Nishiokoppe Village This is Kurashima of the Regional Revitalization Cooperation Volunteers (in charge of tourism).
Located in the eastern Hokkaido region, it has a population of 1,002 (as of the end of July 2023 (Reiwa 5)), and is surrounded by nature, with forests occupying about 90% of the village's area.
Nishiokoppe Village is also famous as a guitar production area, and currently 20,000 guitar bodies are made every year.
You can enjoy various experiences such as beautiful scenery and delicious gourmet food in Nishiokoppe Village.
We will deliver Nishiokoppe Village events, sightseeing information, and daily scenes, so thank you!
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Nishiokoppe, Hokkaido posted.
Woodworking Instructor and Box Making
Held at the Childcare Support Center
A box-making class led by a woodworking instructor.
This is the woodworking instructor who has been with Nishiokoppe Village since April last year.
We often meet and talk, but I rarely get to observe a woodworking lesson, so I decided to watch the box-making class.
The materials and tools needed are wooden boards, wood glue, nails, and a sledgehammer (genno).
They were making a box the perfect size for a pen holder.
The four boards for the sides had grooves to fit the bottom board.
There were even nail starter holes where the nails would be driven.
(With these holes you can tell exactly where to drive the nail and the nail stays steady, so it’s easier to hammer.)
Even for a simply constructed box, such thoughtful details make the work much easier to carry out.
This time, to get used to handling the sledgehammer, they deliberately included the step of driving nails into the box.
After gluing the boards together to form the box, they drove nails to secure the boards to each other.
Driving nails straight and keeping the boards from shifting is fairly difficult. Watching the woodworking instructor handle it lightly with a rhythmic “ton, ton, ton,” I thought, as expected, they’re skilled.
We moved to Somukan (a workshop the villagers can use for free!) to finish with sanding and other final touches, and then it was complete.
That was a look at the box-making class.
*****
From Saturday, February 1 to Friday, February 28, the 28th Woody Winter School will take place!
Details will be posted in another update📢
#Nishiokoppe Village #Hokkaido #woodworking #mokuiiku (wood learning)
#woodworking class #woodworking instructor #childcare support
#sledgehammer (genno) #I had always called it a tacker or hammer
#Woody Winter School
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Nishiokoppe, Hokkaido posted.
Making Miso
The other day, I attended a miso-making gathering.
It was a small event where people who make miso for their own table met with local adults and children from the nursery school.
At the nursery in Nishiokoppe Village they grow vegetables in a field,
and one of the crops they raised this year was soybeans.
"Miso is made from soybeans, isn’t it?"
"What else is made from soybeans?"
While reading a picture book,
they connected the story to their own experiences and thought about soybeans and miso.
The first task was
to crush the soybeans that had been cooked in advance.
They put the soybeans into a mincer,
and when they turned the handle, the beans became a paste.
Both the person holding the mincer base
and the person turning the handle needed a lot of strength.
The little makers worked hard, crushing the beans with steady force.
They mixed salt and koji with the soybeans,
formed miso balls, and tossed them into a barrel.
The beans that had gleamed and shone
gradually smoothed out over about an hour and a half.
Miso takes more than six months from making to being ready to eat.
As the gentle, mellow scent of soybeans filled the air,
we thought we would have to wait until next year… but then—
One of the group brought miso they had made last year, so we all enjoyed miso soup together.
For me, miso had become something I just bought.
This showed me that making it myself is an option too.
The miso we made this year
will sleep soundly until next year.
#Nishiokoppe Village #Hokkaido #miso making #miso #handmade
#nursery school #soybeans #field #mokuiiku (wood learning) #miso soup
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Nishiokoppe, Hokkaido posted.
Miyanomori Draped in Snow
Over the course of a few days, Miyanomori deepened in snow.
While helping a wood education program coordinator, I took a short stroll through Miyanomori.
I trudged through the snow, my boots sinking as I walked.
If I had been alone, I would have kept my eyes on the ground, but
when someone spoke to me and I looked up, I found flower buds and leaf buds.
They’re putting out buds and patiently waiting for the long winter to pass.
There was a hollow opening in a trunk.
I wondered whether someone lives there or had lived there.
I learned that the cracked bark on the Sakhalin fir is caused by frost cracking.
