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Blog Spot introduction 2ページ目
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Chickweed wintergreen
The Chickweed wintergreen is a plant that quietly produces small, white, star-shaped flowers measuring about 2 cm in diameter. Whilst it is said that around half of the alpine plants found in Japan are endemic to the country, this flower is widely distributed not only across the boreal regions of the Eurasian continent but also in the north-western part of North America. In Zaō, it is said to be visible from June onwards, particularly around the summit station of the ropeway. True to its floral meaning of ‘purity of heart’, it is a flower that has a soothing effect on…
- Flower
- Miyagi
- Spot introduction
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Maruba-shimotsuke, Spiraea betulifolia
Maruba-shimotsuke is a tree native to alpine grasslands and gravelly areas from Hokkaido to the central part of Honshu. As the kanji characters ‘丸葉下野’ suggest, its Japanese name means ‘Shimotsuke with round leaves’. Shimotsuke is a shrub related to the rose family; it is said to have been named after Shimotsuke Province—now part of Tochigi Prefecture—where it was first discovered. Its small white flowers cluster in round clusters, blooming much like hydrangeas. It is said to flower from June onwards in Mount Zaō, and I saw many of them blooming along the trekking trails. As it is highly adaptable to…
- Flower
- Miyagi
- Spot introduction
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Iwa-Kagami, Schizocodon soldanelloides
Iwa-Kagami is a species endemic to Japan, found throughout the country, from Hokkaido to Kyushu. It grows wild on rocky (Iwa in Japanese) slopes, and its name is thought to derive from the fact that its glossy leaves resemble a mirror (Kagami in Japanese). It is found on both low- and high-altitude mountains, and in alpine regions such as Mount Zaō, its pink flowers begin to bloom in June. It is perhaps because its flowers bloom modestly, facing downwards, that their floral meaning is ‘fidelity’. This seems very typically Japanese, and it is easy to see why this species is endemic…
- Flower
- Miyagi
- Spot introduction
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Hakusan-chidori, Dactylorhiza aristata
The Hakusan-chidori got its name because it was frequently spotted on Mount Hakusan, situated on the border between Ishikawa and Gifu prefectures, and because the shape of its flowers and the way they bloom resemble the flight of a plover (chidori in Japanese). It is an alpine plant found in Japan from Hokkaido to central Honshu, and it blooms with purple flowers from June to August. Although specimens with white flowers are reportedly seen every year in Zaō, one occasionally comes across specimens with particularly striking white flowers, as shown in the photograph.
- Flower
- Miyagi
- Spot introduction
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Komakusa (Alpine bleeding heart)
The Komakusa, which produces delicate pink flowers. In Zaō, it reportedly begins to bloom in mid-June and reaches its peak in July. A large colony can be found near the Komakusa-daira car park, located on the Miyagi Prefecture side of the Zaō Echo Line road. As it blooms in gravelly terrain where other plants cannot grow, giving it an air of nobility, it is known as the ‘Queen of Alpine Plants’. It has long been used as a medicinal herb to relieve stomach ache; indeed, some mountains have seen the plant driven to extinction by poaching, and some local authorities…
- Flower
- Miyagi
- Spot introduction
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Okama in Zaō
The Tohoku region has entered the rainy season. I visited Zaō just before the rains began, when the alpine flowers were starting to bloom. Although Zaō stands at an altitude of 1,841 metres, it is accessible by car almost right up to the summit—except in winter—and the car park gets very busy at weekends. The observation deck is just a short walk from the Kariyadake summit car park. Most group tours visit the observation deck and Kariyamine Shrine before returning, but to view the beautiful emerald-green crater lake, commonly known as ‘Okama’, from the front, you need to climb the…
- Miyagi
- Spot introduction
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Sea Squirt Nigiri
Sea Squirt (Hoya in Japanese) is a delicacy commonly enjoyed in the Tohoku region. It is in season from now through to summer, when its distinctive odour fades and its umami flavour intensifies. Due to its bumpy appearance, it is often referred to as the ‘pineapple of the sea’. However, contrary to its somewhat grotesque appearance, it has a refreshing taste that pairs beautifully with ponzu sauce. It pairs superbly with sake when served as sashimi or in a vinegar salad with salt-rubbed cucumber, but it is also delicious as a nigiri. I visited Tasuke Sushi in Shiroishi City. It…
- Food
- Miyagi
- Spot introduction
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Nemagari Bamboo
In the Tohoku region and Shinshu, the term ‘bamboo shoots’ generally refers not to the commonly eaten Moso bamboo shoots, but to Kuril dwarf bamboo, commonly known as nemagari bamboo. It grows not in bamboo groves but in thickets of sasa (bamboo grass), and is currently in season from late May to mid-June. Whilst the tough parts need to be trimmed away, unlike Moso bamboo, there is no need to remove the bitterness, making it a mountain vegetable with a pleasant crunch. The downside is that nemagari bamboo is a favourite food of Asian black bears, so you are likely…
- Food
- Spot introduction
- Yamagata
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Increasing Japanese Macaques
Since last year, there have been sightings of Asian black bears in urban areas, and sightings of Japanese macaques in urban areas are also on the rise. According to staff at a guesthouse in Zaō Onsen, Yamagata Prefecture, the number of Japanese macaques in the Zaō area has been increasing recently; I encountered a troop of them twice on the prefectural road—commonly known as the Nishi-Azuma Sky Valley—which runs from Lake Inawashiro to Yonezawa city. They did not seem particularly afraid of people and were sitting right in the middle of the road, but being surrounded by a troop of…
- Mammals
- Spot introduction
- Yamagata
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Disaster Heritage Site: Uketo Primary School
Fifteen years have passed since the Great East Japan Earthquake. I have finally been able to visit the disaster-stricken areas of Fukushima. Although nearly 80% of Namie Town is still designated as a ‘difficult-to-return zone’ and access is prohibited, Uketo Primary School is open to visitors as a disaster heritage site. A tsunami reaching a maximum height of 15.5 metres swept through Namie Town, claiming the lives of 182 people and dealing a devastating blow to the town. However, the 82 pupils and staff of the primary school evacuated to Mt Ohira, nearly 1 km away, and all survived. That…
- Fukushima
- Spot introduction
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Momiji manjū
Momiji Manjū is a famous sweet that epitomises Itsukushima in Hiroshima. It is a souvenir that virtually everyone buys when visiting on a school trip. Conceived in 1906, it was originally a sweet made from castella sponge filled with smooth red bean paste. Nowadays, shops offer their own unique flavours, ranging from traditional bean paste to chocolate and custard cream, but my personal favourite is Sakamoto Confectionery’s Salted Butter Momiji. As Hatsukaichi City, where Miyajima is located, is a sister city with Mont-Saint-Michel, the confectionery uses salt from Mont-Saint-Michel. The balance of butter and salt is simply exquisite. As the…
- Hiroshima
- Japanese dessert
- Spot introduction
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Nakatsubo
Takayama ramen is characterised by its light soy sauce broth, made from chicken bones, bonito flakes and vegetables, served with curly noodles. It is what is known as ‘old-fashioned Chinese-style noodles’ for Japanese, and locals refer to it as ‘Chūka soba’ or simply ‘soba’. This is why, if you order ‘soba’, you will be served Chinese-style noodles rather than Japanese buckwheat noodles. It was introduced from Tokyo in the early Showa period, and over the years, adjustments have been made—such as simmering the soup and soy sauce together—to ensure it remains warm and comforting even during Takayama’s cold winters. My…
- restaurant
- Spot introduction
- Takayama