Koshu Kaido Walk (18) Kanazawa – Kamisuwa: May 11, 2025

 

Today I walked from Kanazawa, the 44^th shukuba station from Tokyo (Edo), to Kamisuwa, the 45^th and last station of Koshu Kaido.

Kanazawa is close to Aoyagi Station on the JR Chuo Line. Old buildings remain here and there along the Koshu Kaido. I found traditional inns and trading stalls.

The road passes through mountainous areas. The rice fields in this area are used to dry agar in winter. Chino City is famous for producing naturally produced agar. There was a large sign reading "Agar Village" in the rice field. (See also the top photo)

 

I walked for about two hours and reached the center of Chino City. There was a Shinshu Miso store on the side of the road, and a miso barrel was placed in front of the store.

 

There are many shrines along the road. Even small shrines often have four pillars at each corner in this region. Miwa Shrine, close to the center of Chino, is also surrounded by four pillars.

 

The Kamisha (upper shrines) of Suwa Taisha are located in this area, and the Maemiya (front shrine) of the Kamisha is in Chino City. The main shrine of the Kamisha is in Suwa City.

During the Onbashira Festival, which is held once every six years, giant cedar trees cut down in the mountains are transported to the shrine. One route passes through Chino City. On the way, the pillars with many people on them go down a steep slope. The place of the big downhill is maintained in the Kiotoshi Park.

I found a torii gate leading to Suwa Taisha Shrine in front of JR Chino Railway station..

The Yatsugatake Mountains looked beautiful from Kamikawa Bridge near the Kiotoshi Park. 

 

 

After walking for about an hour from JR Chino Station, the Koshu Kaido entered Suwa City. The Northern Alps looked beautiful from the road.

 

I continued walking and entered Kamisuwa shukuba station. Kamisuwa is a major sake brewing area, and there are many sake breweries along the Koshu Kaido.

 

Univ. Festivals: Nov.3-5, 2023

 

 

Some universities in Tokyo have school festivals at this season. I visited two universities in my walking areas.

 

Kokushikan University locates near Setagaya City’s office. They have social science and liberal arts faculties here. (See the top photo)

They have concerts, exhibitions, open-air stalls, discussions and other activities. 

I had a cup of drink at “Ukraine Café,” which was operated by students of law faculty.

 

I also visited Tokyo University of Agriculture. The university has agriculture and biology-related faculties.

I found tens of tents in the site. They sold various harvests and foods there. (See the 2nd photo)

Students looked enjoying their activities in both festivals.

 

Summer Festivals: July 23, 2023

Now, it is summer festival season.

I joined two festivals during my walk on July 23.

A local community festival was held at Rokusho Shurine in Setagaya City.

They played Kagura dances.

I saw a lion dance (top photo) and an old man’s dance.

There were many visitors, including kids, in the site.

Open-air stalls were arranged.

I also visited a samba festival at Kyodo railway station.

Many samba teams danced in a public square as well as on the roads.

 

Morioka: June 10-11, 2023 (Off Tokyo)

 

I visited Morioka City in Iwate Prefecture for the firest time in four years.

I regularly visited the region before the Covid-19 pandemic. People’s activities were restricted in Japan from 2020 to 2022 to prevent infection. Now, restrictions are left and people enjoy more travels.

 

I found many tourists in Morioka City. The New York Times in February included Morioka in a list of 52 places to go around the world in 2023. The attractiveness of a Japan’s local city was focused in the article.

The City welcomed the tourists. I found a Sansa-Odori (dance) preformance played in fromt of the railway station.

 

They had Chagu Chagu Umakko, a parade of around 100 horses, on June 10. The event continues from long ago to show people’s thankfulness for their horses. The horses are decorated with beautiful cloths. They walk about 14km from Takizawa City to Morioka.(See also the top photo, 2nd and 3rd photos) 

The event was cancelled in 2020 and 2021 because of the Covid-19.

I watched the parade at Asahi Bridge near JR Morioka station. The bridge is over Kitakami River.

Various people --politicians, men and women, and kids – were on the horses.

 Many people gathered to see the events.

 

I walked the bank of Kitakami River. It is about 200km from the mouth of the river to Morioka. We used to find many salmon arriving from the sea, in autumn. Now, it is seldom.

Mt. Iwate (Iwate-san) is behind the river.

 

There are many spots related to Kenji Miyazawa, the country’s famous novelist, in Zaimokucho area near Kiytakami River. He published one of his most famous works from a company in the area. It is now a shop/café.

 There is a statue of Kenji Miyazawa in the Ihatov Street. Kenji included his dream for Utopia in “Ihatov” when he created the word.

The old Morioka castle is now turned to a park.

 

Many cultural facilities, including a museum for Kenji and Takuboku Ishikawa, another famous poet born in Iwate, are in the area.

 

A restaurant of Wanko Soba, Morioka’s special noodle, attracted many tourists. It serves guests tens of (or hundreds of) small noodle bowls.

 

Belgium Beer Weekend ＠Hibiya Park: July 29, 2022

 

I visited Belgium Beer Weekend event held in Hibiya Park, central Tokyo.

The event started in Japan in 2010. It is held in several cities in Japan, including Tokyo, Osaka, Yokohama, Nagoya, Sapporo, Fukuoka and others. The plans were irregular in the last three years because of Covid-19 infections.

Hibiya Park is in the center of Tokyo. It is only one bloc from the Imperial Palace.

It is surrounded by skyscrapers.

Large lawn ground as well as fountains are in the park. (See the top photo)

There are also many trees.

Getting into the event space was strictly restricted to prevent the Covid-19 infection. Only checked persons are allowed to go in.

More than 200 thousand cases are found on July 23 throughout the nation. The number stays over 200 thousand. More than 40 thousand cases were found on July 28 in Tokyo.

No restriction orders have been issued so far in Tokyo. Still, people started to avoid having large-scale gatherings in closed places, such as restaurants and drinking bars.

People at the beer festival site are in the open space. It was not difficult to imagine that some of they were talking about Covid-19.

 

 

Tokyo Olympic to open: July 20, 2021

Tokyo Olympic Games will open on July 23.

The event will be unique as most games will be performed without spectators under the COVID-19 pandemic,

Athletes are asked to stay only in the competition sites, training facilities or athlete village. Going out of the village is banned to avoid contacts with ordinary people in Japan.

I visited the Olympic Stadium in the central part of Tokyo, where the opening ceremony and truck and field competitions will be held.

The Olympic ring is places in a space across the road from the stadium. (See als the top photo)

 

People were taking photos.

 

Access to the stadium is restricted. Only accredited people and vehicles were allowed to move in from the checking points. (see also the 3rd photo)

Volunteer staff members were working there.

 

Pictures drawn by kids were displayed on the wall.

 

There is a count-down clock in front of Tokyo Station. (See also the 2nd photo)

The number of visitors were not so many.

We will have the unprecedented games in three days.

New National Stadium of Tokyo (under construction): Oct. 5, 2019

There are about 10 months before the Tokyo Olympic Games open in August 2020.

I walked around the site of the New National Stadium. The stadium will be used for the opening and closing ceremonies as well as for truck and field competitions in the Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic Games.

The stadium is now under construction. It is scheduled to complete in November.

I walked the “Stadium Street” from the Tokyo Metro Gaien-mae station.

It is about 500 meters from the station to the stadium. There is a rugby stadium, as well as a baseball stadium along the street. There are also shops, museums and other facilities.

People took photos of the stadium from an open space in front of the Olympic museum.

A big Olympic mark is placed there.