Moisture inside the tree freezes and expands, splitting the trunk.
When the trunk cracks, a clear sound is said to ring through the whole forest.
I tried walking alongside deer tracks
and picked up fallen fruits and flowers from the snow.
I also loved the view of the town dusted in snow from a slightly higher vantage point.
#Nishiokoppe Village #Hokkaido #winter #snow #snow-dusted
#Miyanomori #wood education #kobushi (Japanese magnolia) #yachidamo (Manchurian ash) #Sakhalin fir #deer
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Nishiokoppe, Hokkaido posted.
The Resurrected Sound of the Drums
Sunday, December 1
We performed the Wenshiri Taiko from Nishiokoppe Village at the Okoppe Town Charity Variety Show.
We played a single short six-minute piece.
It depicted Mt. Wenshiri awakening as snow melts, from winter into spring.
We were very glad to receive so many warm rounds of applause and words of encouragement.
Since we had the chance, here is a brief story of how Nishiokoppe Village’s taiko practice was revived.
Taiko performance in Nishiokoppe Village began in the 1980s.
Back then the drummers were the local youth association. Their powerful rhythms energized festivals and other events.
The piece played since that time was Wenshiri Taiko.
A teacher from the elementary school composed the piece, and it was handed down through performances until around 2000.
Afterward, following the disbanding of the youth association and other changes, the drummers disappeared and the drums lay silent for a long time.
There was a period when a volunteer taiko circle was active, but the COVID-19 pandemic made it difficult to invite instructors, and the drums fell completely quiet.
Things started moving again in August of this year.
As the variety show was returning, former drummers and villagers with strong musical insight teamed up to revive Wenshiri Taiko and learn the piece.
Although we were amateurs, seven passionate members brought the Wenshiri Taiko back to life with resounding sound.
After that performance, a few villagers who heard us at the variety show joined as new members, and we continue our activities today.
We were fortunate to be invited to perform at the Okoppe Town Charity Variety Show. Though our group formed only recently, getting calls from inside and outside the village has energized our practice.
This has become a bit long.
Restarting something that had stopped and keeping it going takes a great deal of energy.
We hope the members can keep enjoying their activities and that this joy reaches those who listen.
#Nishiokoppe Village #Hokkaido #drums #Wenshiri Taiko
#Okoppe Town #Town Charity Variety Show
#December 1 #youth association #taiko #I was the filming team
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Nishiokoppe, Hokkaido posted.
[Nishiokopper Live]
Announcement of the event📢
Sunday, December 22
Doors open 6:30 PM / Show starts 7:00 PM
At Guest House GA.KOPPER
Free admission
Drinks and light snacks for sale🍺🍪
Could this be your chance to get those wildly popular bagels!?
Inquiries
090-6446-7689 (Asano)
Performers and vendors still wanted!
We hope for a warm, cozy, and fun evening.
#Nishiokoppe Village #Hokkaido #Nishiokopper #Nishiokopper
#GAKOPPER #Guest House #Live
#December 22 #Christmas
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Nishiokoppe, Hokkaido posted.
Traveling Yukimichi Bookshop
Wednesday, November 20
The space called Pom
Yukimichi Bookshop from Shimokawa Town arrived carrying many books.
In Nishiokoppe Village, a certain private house
has been opened as a third place.
That place is Pom.
It is located between the village office and Kikuchi Store.
In a room at Pom, where a wall is covered with bookshelves,
the traveling Yukimichi Bookshop opened.
Books filled the desks, and I
stared at the covers and flipped through pages at random.
On display were
picture books and children’s books, maps of the world, books about plants, blue books, and more.
Other visitors came by,
and it was fun to watch them compare books and wonder which to buy.
Next to the room for browsing books,
people from Pom and the community laid out shared snacks and we relaxed while eating.
The next visit is scheduled for Friday, December 20.
They might bring Christmas books.
Thank you to Yukimichi Bookshop and everyone who came to meet the books.
#Nishiokoppe Village #Hokkaido #Yukimichi Bookshop #Shimokawa Town
#Bookstore #Traveling shop #Pom #Shared snacks
#November 20 #Record #Next time: December 20
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Nishiokoppe, Hokkaido posted.
Introducing the Letter Set
A letter set featuring illustrations of Setoushi-kun.
