EXPERIENCE YAMANASHI AND MORE _ EXPLORE YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD

Annabelle (Hydrangea arborescens), Nagasaka, Hokuto, Yamanashi, 6/24/2018

Noh was performed in the town of Fujikawaguchiko in Yamanashi Prefecture.  The title was “Kurama Tengu (Long-nosed Goblin in Kurama).”  Nohgaku is one of the traditional styles of Japanese theater.  It is composed of the lyric drama noh and the comic theater kyogen.  In this play, the kyogen part was included in the drama.  The spiritual and symbolic nature of the story is facilitated by the stylized dance, mime, chanting chorus, and musical accompaniment.  The elegance and beauty of the noh world is expressed with the slow movement, simple setting, and subdued music.  (the-noh.com/index.html ;the-noh.com/en/plays/data/detail_025.html)

In 2008, nohgaku was listed as an Intangible Cultural Heritage by UNESCO. Also, refer to Lecture and Demonstration of Noh and Kyogen Performance Styles Theatre Nohgaku at Boston University (youtube.com/watch?v=-6msFSM1d9A).

The views from the Fujisan Station, Fujiyoshida, Yamanashi, 5/20/2018

A walking tour of the Aokigahara Woodland area in the town of Fujikawaguchiko and the village of Narusawa in Yamanashi Prefecture was conducted for a Lebanese person living in the USA to become a medical practitioner.  The tour started with the Bat Lava Cave.  The weather was really nice; however, there were not many visitors, so we were able to spend more time than usual.  Walking through the woodland, we stopped at the Ryugu Lava Cave next (Refer to BLOG 4/26 & 4/30/2017).  We encountered with two large groups of primary school students.  They were well-mannered and cheerful.  Climbing up to Koyodai mountain, we met two more groups of junior high school students.  They were also well-managed.  Because of the mild weather probably, we met several senior couples on the hiking trails.  They were really fit.  The view from Koyadai Rest House was magnificent (Refer to GALLERY).  Walking in the woodland was very comfortable and enjoyable.  It is the mid spring, so tree leaves are fresh green; bush warblers were singing beautifully in the sky.  One more encounter, in the middle of the woodland trail, we met two persons, looked like a father and his son; the elder person was blind.  We were very impressed since it was so hard to walk on the bumpy and hard lave surface.

Fugaku Wind Cave, a hollowed lava cave with ice.   Inside the cave was cold, and Ice pillars and icicles were still in good shape.  In the old days, this cave was used as a natural refrigerator, and stored silkworm cocoons and tree seeds.  There are racks holding cans full of cocoons and seeds.

Narusawa Ice Cave, a hole lava cave with ice.  The holes in the cave are big enough to hold a great amount of ice during cold months.  The dripping water builds up the huge ice pillars.  The ice in the cave was once sent to the shogun and his entourage in the Edo period.   Walls of ice rectangular-cuboids are stored along the passage.

The surface humus soil on the lava in the woodland is so shallow, it is said that it is about 8cm-thick average, the roots of some huge trees cannot hold their weight, and fall down to the ground.

Fugaku Wind Cave and Narusawa Ice Cave, Aokigahara Woodland, Fujikawaguchiko-town and Narusawa-village, Yamanashi, 5/15/2018

A walking tour to observe Mount Fuji with the five-storied pagoda and to stroll the nostalgic Showa era town is available.  These places are located in the city of Fujiyoshida in Yamanashi Prefecture. Starting with Shimoyoshida Station, Arakura Sengen Park, one of the nicest Mount Fuji-viewing points, is about a 20-minute walk away.  Arakura Sengen Shrine is located at the entrance of the park.  After climbing about 500 stone steps, you reach one of the prime photography spots where you can observe Mount Fuji, a five-storied pagoda, and cherry blossoms in spring or brightly colored leaves in autumn all together (Refer to Mount FUJI, GALLERY).

The Yoshida area is well known for its local delicacy Yoshida udon, a type of thick wheat flour noodle of Japanese cuisine that is firmer and chewier than ordinary udon.  There are several udon restaurants nearby (http://fujiyoshida.net/about/udon.html). Fujiyoshida is the current name of the municipality.

The Shimoyoshida (shimo means down or lower part of Yoshida town) area used to be a booming town in textile industry. As part of the Gunnai region, thread-spinning factories were here and there, and weaving machines were housed in almost every household and rattling noises were heard day and night.  Local merchants collected the textile fabrics and traded them in the markets.  Various entertaining facilities including movie theaters and geisha houses flourished.  Good old days are gone, but you can peek the remains of the old establishments from the Showa era back streets of Shimoyoshida.

Yamanashi textile industry has existed for over 1000 years.  It is not a major industry today; yet, the craftsmanship of Kai silk weaving techniques has been inherited and innovated.

(http://hatajirushi.jp/history-english; https://www.kaikiza.com/en.html)

Shimoyoshida, Fujiyoshida, Yamanashi, 4/26/2018

Azalea (Rhododendron) flowers, Nagasaka, Hokuto, Yamanashi, 4/25/2018

Magnolia (Magnolia liliiflora) Flowers, Nagasaka, Hokuto, 4/10/2018

Oshino Hakkai Springs are one site of the Mount Fuji World Cultural Heritage Sites (registered in June 2013).  The springs have revered as the springs of the gods since ancient time, and the pilgrims to Mount Fuji purified their impurities in the springs before climbing.  The Springs consist of eight ponds.  In the village of Oshino, beautifully preserved-thatched roofs are observed here and there.

Spring Flowers in Oshio Hakkai Springs, Oshino-village, Yamanashi, 4/10/2018

Cherry blossoms (Prunus × yedoensis) on the trunk of a cherry tree, Nagasaka, Hokuto, Yamanashi, 4/10/2018

The most famous festival in Yamanashi is the Shingen-ko Festival.  The festival is held to honor the warlord of the Sengoku era, Takeda Shingen.  The representative flags of Lord Shingen are hung all over the city during the festival.  The highlight of the festival is the parade of the Takeda army dressed in authentic Samurai warrior costumes.  The photos below show part of the closing ceremony of the festival.

Shingen-ko Festival, Kofu, Yamanashi, 4/07/2018