Enjoy the Natural Scenery of Tohoku at Towada-Hachimantai National Park! If you're thinking about visiting Japan's Tohoku region but aren't quite sure where to go, then this is the video for you! Akita Prefecture (秋田県, Akitaken) is the epitome of natural scenic beauty! Let's take a look at what it has to offer. The video "Towada-Hachimantai National Park, Japan 4K (Ultra HD)," created by "National Parks of Japan," is a promotional video for Towada-Hachimantai National Park, a tourist site rich in nature, stretched over a vast area in Aomori Prefecture (青森県, Aomoriken), Iwate Prefecture (岩手県, Iwateken), and Akita Prefecture. Beautiful natural scenery, various onsen spots… the video is filled with the charms of Towada-Hachimantai National Park. This video will surely leave you craving to travel to Towada-Hachimantai National Park! This article will provide relevant information about attractions at Towada-Hachimantai National Park, where you can indulge in the nature of Japan, along with the contents of the video. Towada-Hachimantai National Park Photo：Aerial view of Lake Towada Towada-Hachimantai National Park, a tourist site in Japan, offers numerous spots where you can enjoy the amazing natural environment. Mt. Hakkoda (八甲田山, Hakkodasan), introduced at the beginning of the video was selected as one of the "100 Famous Japanese Mountains," and is a signature scenic site in Akita Prefecture. The view of Mt. Hakkoda from Hakkoda Ropeway is a must-see, particularly in the autumn when the autumn leaves decorate the mountain in beautiful colors. Besides that, the Hakkoda area also provides places where tourists can see peculiar views, such as Japanese beech forests, Lake Jigokunuma (地獄沼, Jigokunuma), and more. You can see the Mt. Hakkoda covered in autumn leaves in the video as well. It makes a great backdrop for photos as well. Be sure to take some pictures and post them on your Instagram! We recommend stopping by Lake Towada (十和田湖, Towadako) when you visit Towada-Hachimantai National Park as well. If the weather is nice, you can witness an entrancing view of the sky and clouds reflecting off of the surface of the water. It's a famous sight in the Tohoku Region (東北地方, Tohokuchiho). In addition, the lake is well known for kokanee fishing and canoeing, and many people visit there to indulge in these activities. This can be seen at 0:12 in the video. There are many places where you enjoy the natural landscape around the national park such as Towada Gold Line, Kakkonda Valley (葛根田渓谷, Kakkondakeikoku), Mt. Iwate (岩手山, Iwatesan), the Snow Monsters of Mt. Hakkoda, Oirase Stream (奥入瀬渓流, Oirasekeiryu), and so forth. The video introduces many of these sites where you can witness the breathtaking nature of Towada-Hachimantai National Park. Hot Springs at Towada-Hachimantai National Park Photo：Tamagawa Hot Springs in autumn Towada-Hachimantai National Park is, as we mentioned rich in nature, and also has a variety of natural hot springs in the area. Tamagawa Onsen is the best strong-acid spring in Japan, located at the foot of Mt. Akitayakeyama (秋田焼山, Akitayakeyama). It is an onsen for recuperation, making it a rare onsen worldwide. It is also notable for its abundant water supply. Its spring is effective at fighting high blood pressure, arteriosclerosis, women’s diseases, neuralgia, dermatitis, asthma, and more. It takes a while to get used to the water as it is a strong-acid spring, but we recommend giving it a try, especially if you're feeling fatigued. In addition, the national park is home to other onsen spots such as Kamanoyu Onsen, Amihari Onsen (Video 0:40), Kunimi Onsen (0:47), Tsuta Onsen (0:58), Nyuto Onsen (乳頭温泉郷, Nyuto Onsenkyo) (1:02, 1:39), and more. Other Sightseeing Locations at Towada-Hachimantai National Park　 Source :YouTube screenshot "Hirakasa Naked Pilgrimage" (平笠裸参り, Hirakasahadakamairi), introduced at 1:10 in the video, is a female-led festival where people in white clothing walk roughly 8 km from Miyata Shrine (宮田神社, Miyatajinja) in Hirakasa to Yasaka Shrine (八坂神社, Yasakajinja) in Obuke to pray for health, family security, and fertility. We recommend trying the local cuisine when you visit Towada-Hachimantai National Park as well. Kiritanpo Hot Pot (きりたんぽ鍋, Kiritanponabe), a local specialty of Akita, is shown at 1:45 in the video. You can indulge in superb seasonal views, including autumn leaves in the Fall and snow corridors in the winter, at Hachimantai Aspite Line, a