This new Setoushi-kun product was created by Komatsu, a former member of the regional revitalization squad.
Envelopes come in two colors: deep green and pale orange.
The set includes three envelopes large enough to hold L-size photos
and six A5 sheets of writing paper.
One set 680 yen
Available at Komu Museum of Art, Roadside Station Kam, and Hotel Rimu.
We hope not only visitors but also village residents will enjoy using them!
#Nishiokoppe Village #Hokkaido #Setoushi-kun #Setoushi-kun goods
#Letter set #Two colors #Travel memories #Promoting the village's charm
#Regional revitalization squad #Alumnus #Using subsidy funds
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Nishiokoppe, Hokkaido posted.
[Welcome, Mr. Moss]
November 16
Workshop to make a moss terrarium was held!
It was a sunny day, so the participants hung out in the direction of Korakuen.
Korakuen Garden is a garden where much of the ground is covered with moss.
It's an unexplored place for moss enthusiasts.
He is nicknamed "Pon-chan"
The lecturer, Mr. Takada, takes a walk while introducing moss.
If you look closely~, moss has various shapes.
I see, I see, and while beating the whirlwind
On the way, the participants were drawn to the squirrels that appeared.
Touch it, observe it, and when you know a little more about moss, you can move on to production.
choose a glass container and how much sand to fill,
It was a work full of worries, such as which moss to use and how to place it.
By carefully removing the soil and leaves on the moss,
It prevents mold and lives longer.
There was also a large amount of moss
As you loosen the soil, it will gradually become smaller.
A small world spread out in moss that fits in both hands.
Sea grass and small cows on moss, etc.
If you put it on a little bit, it looks like you're looking down at the world from above.
It also made me feel strange.
After about an hour of work, each piece was completed.
The mosses that will be welcomed into your home.
Where will it be displayed?
I would be happy if you could take a look at the moss and take a breather.
#Nishiokoppe Village #Hokkaido #Moss terrarium #Moss
#Kiiku #Kimu #Korakuen #Little Man and Cow
#At Korakuen, you will be greeted by a squirrel.
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Nishiokoppe, Hokkaido posted.
[Signs of Christmas in a tree dream]
One of the Traditional Japanese straw raincoat pleasures of visiting a tree dream
It is a seasonal decoration.
Now it is reminiscent of Christmas
Decorations of various sizes are displayed throughout Inside the Facility.
There are also decorations that are devised so that you can see it from outside the window!
As soon as you enter
Setoushi-kun doll that has become Christmas specifications
YO is waiting to take a picture with everyone.
At the shop, pine cones were used
Handmade trees are on sale.
It is a beautifully painted and colorful tree.
It comes with a cute snowman!
Why don't you enjoy the Christmas spirit with a tree dream one step ahead?
#Nishiokoppe Village #Hokkaido #Kimu #Forest Art Museum
#Decoration #Christmas #Pine cone
#Handmade decorations devised by the staff
It's the perfect time of year for Santa World
#Christmas Events Held in December 7
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Nishiokoppe, Hokkaido posted.
[Farewell, fallen leaves]
Squid sunny autumn day with a temperature of 5 degrees.
At Korakuen, the last major task of the year was to clean up the fallen leaves that had accumulated in the pond.
Wear long gloves that cover your upper arms.
Wear a torso or boots on your feet and go into the pond.
Holding it in your hand is a bamboo bear.
Oyster fallen leaves floating on the surface of the water and fallen leaves that have sunk
Put it in an onion net and collect it.
Lifting from the pond to the ground is also a physically demanding task.
In order to drain the water as much as possible, I used an onion net from last year.
I came up with a way to put it in.
The ground team is also bending down to pick up fallen leaves.
Beside me, with moss and mushrooms glittering in the sun,
Setoushi-kun.
It was a long time of work.
It was probably the first time I set foot in Korakuen since the summer.
In the clear air, the gardens of Yume-eup Forest
Seeing her in good spirits gave me energy.
#Nishiokoppe Village #Hokkaido #Korakuen Garden #Japan Garden
#Pond cleaning #Fallen leaves #Scoop and pick up #Onion net
#Garden of Yume-eup Forest #Youth of the Town hall #Uncles of Forest Park
#Uncle Shimokawa was also with me for one year #Thank you
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