September 2010Archives

By Jib-kun

Tochigi Prefecture is situated in the most northern part of the Kant? region, and is a prefecture that is inland, not facing the coast. Though only 70 kilometers away from Tokyo, it is an area that still retains a lush mountain landscape.
This program goes on a journey to visit the people who live in the natural environment of such a mountainous area, taking a look at their work and everyday lives.

The first place we visit is Ashikaga Flower Park of Ashikaga City.
Though it may seem like a regular botanical gardens at first glance, there is actually a fantastic sight here that draws enormous crowds.
The tree doctor and director of the gardens Konami Tsukamoto takes us to see the most treasured sight of the gardens.

Moving further north, we enter a lush rural mountainous area.
Here, we find a plant that grows over three meters tall.
Tochigi Prefecture is actually one of the largest hemp producers in Japan, and July is the month when the crop grows most vigorously.
While watching how it is harvested, we ask Yoshinori ?mori about his endeavors in creating new hemp products.

Being a mountainous area, many peoples' lives are embedded in nature. So what is it like?
Laura Adeyto goes to visit the house of Takeshi Machida, whom she met in Tochigi City, to spend a day of rural life.
Going out to weed the rice fields and chopping wood to feed the fire to cook rice, it is all about taking the time and effort. It is indeed a "slow life" experience.

People who normally enjoy the convenience of urban life rarely feel the presence of nature close at hand these days.
A way of life in nature seemed to emanate a nostalgic feel, something we seem to have forgotten and left behind.

 Traveler: Adeyto


■ACCESS■


View Larger Map

by Jib-kun

It's part 2 of our Nakano expedition!
 

Just a five-minute ride from Shinjuku,
the Nakano district is jammed with shopping areas and appealing residential districts.
 

Nakano's many unique and neighborhoody businesses make it a fun destination.

by Jib-kun

Nakano is only a five minute train ride from Shinjuku.

But this mainly residential district has plenty of quirky charm!

Drop by Nakano and sample its surprising subculture!

By Jib-kun

The Sekita mountain range, soaring 1000 meters above sea level, straddles Nagano and Niigata Prefectures.  Hikers can now walk along it on the "Shin-etsu Trail." It extends along the ridge for distance of 80 kilometers, from Mount Madarao in Nagano Prefecture to Mount Amamizu in Niigata Prefecture.  It opened in 2008, thanks to the hard work of many local volunteers.

The Sekita mountain range is known for its virgin beech forests and marshlands, which have been largely lost in Japan.  The habitats of many plant and insect species have been preserved here.  The site is also a "Satoyama," a place where people coexist with the mountain through small-scale farming and forestry use.

Our travelers will spend five days walking the full distance of the "Shin-etsu Trail".  Our guide is a nature writer, Yoshinori Kato.  Kato has walked several long trails in Japan and abroad.  In 2005, he became the first Japanese to complete on foot the full distance of of the Appalachian Trail in the United States. 

They take off from the starting point of the Shin-etsu Trail - Mount Madarao (1382 meters high).  They come upon a marsh on the first day, which is a breeding ground of the rare Forest Green Tree Frog, found only in Japan. 

16 passes cross the Shin-etsu Trail.  As there are no accommodations available along the trail, travelers stay at private inns in villages in the foothills, accessed by the passes.  

The lives of people in the foothills are closely linked with the range.   Water run-off is used for the rice fields. The beech forests help store that water.  It's an example of satoyama.

Our travelers continue along the long trail through beech forests, supporting the habitats of many creatures.   They learn about the area's nature and how people have long co-existed with it.

  Reporter : Peter von Gomm


View Larger Map

To get to the Shin-etsu Trail, take Shinkansen bullet train from Tokyo to Nagano.  From there, take a local train to head to Iiyama.

by Jib-kun

Ethnic, exotic Okubo - a magnet for foreign residents of Tokyo.
Okubo attracts an increasingly diverse blend of peoples and cultures.
Join us for a tour of this cosmopolitan hotspot.