Nice to meet you all and welcome to COOL JAPAN VIDEOS! This is the Hayakawa Tourism Association. Hayakawa-cho, Minamikoma-gun, Yamanashi Prefecture, is a town located in the southwest of Yamanashi Prefecture, and is the only "town" in Japan with a population of less than 1,000, with 947 people (as of April 1, 2024), making it the least populated town in Japan. It is also a Rich in nature town surrounded by Akaishi Mountains mountains, and it is a Rich in nature area surrounded by large and small waterfalls and Valleys. Hot springs are also abundant, and Nishiyama Hot spring, which has a history of 1,300 years of hot springs, is home to the world's oldest inn certified by the Guinness Book of Records. ■■■History of Hayakawa Town, Yamanashi Prefecture In 1956, Hayakawa Town was formed by the merger of six villages: Motodate Village, Goka Village, Suzurishima Village, Miyakogawa Village, Misato Village, and Nishiyama Village. In 1960, the population increased to more than 10,000 due to the influx of people involved in hydroelectric power generation construction, but the population has since declined and is now "the least populated town in Japan". ■■■Introduction to sightseeing spots in Hayakawa Town ・Akazawa Inn It flourished as a lodging place for Rest stop for pilgrims to Mt. Shichimen, and still retains the remnants of the Edo period. In 1993, it was recognized as a National Important Preservation District for Groups of Traditional Buildings. ・Station of the inn Shimizuya It is a tourist information center and rest area that has been renovated from an old accommodations in Akazawa Inn. Specialty products and crafts of the region are sold. ・Bentendo waterfall It is a waterfall at the back of the Hagoromo Trailhead to Mt. Shichimen and is known as a place for ascetics. In winter, you can see the icefall where the waterfall freezes. ・Hayakawa Local History Museum It is a document building that retains the exterior of the Village Hall of Misato Village. The traditional culture, crafts, and history of Hayakawa Town are on display. ・Yushima's Great Cedar Tree Legend has it that it was planted 1,200 years ago, and it is the largest cedar tree in Yamanashi Prefecture at Sanno Shrine. In 1958, it was designated as a natural monument designated by Yamanashi Prefecture. ・Hayakawa Valley In the Valleys that stretches from the Arakura area to the Narada District, you can see the beautiful scenery of the four seasons, such as New green in Spring, autumn leaves in autumn, and Icicles in winter. ■■■Hayakawa Town Specialty Products Hayakawa Town's proud Specialty Products, Hakuho miso, Fresh sweet potato konnyaku, and Dried potato stalks, are exquisite gourmets that can only be tasted here. In addition, "Oboko dolls" that have been handed down in this area since ancient tradition are recommended for tourism in Hayakawa Town and are also designated as prefectural designated folk crafts. ■■■Popular events and festivals in Hayakawa Town ・Akaishi Mountains Hayakawa Edible Wild Greens Festival Every year in May, the event is held at the Hayakawa Town People's Sports Square, and the main stage features Drum performances and song shows. Bake sale shops and food stalls are lined up at the venue, and Mikoshi (portable shrine) passing is also held. ・Okuyamanashi Hayakawa Autumn Leaves and Food Festival Every year in October, it is held at the Hayakawa Town People's Sports Square surrounded by autumn leaves, and Specialty products and seasonal foods in Hayakawa Town are gathered. ■■■Sightseeing in Hayakawa "Japan's least populated town" is packed with rich nature, deep history, Specialty products, events and charm. There are different ways to enjoy your trip in Hayakawa Town, such as "heal your fatigue at the Hot spring", "Experience the Nature of Hayakawa Town at the campsite", and "Enjoy the local gourmet food of Hayakawa Town". Best regards so that your trip to Hayakawa Town, Yamanashi Prefecture will be an unforgettable memory for everyone, and we will send out recommended Information on Hayakawa Town!

