Flower carpet @ Roppingi Hills: May 18, 2016

Japan and Belgium have the 150^th anniversary of their diplomatic relations in 2016. Various events are planned to celebrate the 150 years of the friendship between the two countries.

The flower carpet appeared in Roppongi Hills in central Tokyo this week. It is a part of the 150^th anniversary events.

I attended an opening ceremony today.

Brussels had a terrorist attack in January. Japan had a big earthquake disaster in Kumamoto last month. The Prime Minister of the Brussels Regional Government, who attended the ceremony, said (in French language) that he questioned himself if it is appropriate to have such event when we have had many victims of the disasters. He continued that it is important to move forward together.

Brussel’s flower carpet is worldwide famous. It is held every two year at the Grand Place, which locate at the center of the city and is registered as a World Heritage. Brussels plans to have the event with the image of Japan in the carpet.

Tokyo Metropolitan Government Governor Yoichi Masuzoe also attended the ceremony. Leaving aside the political scandal around him, his French was excellent.

I enjoyed Belgium beer after the official part of the ceremony.

Nakasendo Walk (15) Shimosuwa(29/69)-Shiojiri (30/69): May 15, 2016

When I began walking to west from Shimosuwa , the Onbashira Festival of Suwa Shrine was held there.

I met many many local people moving into the center of the town to enjoy the event. Many of them were in happi traditional festival costume.

With about 30 minute walk from Shimosuwa shukuba station, I moved into Okaya City. Nakasendo first went through residential areas and became hilly.

It is the entrance of the Shiojiri Pass.

The Pass is about 1000 meter high. We can see Lake Suwa, cities and towns around the lake, and many mountains from the pass. If it is very clear, we can see Mr. Fuji, Mt Ontake and the mountains of the Northern Japan Alps. It was unfortunately not clear enough. (see the top photo)

I walked down the pass to northwest, the direction of Shiojiri.

There were many battles in the middle age around this area. The battle in 1548 between Takade Shingen and Ogasawara Nagatoki is espechially famous. Maany people died in the area.

There is a monument to console the spirits of the dead in the field between the Shiojiri Pass and Shiojiri shukuba station. (see the photo 2nd from the top)

Shiojiri shuku is the 30^th station from Nihonbashi. Most buildings were burnt in the fire. Some monuments remain.

The east and west Chuo Lines of railroads meet at JR Shiojiri Station. The east line is from Tokyo and the west line is from Nagoya. Shiojiri is an important traffic terminal. 

Suwa Taisha Onbashira Festival @ Shimosuwa: May 14-15, 2016

I was lucky enough to meet the famous festival of Suwa Taisha Shrine in Shimosuwa Town when I was walking there in my Nakasendo walk.

Suwa Taisha Shrine is one of the oldest shrines in Japan. It has about 1000 brunches throughout the nation.

Suwa Taisha Shirine consists of four shrines; Haru-miya and Aki-miya in Shimosuwa Town in the northern side of Lake Suwa and Mae-miya and Hon-miya in Chino City and Suwa City in the southern side of the lake.

The Onbashira Festival is held in every six year. They bring big trees called Onbashira, which are regarded as gods, from the mountains to towns and set them up in the shrines.

The shrine parishioners stand on the trees and sing ritual songs. (see also the top photo)

The trees are pulled with ropes by tens of people. It is dangerous when the trees move down the steep slopes. Not a few people were killed in the accidents in the past.

I saw on May 14^th hundreds of people pulling a tree in the slope (it is Nakasendo) from the mountain to Haru-miya. The participants wore happi, traditional Japanese festival contume.

On May 15, I saw they walked around the town pulling the treed. Thousands of tourist enjoyed the festival. (see also the photo 2nd from the top)

Nakasendo Walk (14) Wada(28/69)-Shimosuwa(29/69): May 14, 2016

I walked over the Wada Pass today. The pass is about 1500 meter high, the highest place in Nakasendo. (see the top photo).

The Wada Pass was seen as the most difficult place in Nakasendo to walk.

The Wada shukuba station is about 800 meter high above the sea level. I walked upward a long slope more than two hours to arrive at the pass. It was mora than 10 kilometer long.

Some parts of Nakasendo have been converted into paved roads and some parts have been kept as they were in the Edo period. Some monuments, including the milestones, welcomed me. 

Japanese larch and other trees are planted along the road.

I had another 10 kilometer walk down to Shimosuwa, the 29^th shukuba station from Nihonbashi, Tokyo. Some parts of the road were narrow and steep.

Simosuwa lies at the north side of Lake Suwa. It is about 760 meter high.

Shimosuwa is famous as a home of Suwa Taisha Shrine and as a hot spring resort. They held the Onbashira Festval the day I reached. The Photos and comments on the festival are in another post.

