Take a trip to Shonai, Yamagata Prefecture to refresh your mind. Be mesmerized by the beautiful rural scenery and mysterious spring water – Travel Watch

I participated in a three-day, two-night “Air & Rail Type Solo Travel Media Tour” hosted by the Shonai Airport Utilization Promotion Council. On the last day, I woke up in the room of “SUIDEN TERRASSE” where I stayed the night before, feeling the sparkling sunlight (article of day 2).

I stretched and took a deep breath. You will not experience such a pleasant morning in this city. Designed by world-renowned architect Shigeru Ban, this floating hotel over rice fields features some rooms with countryside views. In addition, there are many facilities such as open-air natural hot spring baths and popular saunas. There is a fitness space that can relieve daily fatigue. There is a library with about 1,000 books on the second floor of the public building, and you can read freely anywhere in the library (even in your own room).

It is also a cluster of industry and science, such as the Biolab Building at the nearby Keio University Institute for Advanced Biosciences.

The third day was also fine.It feels so good to walk in the morning

Suiden House is the perfect combination of pastoral scenery and architecture expressing the expression of the four seasons.

The hotel reception is at the top of the stairs. Except for the plinth and core, the entire space is made of wood, giving it a warm feeling.

There are about 1,000 books in the library of the public building. While watching the idyllic scenery, read a book leisurely.

The connecting corridor connecting the residential building and the public building. The pastoral scenery spreading to the left and right gives a sense of liberation.

Guest room is comfortable space where warmth of tree lives.From single rooms to family rooms, a total of 119 room types

Shonai’s mountains and rural scenery unfold from the terrace

Spa is enriched, too. This is Tsukiyo no Soup. Forget about your daily life with the sound of insects and running water, and enjoy the atmosphere that changes with the seasons and time while bathing.

The Getshiro-no-Yu sauna has an impressive faux paper tube bench. If you go out, you can take a bath or an open-air bath.Feel the feeling of being one with nature

Hot spring open-air bath. The surrounding mountains and sky can be seen from between the bathtub and the ceiling.

Amairo-no-Yu’s sauna has a uniform hexagonal design with a wooden roof, skylights, chairs and a cold tub.

Fitness has machines dedicated to total body movement and endurance training

Guests can also rent bicycles.Ideal for walking on the Shonai plains with few slopes

This view is just outside the hotel. Mount Chokai beyond the Shonai Plain.That alone is worth going to Shonai

The weather was fine that day, and Mt. Fuji could be seen. First, head to Suna Takayama Kaiko-ji Temple in Sakata City, where you can see Soshin Buddha.

Sokushinbutsu is Buddha in mummy state. There are six Suzhen Buddhas in the village, among which Tada Huizhen (joined in 1755) and Yanming Huizhen (joined in 1822) are enshrined in the Sufo Hall of Kaiguang Temple. The sokushinbutsu in Kaiguang Temple does not allow us to take pictures, but when I see it, I feel as if it is talking to me, and I can even hear its inner voice. However, this is a worldview that cannot be explained in words, so seeing is believing. I hope you must visit it.

The Suzhen Buddha Hall in Kaiguang Temple enshrines two Suzhen Buddhas

Kaiguang Temple, No. 75 of Pinghe Guanyin Bailing Temple in Zhuangnai, there are many Buddha statues and many tourists.

Once every 12 years, when the Year of the Ox deity appears, you can connect with the Gohonzon through Yuanzhigang.

You can see Chukaishen (left) and Mingkaishen (right) enshrined in Sujinbutsudo.

Next, head to the Sanno Club, where you can experience making grafu. Kasafuku, a lucky charm that carries the wish of “enriching life”, is a culture unique to Minatomachi Sakata, where the Kitamae ship that connects Osaka and Hokkaido returns from the Edo period to the Meiji period. The Sanno Club used to be a restaurant representing Sakata built in the Meiji era, and is now designated as a nationally registered tangible cultural property.

In the 106 tatami hall on the second floor, the 17th Minatomachi Sakata’s Kasafuku special exhibition will be held until October 31st. In the Kasafuku making experience, local mothers will carefully teach you how to sew and put cotton. It was fun interacting with these locals. Nearby is Maiko Chaya Somaro, a renovated restaurant from the Edo period where you can enjoy maiko dance and food.