This is the Shinshu Chowa Town Tourism Association. Nice to meet you all! Chowa Town, Nagano Prefecture is a town rich in nature and history in the center of Nagano Prefecture. ◇History of Chowa Town, Nagano Prefecture In Chowa Town, where the Nakasendo Highway, which connected Edo and Kyoto, passed during the Edo period, there are two Shukuba-juku, Nagakubo-juku and Wada-juku, and it is a tourist spot that still retains the remnants of that time. ・Nakasendo No.28 Wada-juku The Shukuba-juku is located at the foot of Mt. of the difficult "Wada Pass", which is about 800 meters Elevation the Nakasendo, and many travelers I nourished my energy here. The nationally designated historic sites "Wada-juku Main Camp", "Rekishi no Michi Shiryokan Kawachiya", and "Daikokuya" are lined up and you can enjoy the atmosphere of the Edo period. ・Nakasendo No.27 Nagakubo-juku In the Edo period, there were as many as 43 Shukuya (inns), the second largest of the 26 Shukuba-juku inns in Shinano. In addition, Hoshidan Pass in Chowa Town, Nagano Prefecture, has been a production area of Obsidian stone since Long time ago, and many people have lived there. Obsidian, which is sharp and easy to process, was used as a material for Stoneware for 30,000 years. ◇Introduction of sightseeing spots in Chowa Town, Nagano Prefecture◇ ・Utsukushigahara Highlands It is a Lava plateau that spreads around a Oogashira of 2,034 meters Elevation, and offers spectacular views of mountains such as Mt. Fuji, Yatsugatake, Gari and the Northern Alps. You can also see the idyllic scene of cows grazing on the Utsukushigahara Highlands. The evacuation tower "Tower of Beauty", which is installed in the center of the plateau to protect climbers by ringing a bell when fog occurs, is also a symbol of the Utsukushigahara Highlands. ・Roadside Station Marumero Station Nagato Fresh local vegetables and Specialty products are also a great spot to buy Souvenirs. In June 2020, we opened Markets Kokuyo, a direct sales shop with an exterior where you can feel the atmosphere of the Edo period. ・Kokuyo Water In the Toll road toll station of the Wada Pass, the not far from Famous Water Plaza is spring with water filtered by Obsidian bedrock. It has been selected as a "One of the 37 best waters in Shinshu". ・Nagato Hot Spring Yasuragi no Yu It is a facility where you can enjoy a day-trip hot spring adjacent to the Roadside Station "Marmelo no Eki Nagato", and the spring quality is sodium sulfate Hot spring, which is one of the "three most beautiful spring qualities in Japan". There is also an open-air bath and a Minamoto hot spring "Hagama bath". ・ Wada-juku Hot spring Fureai no Yu A day-trip Hot spring facility located in a corner of the vast sports park "Yuyu Park". The quality of the spring quality is "calcium sodium sulfate Hot spring. You can enjoy the scenery of the four seasons from the open-air bath. ・Obsidian Experience Museum You can learn the results of excavations in an easy-to-understand manner from actual Stoneware, anime, models, etc. ・Hoshikusokan You can learn about the state of Obsidian mining in the Jomon period, which was revealed by excavations, in an easy-to-understand manner through projection mapping, which directly projects onto the strata. * Those who enter the museum need to register at the Obsidian Experience Museum. ・Blanche Takayama Ski Resort Slope for skiers only, boasting 80% clear skies. There are various mountain trails and it is a ski resort that parents and children can enjoy. *The 2023-2024 season ended on March 31. ◇Event Information of Chowa Town, Nagano Prefecture◇ ・Otaya Festival It is an annual festival held every year in January at Furumachi Toyoke Grand Shrine. Five festival float decorations are dedicated in the town. ・Wada-juku Shukuba Festival It is an event that reproduction the history and culture of Wada-juku during the Lunar Bon Festival period, and is visited by many tourists. At night, lanterns illuminate the Shukuba town. ◇Specialty products and specialties of Chowa Town, Nagano Prefecture Chowa Town's Specialty Products include Dattan-soba noodles and fried rainbow trout. Specialty products nurtured by the rich nature of Chowa Town delight many tourists with their fresh taste. ◇Enjoy your trip to Chowa Town, Nagano Prefecture Chowa Town is a cityscape where you can enjoy the rich nature and atmosphere of the Edo period. We will send out recommended information so that you can enjoy your trip to Chowa Town in Nagano Prefecture, so please follow us. We sincerely look forward to your visit.