Nakasendo and Koshu Kaido, which connects Edo (Tokyo) and Shimosuwa through Yamanashi Prefecture meet here.

  

There used to be many travel inns with hot springs along Nakasendo in the Edo era. They have been changed to modern Japanese-style hotels. Hot spring continues to be served there. 

I found many taps placed in front of the hotels and other places. Hot water was running from the taps.

The Suwa Taisha Shrine consists of four shrines. There are haru-miya and Aki-miya in ShimosuwaTown and Mae-miya and Hon-miya in the south of Lake Suwa in Suwa City and Chino City.

I visited Aki-miya. There stand a pair of big shrine guardian dogs. They are the largest bronze-made dogs in Japan.

Nakasendo Walk(13) Ashida(26/69)-Wada(28/69): May 5, 2016

Today’s walk started from Ashida, the 26^th shukuba station. It is in Tateshina Town. Traditional buildings remain.  The mountains came closer as I continued walking.

Walking about a kilometer,　I was welcomed by a row of pine trees. It is called the pine trees of Kasatori. They were originally planted in the Edo era.

I enjoyed the walk through the pine trees and arrived at the Kasatori Pass.

There are terraces of fields for rice and other products. I saw famers working hard to prepare for rice planting scheduled the following week. I also found a number of solar panels in the fields. They reflected the sun’s light. The green trees of the hills and Mt. Asama were seen behind the panels. The scene was impressive. (See the top photo)

Some parts of Nakasendo have been converted into national roads, whereas some parts have been kept as they were. The traditional roads in the area are, of course, narrow and covered with fresh green grass.

I moved into Nagakubo, the 27^th shukuba station. Traditional buildings remain here.

Nagakubo was ruled by the Sanada family in the 16^th and 17^th century. Sanada Yukimura, a family member, is seen as one of the most outstanding feudal warlords and is still very popular in the country. His daughter Osue married to a village headman of Nagakubo. Her illustration is used as a tourism campaign figure today.

Leaving Nagakubo, I walked up a long slope to Wada. Fresh water runs in the rivers along the road. 

I found small hydro electric generators along in some places.

I also met monuments and sculptures on the way to Wada, the 28th shukuba station. One of them was a monument to console the sprits of thousands of monks, who died during their travels hundreds years ago. (See the photo second from the top).

Another one was a monument to console the sprits of the earthworms. It is said that the local people respected the earthworms as they produced good soil.

I also found a small lively bus stop with a thatched roof. They run small local buses here. They connect the local society and Ueda, the region’s big city, and are definitely important for the old people and the students.

The Wada station was completely burnt in 1861, but it was quickly rebuilt in the same year. Princess Kazunomiya of the royal family in Kyoto was decided to marry to Shogun Tokugawa Ieshige in Edo (Tokyo). The princess was scheduled to stay Wada in her way from Kyoto to Edo. So, the station was very quickly recovered.

The main inn and other historical buildings remain.

Nakasendo Walk (12) Iwamurada(22/69)-Ashida(26/69): May 4, 2016

I continued my walk from Iwamurada, the 22^nd shukuba station. It is near from the Sakurdaira railway station of the Hokuriku Shinkansen bullet train. It is in Saku City.

I could see many faces of Mr. Asama in the Iwamurada area. In one view, the mountain stood behind the central part of Saku City. In another view, Mt Asama was behind vegetable fields.

I also saw many apple fields along the street. Some were large and some were small. The white flowers were open when I walked there and the trees will have many apples fruits in autumn. (see the 2nd photo from the top)

I have learned that the shopping street offers services to help mothers to take care their babies. They also provide kids services to help their studies. Helping child care and basic education is a big challenge throughout the nation. Iwamurada's case is a good example.

Saku is also famous for its carp dished. I tried the full course, which included fresh, boiled, fried sweet-tasted and vinegar-tested carp. It was too much, but I enjoyed the traditional taste.

I moved into Shionada, the 23^rd station. It locates at the side of the Chikuma River. The river changes its name to Shinano River in the lower part and is the longest river in Japan. Mt. Asama over the river was beautiful. (see the top photo)

There also are apple fields around the area.

I walked into Yahata, the 24^th station. They produce good rice here. I had a talk with local farmers and they said that rice planning is scheduled in the middle of May. The water was introduced into the fields. (see the 3rd photo from the top)

Some fields have been converted into the site of solar panels.

There are many sculptures of Buddha, God and Goddess along Nakasendo. I felt the number increased after entering into Nagano Prefecture. At Yahata area, I found some impressive examples.

I moved into Mochizuki, the 25^th station. It was famous as a place to produced good horses. I found a horse was carved in the cover of a manhole.

I passed the village of Motai before arriving in Ashida, the 26^th station. Travelers of the Edo period took breaths or had meats at Motai. There remain old traditional houses here. I found thay were well preserved.