Geopark » Itoigawa Global Geopark Blog

Renge Geosite Now Open!

Jun 172016

Climbers hike along the ridge of Mt. Korenge (2766 m)

The snow has finally been cleared and the gate to the Renge Geosite has been opened! Enjoy exploring the peak of the Itoigawa UNESCO Global Geopark this summer, starting with a visit to the Renge Lodge and Hot Springs.

Renge Lodge

And don’t just hang out at the lodge! Not when the outstanding beautiful Renge Hot Springs are out there to enjoy.

Renge Hot Springs – Yakushi-no-Yu ‘Waters of the Healing Buddha’

Only a 5 – 10 minute hike from the lodge, the four outdoor baths at Renge Hot Springs are truly open baths. Located on the side of the mountain, there are no changing rooms here! Just strip off and enjoy the majesty of nature from a natural spring bath above the clouds.

Trek the vast wetlands of Heima-no-Taira

In addition to trails up to the peak of Mt. Korenge and Mt. Shiroumadake, the region has many nature trails through forests and wetlands.

For more information about the Renge Geosite, check out our homepage or download our app Gururi Itoigawa for Android or iOS today!

Itoigawa Fish Festival and Umidani Spring Festival

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Jun 032016

This weekend is an event-packed weekend at the Itoigawa UNESCO Global Geopark! Whether you’re visiting for our mountains or our sea, there’s something for you this Sunday!

The Itoigawa Fish Festival will be held on Sunday, June 5 from 9:30 a.m. until 2:00 p.m.

Do you like seafood? Have you ever wanted to participate in a fish auction? Then you need to come down to the Itoigawa Fish Market (Map) at Port Himekawa this Sunday! Local fishermen will gather to share the very best of their catches at the 25th Annual Itoigawa Fish Festival. In addition to a stunning array of fresh, locally caught fish, visitors can enjoy a bluefish tuna cleaning demonstration, an amateur fish auction, and a variety of local foods and drinks including freshly grilled seafood! The festival runs until 2:00 p.m., but usually sells out early, so get here as soon as you can!

Visitors pack into the Itoigawa Fish Market to see the day’s catch!

Visitors enjoy festival food from trucks and stalls

A special retro bus will shuttle visitors from Itoigawa Station to the Fish Market, departing 8:30, 9:30, 10:30, 11:00, 12:00, 13:00.

If you’re more interested in Itoigawa’s mountains, then join us in the Umidani Gorge Geosite for the Spring Umidani Festival.

Mt. Senjogatake forms one wall of the Umidani Gorge

The Umidani Spring Festival celebrates the opening of Umidani Sankyo Park (Map) and its campground and many hiking trails. In addition to enjoying wild vegetables, local food and cultural demonstrations, visitors are invited to join in the opening climb of Mt. Komagatake. The climb will be accompanied by a Shinto priest who will give a special blessing at the top of the mountain. (Opening climb departs promptly at 8:00 a.m.)

The “Yamabiraki” or “Mountain Opening” Ceremony

Whether you get excited for the sea or the mountains, you’re sure to experience something new and exciting at Itoigawa UNESCO Global Geopark this weekend! See you there!

Himekawa Fureai Stone Park

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Apr 162014

Good afternoon from the Itoigawa Global Geopark! It’s becoming warmer every day in Itoigawa. The snow is melting from the mountains, feeding the many rivers and streams of the Geopark.

The largest of these rivers is the Himekawa, which flows from Omachi City in Nagano to the Sea of Japan in Itoigawa. The river cuts through the Northern Alps and a wide variety of stones can be found along its banks and those of its tributaries.

Visitors to the Stone Park enter at the mouth of the river, represented here

The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transportation, and Tourism’s Takada River and National Highway Office has, in cooperation with the Itoigawa Geopark, created the Himekawa Fureai Stone Park. This park has been designed as a model of the Himekawa River and its main tributaries. As visitors walk on the promenade, they can see examples of the types of stones which are found along that river.

From limestone in Himekawa…

…to the jadeite of Kotakigawa…

…to yakuseki…

…andesite and more!

Stroll through the Himekawa Fureai Stone Park during your next visit to Itoigawa and witness the beauty and diversity in the earth you walk upon.

-Ishikoro

Himekawa River Cherry Trees

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Apr 142014

Good afternoon from the Itoigawa Global Geopark! Apart from the sudden downpour during the Itoigawa Kenka Matsuri, the weather has continued to be clear and beautiful.

