EXCITING YAMANASHI AND MORE

Oshino Hakkai (eight seas) is located in the village of Oshino in the Fuji Five Lake region between Lake Kawaguchi and Lake Yamanaka in Yamanashi Prefecture. The eight spring ponds are Deguchi-ike (exit pond), Okama-ike (pot pond), Sokonashi-ike (bottomless pond), Choshi-ike (Choshi pond), Waku-ike (gushing pond), Nigori-ike (muddy pond), Kagami-ike (mirror pond) and Shobu-ike (iris pond). They are fed by infiltration of snow-melt water, filtered down the mountain through porous layers of lava, and it is said that they are connected through the underflow conduit. Naturally, the water is very clear. Oshino Hakkai is included in UNESCO’s Mount Fuji Cultural World Heritage site (Fujisan, sacred place and source of artistic inspiration), and the eight ponds are 8 of the 25 constituent assets.

Oshino Hakkai: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oshino_Hakkai; (In Japanese) https://yamanakako.info/8lakes_top.php

Being known for its snow monkeys, a lot of people have visited Jigokudani (Hell’s Valley) Yaen Koen (Wild Monkey Park) in a sunny winter day. The park is located in the town of Yamanouchi in Nagano Prefecture. The monkeys were busy playing and searching for food, and some were bathing in the hot spring (https://en.jigokudani-yaenkoen.co.jp/). The Japanese macaque (Macaca fuscata) is also known as the snow monkey (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Japanese_macaque).

Snowy Jigokudani Wild Monkey Park; The Monkeys are at work, Yamanouchi-town, Nagano, 02/26/202

Sunbathing & Grooming, Jigokudani Wild Monkey Park, Yamanouchi-town, Nagano, 02/26/2022

Am I dreaming or what? ; Jigokudani Wild Monkey Park, Yamanouchi-town, Nagano, 02/26/2022

It’s a steamy hot bath! ; Jigokudani Wild Monkey Park, Yamanouchi-town, Nagano, 02/26/2022

FYI: (Snow Monkeys Soak in Hot Springs, Nature on PBS https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6FzrsIOnIpo); (Japanese macaques in Jigokudani Yaen-Koen https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=icDS-tttL1Q)

RUSSIA INVADES UKRAINE

NATO SECRETARY GENERAL:

WE CALL RUSSIA TO STOP THIS “SENSELESS” WAR

THIS IS A FULL-FLEDGED INVASION OF UKRAINE FROM MULTIPLE DIRECTIONS

RUSSIA HAS SHUTTERED PEACE IN EUROPE

NATO ALLIES ACTIVATED OUR DEFENSE PLAN YESTERDAY

WE WILL DO WHAT IT TAKES TO PROTECT AND DEFEND EVERY NATO ALLY

NATO ACTIVATES ITS DEFENSE FORCE

In Kofu, there are two large restored tumuli (burial mounds). They are located in Sone-Kyuryo Park. Maruyamazuka-kofun tumulus is a circular tomb mound: (diameter) 72m, (height) 11m, and Kai Choshizuka-kofun tumulus is a large keyhole-shaped tomb mound: (total length) 169m; [front part] (width) 68m, (height) 8.5m, [back circular part] (diameter) 92m, (height) 15m.

The Idojiri Ruins is a mid-Jomon period archeological site (approximately 2500–1500 BCE) located in the town of Fujimi in Nagano Prefecture. There are a restored pit-dwelling house, crop fields, and paddy-like ponds. Idojiri Archeological Museum is in the site near the gate. The artifacts excavated from the ruins are exhibited in the museum. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Idojiri_ruins

FYI: Jomon Prehistoric Sites in Northern Japan is a serial UNESCO World Heritage Site consisting 17 Jomon-period archeological sites in the southern Hokkaido and northern Honshu islands. It was officially inscribed on the World Heritage List in July 2021. (https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/1632/) (https://jomon-japan.jp/en/)

The Shakado Museum of Jomon (rope marking) Culture is located in the city of Fuefuki in Yamanashi Prefecture. It has been collecting clay figures from the Jomon period (5,500~4,500 years ago). They were found in the remains of the pit-houses and dug-out hollows. Almost all the figures were excavated broken and they were seemed to have been broken on purpose and thought to have been used in some ritual ceremony. Most of the figures were pregnant women, so they may have been used for protection against the risks of childbirth, illness and death, or in fertility rites to make their chances of having babies or of giving birth more successfully. https://www.eps4.comlink.ne.jp/~shakado/

Shakado Museum of Jomon Culture, Fuefuki-city, Yamanashi, 1/23/2022

In the late Jomon period, the earthenware found became simpler than the earlier one. It was thought that the climate had gradually become cooler and the population and number of villages decreased in the central highlands.

Additional items other than earthenware in the museums

FYI: https://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/jomo/hd_jomo.htm; https://www.yamanashi-kankou.jp/english/discover/yamanashi-prefectural-museum-of-archaeology.html

“The Colder The Better, The Fair 2022” The Yatsugatake Area, 01/15~02/22 was canceled on 01/26/2022 from the following day until the last day. Since the Quasi-State of Emergency has been underway in Nagano Prefecture and the number of the omicron variant of Covid-19 has been drastically increasing in Yamanashi Prefecture, this year’s fair ended prematurely. The streets of the major town of the event in the Kiyosato district of the town of Takane, the city of Hokuto, in Yamanashi Prefecture was dead quiet on 01/30/22.

The C56149 steam railcar exhibited at Kiyosato Station build in 1938 was running between Kobuchisawa, Yamanashi Prefecture and Komoro, Nagano Prefecture in the JR Koumi Line. There is the highest point on any JR line near Nobeyama Station; the elevation is 1,375m. The steam engines in the line were terminated in 1972. One of the C56149 railcars was repaired and transported to the current place in 2009.

Year of the Tiger 2022: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tiger_(zodiac)

Ideshigyou Co., Ltd. https://www.ideshigyo.co.jp

Happy New Year! From a small shrine, Kumano Jinja, in Kofu, Japan. It is a calm, yet chilly night.

A year full of love to all of you!

Really amazing! According to the company’s home page, this is the 17th year to hold this illumination event. The theme of this year is “Snow White in The Woods With Animals.” Since light emitting diode (LED) lamps are used, relatively less power is being consumed [4.2 kW, 56 yen/hr]. (https://illuminate.jp)

Illumination Time: 16:30~24:00; Duration: 11/25/2021~2/28/2022.