“Sanno Club” is a restaurant representing Sakata in the Meiji era.You can experience making Ge Fu

Kasafuku is a lucky charm wishing to “enrich your life”.i made a treasure bag

In the Kasafuku making experience, local mothers will carefully teach you how to make. I’m very happy with this exchange.

Valuable experience in contact with traditional culture.I make memories of my travels

The 17th Minatomachi Sakata Kasafuku Special Exhibition, which can be seen in the lobby, is open until October 31st.

Chic design details such as frosted glass doors with cast mesh

You can also reminisce about the past while visiting each room

A locker for storing valuables such as money, banknotes, and seals when boarding the Kitamae ship. It is said that the structure is highly classified, and even if the ship sinks, the contents inside will not be wet.

Somaro, a maiko tea house where you can enjoy maiko dance and food, is also a famous spot.

The next place is “Yamako Warehouse”, which can be said to be a symbol of Shonai, a rice producing area. Built in 1893, this rice storage warehouse is said to hold 100,000 bales (10,800 tons) of rice.

The zelkova trees planted to withstand the summer heat are over 150 years old and are popular as photo spots and walking trails. When actually walking, I can enjoy a refreshing walk in the shade of a tree that is cool even in summer. It has a double-layer roof to prevent internal humidity, and the low-temperature warehouse is used as an agricultural warehouse, where the wisdom of the predecessors using nature is lived. Part of the building is the visitor and product center Sakata Yume no Kura, and I was surprised by the abundance of souvenirs.

“Sankyo Warehouse” can be said to be a symbol of Shonai, the rice producing area.Zelkova trees are popular as photo spots and walking trails

Mitsui Inari Shrine inside “Sankyo Warehouse”, the god of storehouses

The low-temperature warehouse that exerts the wisdom of the predecessors is used as a warehouse for agricultural products

The structure of the warehouse is also very photogenic.just right for a walk

For lunch, go to the exchange facility “Miraini” in front of Sakata Station to enjoy French local cuisine “Le Pott-Fou”. Here is a recommended lunch course where you can fully enjoy “Gourmet City Shonai”.

Main courses include chef’s selection of fish, meat or Yamagata beef hamburger steak, with Shonai vegetables and chef’s handmade hors d’oeuvres, rich seasonal vegetable soup, chef’s recommended dessert, bread and coffee. Dinner has a set menu It has a rich menu such as a la carte and is very popular with locals.

The Inside Story of French Country Cuisine “Le Pot-Fou”

Lunch Main Course Yamagata Beef Hamburger Steak

Main course for lunch, chef’s choice of fish.suzuki on this day

The main course for lunch, the chef’s choice of meat dishes.fried pork of the day

On the way, I came to “Michi no Station Chokai Apartment (Yusa Town)” along the National Highway No. 7. Depending on the season, you can peel and eat natural rock oysters on the spot. Rock oysters can be purchased by themselves, brought to the quarry, and eaten locally. Stop by and see this quality. Shonai is amazing, and I have experienced it here.

I came to “Michi no Eki Chokai Flat” along National Route 7.Enjoy local seafood on site

Natural rock oysters deserve a special mention. You can buy the whole shell and eat it at the peeling place.

To be able to eat natural rock oysters at the roadside station! !

Miraini houses the Sakata City Library and Tourist Information Center.

Next, we headed to Yuza-machi Maruike-sama, known as one of the most beautiful spots in the Shonai area. It is said to be a mysterious spring, and the only source of water is the spring. The diameter is about 20m, the depth is about 3.5m, clear and emerald green, beautiful. There is even an illusion of entering the painting world. The water surface will change according to the amount of sunlight, which is very mysterious. The pond itself is believed to be the object of worship of the Maruike Shrine located on the shore, and the shrine complex remains intact.

The nearby Udo River is 100% spring water, and the river water is cold and clear. It is said that salmon swim upstream in autumn. Many dragonflies are flying around the river, and there are frogs everywhere. “Is this the image of summer in Japan?”

