Sulfur gas4

Sulfur gas5

Konya hell

2020-08-01

Mt.Hachimantai trekking searching the peak of the flat mountain

I learned in high school that Hachimantai was a mountain with the shield of a medieval knight lying beside it. Therefore, I remembered it as Aspite (shield) volcano, but recent volcanic studies have called it Konide volcano (stratovolcano) because of its formation process rather than its appearance. The tourist road that crosses the summit was named Hachimantai Aspite Line, but it might be difficult for locals to accept the results of this research and it has not been renamed.

In any case, it is a gentle mountain, and the vast sea of trees spreads below you, making it comfortable to drive. It is also ideal for trekking because the road is not steep. However, the only drawback is that there is no clear peak, so you cannot get a sense of accomplishment. For that reason, a half-timbered observatory suddenly appears among the Todomatsu(pine) and bamboo forest, telling us that this is the peak!

There are ponds around the flat summit, but they became ponds after the steam explosion. Among them is an emerald green ‘Dragon Eye’ that appears in the snow thaw for only two weeks at the end of May. I want to see it even once.

Gallery (click photos)

Buckwheat flower and Mt.Hachimantai

Mt.Hachimantai Aspite Line

Sea of trees

pine1

pine2

pine3

alpine plant1 iwate

alpine plant2 iwate

alpine plant3 iwate

Hachiman pond

gama pond

sea of trees and Mt.Iwate

2020-07-072020-09-21

walk on Tanesashi Coast with abundant landscape changes for 4 hours

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.

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)
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)
Ashigezaki viewpoint is surrounded by reefs. It seems that Hokkaido can be seen if the weather is nice. (10min)
Nakasuka coast where It is unusual for various alpine plants to bloom (20min)
Osuka coast is like a tropical country with too long sandy beaches. (90min)
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)
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.