Good morning everyone from the Itoigawa Global Geopark!

After several days of snow, sleet, and freezing temperatures, the sun has deigned to grace us with its presence, even if only for a moment.

The Northern Alps as seen from City Hall. Click to enlarge.

The weather offers a beautiful view of the Northern Alps. Particularly stunning is Mt. Kurohimeyama. Despite being relatively small at only about 1200m, Kurohimeyama’s location close to the coast makes it one of the most visually impressive mountains visible from central Itoigawa. Made entirely out of limestone, the mountain is the site of a large quarry.

Just to the left of center in the image is the peak of Mt. Myojo. About the same height as Kurohimeyama, Myojo is located within the Kotakigawa Jade Gorge. The view of Mt. Myojo from the gorge is one of the most amazing within the Itoigawa Global Geopark.

Itoigawa Station and Downtown Itoigawa

Downtown Itoigawa and the Hokuriku Shinkansen Itoigawa Station looked beautiful in the snow as well. Due to open in Spring 2015, the Hokuriku Shinkansen will provide fast, easy access by bullet train to and from Itoigawa, Tokyo, and Nagano. While the local train line station has been completed, work still continues on Shinkansen station and platforms. When it opens, Itoigawa Station will be the closest Shinkansen Station to the Sea of Japan.

Enjoy the snow while it lasts!

Until next time,
–Ishikoro