highland-road introduced at 1:49. There are many more places to visit, such as Dragon Eye Lake Kagaminuma (ドラゴンアイ・鏡沼, Dragon Eye・Kagaminuma) where you can see the mystical scenery resembling a dragon’s eye, Towada Shrine (十和田神社, Towadajinja), Lake Suirennuma (睡蓮沼, Suirennuma), Lake Tsutanuma (蔦沼, Tsutanuma), Lake Onuma (大沼, Onuma), and more! Summary of Towada-Hachimantai National Park So, what did you think of Towada-Hachimantai National Park? There are a number of attractive sightseeing locations at Towada-Hachimantai National Park that we couldn’t cover in the article, so be sure to check out the video! Towada-Hachimantai National Park, is a popular tourist destination in Akita. Enjoying the rich natural landscapes of Japan as well as the various hot springs in the area, will surely make for a fulfilling vacation. ◆Towada-Hachimantai National Park◆ 【Access】About 170 minutes from Aomori Station by bus, about 110 minutes from Morioka Station by bus 【Parking】Charged parking area nearby 【Telephone No】Tohoku Region Environment Administration Office 022-722-2870 【Official Website】Towada-Hachimantai National Park https://www.env.go.jp/en/nature/nps/park/towada/index.html 【Tripadvisor】Towada-Hachimantai National Park https://www.tripadvisor.com/Tourism-g319096-Towada_Hachimantai_National_Park_Tohoku-Vacations.html

What Is Kiritanpo? Yanagida Kiritanpo Shop- An Introduction to One of Akita's Traditional Menu Items This video titled "Nippon Teshigotokan × Yanagida Kiritanpo shop (ニッポン手仕事図鑑 × 柳田きりたんぽ店)" was created by "Nippon Teshigotozukan." It summarizes how Kiritanpo, a specialty of Akita Prefecture in Japan's Tohoku region, is made. Kiritanpo is an old and historical Japanese food using rice. It is similar to Mochi (Japanese rice cakes) in some ways. It is shown at 0:23 in the video. Kazuno city in Akita Prefecture is known as the birthplace of Kiritanpo. In the city, there are many old shops where Kiritanpo is handmade and a lot of Kiritanpo artisans make superb Kiritanpo. The video shows the interview of an artisan who has been making Kiritanpo since long ago. Take a look at their commitment to the traditional cuisine. The Masterful Skill of Yanagida Kiritanpo Shop Source :YouTube screenshot Yanagida Kiritanpo shop, shown in the video, is an old shop established in 1969 (Showa 44). It makes Kiritanpo using a blend of “Menkoina” and “Kazuno no moeminori,” both of which are local Akita rice varieties. These days most Kiritanpo is made by machine, but Yanagida Kiritanpo shop has continued to hand-make them, and so they retain the taste of home cooking. The artisans of Yanagida Kiritanpo shop shape Kiritanpo so that the grains stay in tact but still allow the flavors to seep into the rice. It is shown from 1:49. In the interview from 1:19, an artisan says, “I like Kiritanpo because it is airy between grains and absorbs soup well.” This is where hand-making overshadows what a machine can do. The trick to great tasting Kiritanpo is grilling it to a golden brown color (3:13). The artisan continues at 2:05 saying, "Kiritanpo was a pioneer in conveying Japanese food culture abroad." Enjoy the Amazing Kiritanpo of Akita Prefecture! Photo： Miso Kiritanpo When you visit Akita Prefecture, a hidden gem of traditional Japanese culture, don’t forget to enjoy Kiritanpo nabe, a local specialty. Other than great Kiritanpo nabe at local Japanese restaurants, we also recommend buying Misozuketanpo (Miso-flavored kiritanpo) at local stores. There are some facilities where you can see how Kiritanpo is made in Akita Prefecture. At other places, you can learn the food culture of Akita Prefecture through making Kiritanpo. It is said ( 2:25 in the video) that children come to “Yanagida Kiritanpo shop” and learn how to make Kiritanpo. The experience of shaping and grilling authentic Kiritanpo will deepen your knowledge of Japanese culture and Japanese food. Summary of "Yanagida Kiritanpo Shop" Photo：Kiritanpo hot pot This article’s 4-minute-long video introduces how to make Akita’s kiritanpo in detail. According to the artisan (from 2:46), it may look easy, but it is hard to stick rice evenly onto the skewers. The food we eat today is thanks to the art and of accomplished artisans. The kiritanpo of Yanagida Kiritanpo shop is available at Japanese restaurants in Akita Prefecture and also online. ◆Information of Yanagida Kiritanpo shop◆ 【Address】79 Sekimukai Hanawa Kazuno city Akita Prefecture 【Telephone No】0186-23-4468