Month: May 2021

The city of Nirasaki in Yamanashi Prefecture is an interesting small city. A former professional soccer player-businessman, Nakata Hidetoshi, played soccer at Nirasaki High School before he joined the J1 League (http://nakata.net/). A Nobel Prize laureate, Omura Satoshi, was born and raised in a farm in this town. He was awarded the 2015 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for his leading role in the discovery of the avermectins. In 2014, he received the Gairdner Global Health Award. He once taught at the University of Yamanashi before he became a research scientist (http://www.satoshi-omura.info/).

I visited two small shrines, Matsumoto Jinja and Yohashira Jinja, and Nawate shopping street in the city of Matsumoto in Nagano Prefecture. (https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Matsumoto-jinja) (https://www.go.tvm.ne.jp/~yohasira/index.html) (https://celecton.com/matsumoto/en/access/sightseeing/post-1.html)(https://visitmatsumoto.com/en/spot/nawate-street/) (http://www.unique-nagano.com/detail.php?id=151)

I tried to visit the Matsumoto City Museum of Art. However, it was currently closed for extensive renovations for about one year from April 2021 to April 2022. (https://matsumoto-artmuse.jp/en/)

A contemporary artist, Kusama Yayoi, known for her polka dot and eternity-net designs, was born and raised in Matsumoto-shi, Nagano Prefecture. Her works were not well-understood in Japan; however, ・・・・・・, the rest is history. (http://yayoi-kusama.jp/e/information/index.html) (https://yayoikusamamuseum.jp/en/home/) (https://www.go-nagano.net/en/theme/id=16715) (https://towadaartcenter.com/collection/love-forever-singing-in-towada/)

Former Kaichi School, located in the city of Mtsumoto in Nagano Prefecture, was originally built near the Metoba River in 1876. It was relocated to the current location, repaired, and restored to its original form in 1964. It is a two-story wooden building with a hip roof and white plaster walls. Because of its architectural style, a mixture of Western and traditional Japanese styles, the building looks very unique and charming. (https://visitmatsumoto.com/en/spot/kaichischool/)

In the books, the achievements of Hamaguchi Goryo were told. He saved the lives of a lot of people from a tsunami and an earthquake. His achievements and spirit are applicable even today as a symbol of disaster prevention. (https://www.town.hirogawa.wakayama.jp/inamuranohi/english/siryo_inamura.html)

Matsumoto Castle is located in the city of Matsumoto in Nagano Prefecture. It is easy to get there. You can take the Town Sneaker bus from JR Matsumoto Station. It takes about 5 minutes by bus (15minutes if you walk). It is enjoyable to stroll around the castle grounds. The inside castle is dark and the stairs are narrow and steep. You need to watch your step, and watch your head because some beams are rather low. Yet, it is fun. (https://www.matsumoto-castle.jp/lang/)

The Nishizawa Gorge is located in the Chichibu-Tama-Kai National Park, upstream of the Fuefuki River, created by fast-flowing streams of the river. The Nishizawa Gorge trail runs along the river.

The Shosenkyo Gorge walking trail runs along the Arakawa River. It has about six kilometers from the Nagatoro Bridge to Takiguchi-Ue and provides scenic views of the rocks and the stream.

Kanazakura Shrine, built to worship Mount Kinpu, is located at the uppermost stream of the Shosenkyo Gorge.

The Shosenkyo Gorge is located just north of Kofu, part of the Chichibu Tama Kai National Park. A ride on the Shosenkyo Gorge Gondola will take you to the summit of the mountain where you will find expansive views of the Southern Japan Alps and Mount Fuji on clear days.

At the Shosenkyo Gondola Station, there is a fish pond where gold koi (brocaded carp) fish have been raised. The gold koi is one of the nishikigoi (Cyprinus rubrofuscus), the Amur carp, a species of cyprinid fish.