Page 156 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide: Japan

154  JAP AN REGION B Y REGION

o Kamikochi
Kamikochi
Nagano prefecture. £ to Shin-Shima-
shima, then bus. @ from Hirayu
Onsen. n Next to Kamikochi bus
terminal (0263) 95-2433. _ Mountain
Opening Festival (Apr 27).
An alpine valley with a hand ful
of hotels and campsites,
Kamikochi lies in the southern
part of the Chubu Sangaku
(North Japan Alps) National
Chujakumon gate at the Zen temple of Eihei-ji Park, at an altitude of 1,500 m
(4,900 ft) and is a good hiking
u Eihei-ji Temple but the north and northwest and climbing base. The valley is
Eiheiji Temple reached by a tunnel, open from
are rocky and picturesque.
Public transportation around late April to early Novem ber;
Fukui prefecture. £ Tel (0776) 63- Noto is limited; bus and train in July, August, Golden Week
3102 (bookings and Zen training). _
Lantern offering on the river (late Aug). are similar in time and cost, (see p48), and on some week-
but the bus network is wider. ends, private cars are banned.
Established in 1244, Eihei-ji Wajima, a weathered fishing Although Japan’s highest (after
is one of the Soto Zen sect’s town, produces top-quality, Fuji) and wildest mountains are
two head temples and has durable lacquerware with at in the South Alps, the North Alps
been Japan’s most active Zen least 70 layers of lacquer. Nearby have more snow and more
meditation monastery since the Hegura island is a stopping-off impressive scenery. Plentiful
late 16th century. In a classic point for migratory birds. Just mountain refuges allow hikes
rectilinear plan (see p141), its east of Wajima, Senmaida is of several days from hut to hut,
halls and covered corridors so famed for its “1,000” narrow often via a hot spring. Most
climb up the wooded moun- rice terraces by the sea that it huts open from early May
tainside. Soto Zen pursues has been awarded heritage to late October (no reservations
gradual enlightenment by prac- status by the Food & Agriculture needed); the main mountain-
ticing meditation away from the Organization of the UN, while eering season is July to Sep-
real world; the monastery has Sosogi’s coast has unusual rock tember. Tents and climbing gear
about 50 elders and 250 trainees. formations. Many summer can be rented in Kamikochi.
The atmosphere is cheerful, yet festivals feature demon-masked The most spectacular climb is
life is austere, with no heating drummers and kiriko lanterns a three-day route from Kami-
and a simple diet. In the Sodo up to 15 m (50 ft) tall. Between kochi taking in angular Mount
Hall (to the left), each trainee events, drums are played at Yari and Mount Hotaka – at
has just one tatami mat for Wajima and Sosogi. 3,190 m (10,470 ft), the highest
eating, sleeping, and zazen To the west, Monzen has the peak in the North Alps – while
(meditation). Silence is observed, major Soji-ji Zen temple. In short hikes include the rocky
as in the bath buil ding and toilet. Hakui are the important shrine scree of Mount Yake, the only
Laypeople wish ing to experience of Keta Taisha and a 2,000-year- active volcano in the North
the rigorous Soto Zen regime old sumo ring – Japan’s oldest, Alps. In bad weather, walks are
must book well ahead. still used each Sep tember. restricted to the valley floor by
Senmaida, Sosogi, and Monzen the rushing river and through
can be reached by bus from a half-submerged landscape
i Noto Peninsula Wajima, Hakui by bus or train shaped by erup tions from
from Kanazawa.
Noto Peninsula Mount Yake.
Ishikawa prefecture. £ @ n at
Wajima stn (0768) 22-1503. _ Dosojin Stones
Seihakusai (May 3–5, Nanao); Abare These pairs of jaunty stone
Festival (1st Fri & Sat in Jul, Ushitsu); figures, a male and a female,
Toroyama Festival (Jul 20–21, Iida); are guardian deities of
Gojinjo Daiko (Jul 31–Aug 1, Nabune). travelers. They are found at
Projecting 70 km (45 miles) many roadsides in north ern
into the Japan Sea, Noto is Nagano prefecture, as well as
a quiet region of fishing vil- at village bound aries. Typically
rounded in shape, the pair
lages known for seafood and are often depicted holding
untouched traditions. The east A man and woman, each holding hands or with the female
coast and the sandy west near a bowl of sake, on a Dosojin stone offer ing sake to the male.
Kanazawa are quite developed,
For hotels and restaurants see p303 and pp326–9

154-155_EW_Japan.indd 154 08/08/16 3:07 pm
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Date 12th July 2013
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