Speaking of ancient Japanese costumes, kimonos! It's a kimono walk in the castle town of Kitsuki Castle in Kitsuki City, Oita Prefecture! There are many samurai residences in the castle town, and if you enter wearing a kimono, you will get a very good taste!

Commemorating the 40th anniversary of the establishment of the city The 41st Urayasu City fireworks festival 🎆 A fiery strong fireworks. Urayasu's fireworks everyone was shouting "Kagiya!" and Tamaya and Kagiya were worried and looked it up. It seems to be the name of a fireworks master who was active in the Edo period ... Kagiya seems to be a popular fireworks master who has grown to become a purveyor of the Edo shogunate! I learned about "Tamaya" and "Kagiya" for the first time from the Edo period!

The Oi Shrine Grand Festival is also called the "Obi Festival" and is a festival in which the god of Oi Shrine returns to the old shrine site (inn) once every three years. Today, for three days including the second Sunday in October, a gorgeous festival is held in the town of Shimada where dainu, daimyo processions, Kashima odori, street stall dances from 1st Avenue to 5th Avenue, and ground dances are held. Especially on the last day, all of them form a large procession together with the mikoshi procession, and they slowly parade for a whole day for a round trip of about 4 km from Oi Shrine to the inn. Due to the appearance and swing of the dainu at this time, as well as the unique form of Kashima Odori, the obi festival has come to be counted as one of the three strange festival in Japan. In addition, since the Edo period, first-class entertainers from Edo have been invited to choreographed dances in each town, Nagauta, and shamisen, and Nagauta in particular is also called "Nagauta Festival" because the iemoto of each school competed for throat.

No season is offseason for Japan. In summer there are so many thing to see and do here. Last weekend I enjoyed thousand light festival at Kawagoe where the warehouse area was looked absolutely gorgeous for the lights and other stalls and stage activities. Everyone was enjoying and most of the local people wear traditional cloths too. It was truly a delightful experienced.

This time I want to recommend Kawagoe. This small town of kawagoe is known as condo (little edo) because till now this place offers the old days feeling. Its kind of time traveling. A great experience indeed. Yesterday I went once again because I was hoping to see another interesting part of this place and I was right. It looks like a place coming out of fairytale.

Continuing from yesterday, at "Ouchi-juku" in Minamiaizu, Fukushima Prefecture. It was a historical place that made you feel as if you had traveled back in time.

"Ouchi-juku" flourished as an important road post town connecting Aizuwakamatsu City and Nikko Ima City in the Edo period. Even today, the remnants of the Edo period remain as they are. It is said that it is actually living as a store and residence in order to take over this landscape. The photo was taken from a small hill. The sight of more than 30 private houses with thatched roofs lined up was a masterpiece.

Just some more photos to wrap up our trip to Nikko. I took a bunch of photos of different monuments and buildings that seemed important or had lavish decorations. I can't make out what the writing on the monument says but I can at least make out the kanji for heart (心). I also liked the golden palanquins inside the the building in the forth photo, although I'm not sure if they were used at some point or are simply for decoration. The other photos are from Futarasan Chugushi Shrine (二荒山中宮祠神社) located in front of Lake Chuzenji. Unfortunately we didn't have time to go inside the shrine but I was at least able to take some nice photos of the torii gate. Apparently it has a kagura hall as well and the entrance to Mt. Nantai is located inside the shrine as well. And finally, just an assortment of food that I haven't posted yet. All of it tasted great. It was definitely a trip I'm never going to forget!

