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Nezugaseki
If you do not know about it, you are about to pass by! A unique scenery where there is the prefectural boundary of “Yamagata Prefecture on the left” and “Niigata Prefecture on the right” in one village! From Nezugaseki in Yamagata Prefecture. “Nezugaseki” in Tsuruoka City, Yamagata Prefecture, is located on the prefectural boundary of Yamagata Prefecture and Niigata Prefecture. Since a long time ago, in Nezugaseki, the “Nezu no Seki Barrier,” the Checkpoints has been established to prevent the invasion of “Emishi” (the name of people living in the north from the view of Imperial Court) . Along with the “Shirakawa no Seki Barrier” (Shirakawa City, Fukushima Prefecture) and […]
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Godzilla Rock on the Oga Peninsula
I went to see “Godzilla Rock” in Oga Peninsula of Akita Prefecture that can be seen as a small animal in the daytime, and a monster in the evening! Godzilla blows fire with sunset and clouds is popular at there! There is a rock similar to the monster Godzilla at Shiosezaki in Oga City, the southern tip of Oga Peninsula, Akita Prefecture. The silhouette illuminated by the sunset in red sky is look like a Godzilla blowing fire in the sky, so it is called as “Godzilla Rock”. The best season you can see Godzilla blowing fire is the time around sunset in mid-April and mid-October. During the daytime, it […]
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Sea of clouds at Kunimigaoka, Takachiho
Takachiho in Miyazaki Prefecture is famous for Japanese mythology and a sea of clouds! The view of the clouds sea from “Kunimigaoka” make you feel like become a god living above the clouds! “Kunimigaoka” in Takachiho town of Miyazaki Prefecture, is a hill of 513m. It is said in the ancient time, ”Tateiwatatsu no Mikoto” who is the grandson of Emperor Jimmu stopped by and look out over the country when he want for ruling over Kyushu. The observation deck is set in Kunimigaoka and the Takachiho Basin spreads in the east and there are the outer crater of Mt. Aso and Gogaku (5 great mountains) in the west. In […]
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Sightseeing spots related to the Japanese myth “Tenson Korin”
The first-ever in history! God has fallen from the sky in Takachiho of Miyazaki Prefecture! Takachiho Town in Miyazaki Prefecture is the birthplace of Japanese mythology. Myths such as “Tenson Korin” and “Amano Iwato” which are especially famous in Japanese mythology has been handed down to this region. “Tenson Korin” is a myth that “Ninigi-no-Mikoto” who is a grandson of “Amaterasu-omikami (god of the sun)” got an oracle from Amaterasu-omikami and descended from “Takamagahara (the world where the gods live)” to the peak of Takachiho in order to rule “Ashihara no Nakatsukuni (the world where people live)”. “Amano-Iwato” is a myth that “Susanoo-no-Mikoto” who is a younger brother of Amaterasu, […]
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Outline of Japanese Mythology “Ama-no-Iwato” and Amanoiwato Shrine
In Takachiho town, Miyazaki Prefecture, there is a cave where Amaterasu-omikami hid herself in the old days of the mythological age. I summarized the mythology briefly. There is a famous cave written in “Kojiki” and also “Nihon-shoki” in Takachiho town, Miyazaki Prefecture. There is a myth remains that the world was covered with the dark because of too much outrageous behavior of Susanoo-no-Mikoto. This cave is called “Amano Iwato” and this place is now enshrined as “Amanoiwato Shrine”. About 10 minutes on foot along the Iwato River from Amano Iwato Shrine, there is a river beach called “Amanoyasugawara” and there is a myth when Amaterasu-omikami shut herself in “Amano Iwato”, […]
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Takachiho Gorge, known for Manai Falls
How to enjoy Takachiho Gorge! Manai Falls look up from a sightseeing boat is a superb spot of Takachiho Gorge! I enjoyed feeling water falls while rowing the boat! Takachiho Gorge in Takachiho Town is a superb spot representing Miyazaki Prefecture. Pyroclastic flow was streamed out to Takachiho and piled up by the large eruption of Mt. Aso located in Kumamoto Prefecture about 120,000 years ago and 90,000 years ago and then solidified lava became V-shaped valley by erosion of Gokase River. Column-shaped joint cliff which height is 80 to 100m continues for 7km. This is designated as a national site of scenic beauty and also a natural monument of […]