Maruike-sama, the mysterious fountain in Tozacho, one of the best spots in Shonai

Stroll along the Niudu River that flows nearby.A very fitting “summer in the Japanese countryside” scene

Frogs are everywhere.Biodiversity themed trips are also fun

Many dragonflies fly along the river

100% of the tap water is spring water, and the water quality is cool and transparent.

Clear emerald green.As if entering the world of painting

Here we bid farewell to Shonai and head to Mototaki Fukuryusui located in Rukata Town, Nigaho City, Akita Prefecture. Walking about 750m from the parking lot, you can clearly see the cool air from the middle. The surroundings of the waterfall basin are like natural terraces, like another world. Refreshing. “Mototaki Fukuryuzui” is a waterfall of spring water that flows from the cliff at the end of the lava flow of Mt. Chokai about 100,000 years ago.

Mototaki, the source of the groundwater, is said to be about 200 meters upstream from the waterfall, but access is currently prohibited due to landslides. The Iwagaki oysters I ate before were also grown in the groundwater of Mount Fuji.

“Mototaki Fuku-ryu-sui” flows from the terminal cliff of Mt. Chokai’s lava flowed about 100,000 years ago

The water temperature is around 10°C all year round.The surrounding of the waterfall basin is like a natural terrace, another world

The last place we visited was “Kisakata Mongolian Village Baigal”, a glamping facility where you can stay in the mobile homes of Mongolian nomads “yurts” while admiring the stunning views of the Sea of ​​Japan and Mt. Chokai. Glamping is the latest boom. It is popular as a spot where you can experience outdoor activities freely while experiencing a space and culture different from everyday life.

Kisakata Mongolian Village Baigal, a glamping facility where you can stay in the mobile homes of Mongolian nomadic “gers”

Kisakata Beach is right in front of you and the lodge has toilets and showers. We can taste yakiniku dishes at restaurant with a view of the sea. There are 13 gels in total, with a diameter of 6 meters and a height of 2.8 meters, and can accommodate up to 5 people. Equipped with bed, TV, refrigerator, air conditioner, free Wi-Fi, office can also be used.

You can experience the outdoors while being in contact with spaces and cultures that are different from everyday life.

There are 10 yurts with a diameter of 6m and a height of 2.8m, which can accommodate up to 5 people.

You can enjoy barbecue food at the sea view restaurant of the homestay

Kisakata Beach is right in front of you.How nice it would be to sit on a swing and enjoy the cool breeze

Three days and two nights, the “Air & Rail Type Solo Travel Media Tour” in the Shonai area of ​​Yamagata Prefecture and Nigaho City in Akita Prefecture has come to an end. Unfortunately, I also have to go back to Tokyo.

For the return trip, take the Limited Express Inaho from Zakata Station to Niigata Station. On the way, I met the setting sun in front of Haruki Murakami. At Niigata Station, the Shinkansen “Toki Line” is waiting next to the arrival station, allowing smooth transfers. It’s been a very fulfilling three days.

Take the train on the way home.From Zakata Station to Niigata Station

Take the Limited Express Inaho. The name of the car comes from “Inaho” because it runs on the Shonai Plain, which is rich in rice.

The rustic station is irresistible

At Niigata Station, the Shinkansen “Toki” is waiting next to the arrival platform.Smooth transfer to Tokyo

The sun was setting in front of Haruki Murakami.The sunset seen from the train window is also very nostalgic

Finally, let me talk about your pertinent opinion. When I heard the word “Sonai”, I had no idea what kind of land it was and what kind of experience it would be. In addition, although it is very close to Tokyo, it is not actually a candidate for a tourist destination. However, I was able to experience what it was like to be reminded of such a fascinating land.

In addition to being less than an hour’s flight from Haneda Airport, it’s also a treasure trove of natural resources and plentiful, or overly plentiful, ingredients. There is also an ideal hometown like “Summer in Japan” depicted in the anime. I hope this post inspires as many people as possible to consider visiting Shonai.

Mount Chokai on the other side of the rice fields.Exactly the name of “Inaho” itself