Some more photos from our trip to Nikko. There were so many awesome monuments, landmarks, and buildings that it'd be impossible to fit it all into one post. I was so glad that I had my mobile battery with me because I was taking so many photos that I was just burning through my battery lol. I really liked how the incense burner looked and I tried looking up how old it was but I wasn't able to find anything about it, only the one in front of Tokugawa Ieyasu's burial site. I would have liked to use the chozuya as well, but unfortunately it was closed off due to covid. I also liked seeing the sake barrels as well as they always brighten up shrines. The "Ippon Toro" lantern was interesting as well. I'd never heard of Empress Tofukumon'in before either, so it gave me some interesting things to read about Japan's Edo Period. Apparently she helped rebuild prominent temple in Kyoto and collected art and pottery from famous artisans of the time and even those of the past. Some buildings I'd have to look at a map to know their names but there was definitely no shortage of decorations. Unfortunately we weren't able to take photos inside some of the main buildings, but a few of them had ceiling paintings done by famous painters. Many of them were birds, and I'm not an expert, but I think they were mostly cranes and they were all really beautiful.

Continuing on from yesterday's post... On the second and final day of our trip we woke up and ate a light breakfast followed by some udon and soba at a nice little restaurant on the way to the Kirifuri Highlands (霧降高原). We were originally planning on hiking up to the observation deck around 880 meters up the mountain, but it proved to be a little farther than we thought it would be an had to stop at around 650 meters as there was a massive staircase to reach the observation deck and not everyone in the group was up for the challenge lol. Not having the proper gear didn't help much either. Most people had on snow shoes and they could easily trek through the snow but wearing just boots or tennis shoes we were a bit under-equipped and decided it'd be better not to overdo it. We got to see some really amazing views and talk to an 85-year-old man who told us what gear we should buy if we're planning on hiking in the snow, about how the dam located on the mountains across from us rises and falls during the day/night, and how this was his ~60th time climbing the mountain but the woman he came with has done it more than 300 times. She had to turn back early that day, but those are some impressive numbers! After enjoying the outdoors we headed over to Nikko Edomura/Edo Wonderland (日光江戸村) and had a blast exploring the theme park. We arrived at about 2pm so we got a nice discount on our all-day passes. Walking around we got to see all of the different buildings that gave the theme park its Edo-Period-feel. We also got to see the oiran procession (花魁道中) which was really awesome as well. It seemed like they tried to make it as accurate as possible too. The way the courtesan walked was in the traditional figure eight style which, from what I've read, is not easily done, so I assume that this is a sort of special type of profession as she was doing it (to my untrained eye) perfectly. One funny thing was that the girls in red in front of the courtesan had to slouch somewhat because they were too tall and the theme park obviously can't employ children to play the role like they would have traditionally. We also got some temporary "tattoos." They got some cute Nyan-mage tattoos and I got a Shinsengumi tattoo lol. After that we watched a really awesome performance inside of the ninja theater, but we weren't allowed to film or take photos so I don't have anything to post unfortunately. It was really cool seeing the ninja actors jumping off of rooves and fighting though. On top of that we also tried out the ninja maze where I was unfortunately the last one to make it out as I got unlucky and hit a dead end at the last part of the maze. This was a really fun experience as there were a lot of hidden and revolving doors that you had to find to escape the maze. We also did the shuriken experience and I managed to get 3/5 but I gave one of my shuriken to my girlfriend in the hopes that she would stick one in the target but unfortunately she wasn't able to lol. I guess I was technically 3/4 because of that. Overall the whole trip was a blast and we got to make some awesome memories out in Tochigi. I definitely recommend it as a travel destination!

I'd never heard about Nikko Edomura until I read this article. It's really cool that Japan has a theme park like this. I've studied a bit of Japanese history but it didn't cover courtesans very much, so the only knowledge I have about oiran basically comes from the t.v. show Jin (仁) lol. I never would have guessed that it would take at least three years to be able to even walk properly, that sounds harder than learning the footwork from when I was in a kendo club. Watching the video though, trying to walk in that pattern while wearing those giant clogs looks pretty difficult. I'm curious to know if the courtesan in the video was previously a courtesan or has trained for a long time to be able to perform the role. If anyone knows, be sure to tell me! The place looks really fun to go for a date though, so maybe I'll check it out if I get the chance to go to Tochigi. Probably next summer or spring because it's getting way too cold for me lol!