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Kakubei Jishi Lion (Echigo Jishi Lion), a traditional performing art in Niigata City, Niigata Prefecture
Only a very elderly person can think of a boy named “Sugisaku” of Kakubei Jishi Lion played by Hibari Misora. “Echigo Jishi Lion” is also known as “Kakubei Jishi Lion” and is a local performing art in Niigata City (former Tsukigata Village), Niigata Prefecture. Jishi (or Shishi) means a lion in Japanese. But until the early Showa era (20th century), it was a lion dance performed by children aged 6 to 13 who put lion masks. It was also a street performance to show handstand and group gymnastic with the sound of light drums. The origin of Echigo Jishi Lion is that in the middle of the Edo period (18th […]
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the roots of folk song “Sado Okesa”
Is there anyone else who wants to know the roots of Japan’s representative folk song “Sado Okesa”? In Sado Island, Niigata Prefecture, there is Japan’s famous folk song called “Sado Okesa” that has been handed down since the Edo period (17th century to mid-19th century); however, it came to be called “Sado Okesa” since the end of the Taisho era (1920s). Kitamae-bune Cargo Ships west route map “Sado Okesa” is based on “Ushibuka Haiya Bushi” in Kumamoto Prefecture. In the Edo period, “Haiya Bushi” was sung in drinking bouts of sailors of Kitamae-Bune Cargo Ships that transported goods from Osaka to Hokkaido by stopping by the ports on the Sea […]
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Japanese Cedar Avenue in Mt. Haguro
The approach of cedars avenue in Mt. Haguro, awarded three stars of “Michelin Green Guide” is a sightseeing spot worth for you to visit, but the 2446 stones step to the summit takes 60 minutes on foot and I used up all of my energy. Mt. Haguro is a mountain over 414m above the sea level in Tsuruoka City, Yamagata Prefecture. Together with Mt. Gassan(altitude of 1984m) and Mt. Yudono(altitude of 1500m), they are called “Three Mountains of Dewa” and it has been worshiped since ancient times as the spiritual place for Shugendo. Shugendo is a Buddhist school that aims to gain supernatural power through harsh training in the mountains. […]
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Oyashirazu･Koshirazu Cliff
The world hardest road to go through! I visited the exceedingly steep cliff of Hokuriku “Oyashirazu” and felt a mother’s cry calling a child and child’s sob calling a mother! Oyashirazu is about 15km length of precipitous terrain where the cliff of Hida mountains (known as the North Alps) located at the western end of Itoigawa City, Niigata Prefecture. It is officially called “Oyashirazu･Koshirazu”. Near Oyashirazu･Koshirazu, the cliff of Hida mountains fall into the Sea of Japan directly and its steep geographical feature make it difficult to cross the mountains. So, in the old days, travelers come and go from Echigo (present Niigata Prefecture) and Etchu (present Toyama Prefecture) sometime […]
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Mt. Iimori, the suicide harakiri site of “Byakko-tai”
In order to know about Byakko-tai (White Tiger Unit, a military unit in Aizu Domain), I breathlessly climbed 170 stone steps of Mt. Iimori in Fukushima Prefecture! Mt. Iimori is a small mountain located about 2km east of the central city of Aizuwakamatsu in Fukushima Prefecture. Since its shape is like a bowl of rice, it has come to be called Mt. Iimori. It is also very famous as the suicide harakiri site of “Byakko tai”. In 1868, after Tokugawa shogunate returned its political power to the Imperial Court, Boshin War between imperial and shogunate forces was broke out. Byakko tai is a shogunate army unit consisted of boys aged […]
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Nishikigoi no Sato (Nishikigoi museum)
Would you like to have a beautiful Nishikigoi (colored carp) as a pet? You can keep Nishikigoi even if you do not have a pond at home! Staff of “Nishikigoi no Sato (Nishikigoi village)” take care of your Nishikigoi and you do not even have to pay for their food! Ojiya City of Niigata Prefecture is the birthplace of Nishikigoi. In Ojiya, an exhibition of Nishikigoi is held every spring and autumn, and a lot of Nishikigoi lovers come to appreciate best Nishikigoi in Ojiya. “Nishikigoi no Sato” is only one Nishikigoi museum in Japan. You can freely enjoy the beautiful appearance of Nishikigoi called “Swim Jewelry” anytime you want. […]