Last weekend was perhaps the best time for viewing the many cherry trees blossoming throughout the Itoigawa Geopark. I had a bit of free time myself on Saturday, so I took the opportunity to visit the Himekawa River Cherry Tree Park.

Cherry trees line the embankment of the Himekawa River

The Himekawa River Cherry Tree Park is built atop the levee which protects Itoigawa from the flood-prone Himekawa River.

The cherry trees were in near full bloom on Saturday

The cherry blossoms, called sakura in Japanese, were in near full bloom. At the park, a number of people were out walking their dogs, photographing the trees, or just relaxing as the evening sun lit the delicate flowers.

The Kubiki/Umidani Mountains

Far in the south, the Kubiki/Umidani Mountains provide a perfect backdrop. These mountains, ranging from about 1000 to 2500 meters (3300 – 8200ft) in height, form the Gongendake, Yakeyama, Umidani Gorge, and Amakazariyama Geosites.

Mt. Kurohime (right) and Mt. Myojo (left back)

Mt. Kurohimeyama (right) and Mt. Myojo (left back)

To the west across the river, Mt. Kurohimeyama (1221m) and Mt. Myojo (1188m) were nearly as beautiful as the flowers were. Mt. Kurohimeyama, the imposing mountain to the right, is located between the Maikomidaira and Omigawa Jade Gorge Geosites. Mt. Myojo, the distant, nearly all-white triangular peak to the left, is located in the center of the Kotakigawa Jade Gorge.

There is still time during this week to enjoy the cherry blossoms, but don’t delay: They may not last through the weekend.

-Ishikoro

Rainy Festival!

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Apr 112014

Good afternoon from the Itoigawa Global Geopark!

Yesterday was the Amatsu Shrine Grand Spring Festival, which is better known as the Itoigawa Kenka Matsuri. I wrote about this festival in my last post, so I won’t bore you with the particulars again, I’m just going to share some pictures from yesterday’s festival:

The cherry blossoms were in near full bloom yesterday, providing a beautiful backdrop to the day’s festivities.

Unfortunately, just before the main event, it began to rain quite heavily, but that didn’t dishearten the teams of men carrying their shrines:

And as the shrines came down to bear upon each other, it was easy to forget the cold rain in all the excitement:

A great big thank you is in order for the men of Oshiage and Teramachi districts, their perseverance made this year’s Itoigawa Kenka Matsuri possible!

-Ishikoro

Amatsu Shrine’s Kenka Matsuri

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Apr 032014

Good afternoon from the Itoigawa Global Geopark! It’s warm and calm here in Itoigawa. Now that it is finally spring, we can look forward to beautiful cherry blossoms and spring festivals.

In particular, next Thursday (April 10th) is Amatsu Shrine’s Grand Spring Festival, better known as the Kenka Matsuri, or Fighting Festival.

Kenka Mikoshi, or Fighting Shrines, at the Itoigawa Kenka Matsuri

The Itoigawa Kenka Matsuri is an centuries old festival in which two teams from neighboring districts run circles around the shrine grounds while carrying large omikoshi, portable shrines carried on poles. They then ram these shrines together in a simulated fight. Traditionally, this festival was done to ensure a bountiful harvest in the coming year.

Preparation is underway at the shrine for next week’s festival

Today, work is underway to prepare the shrine grounds for the annual event. The grounds are cleaned and readied, and stands are built on the side to accommodate the crowds that will gather to witness the spectacle.

The festival will be held on April 10th. Be sure to arrive before 10 am to fully enjoy the festival before the fighting begins. Hope to see you there!

-Ishikoro

Spring is Finally Here!

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Apr 022014

Good afternoon from the Itoigawa Global Geopark!

Although the first day of spring was over a week ago, it’s taken a little while longer for it to really feel like spring here in Itoigawa.

Ume (Japanese apricot) flowers blossom in front of Itoigawa City Hall

An ume (Japanese apricot) tree in front of Itoigawa City Hall has started to blossom, with hundreds of delicate flowers scattered across its branches.

Unfortunately, the cherry trees are only now beginning to bud, so it may be a week or more before we see them.

Stay posted for more pictures of spring in the Itoigawa Global Geopark!

-Ishikoro

New Year, New Website

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Apr 012014

Good afternoon from the Itoigawa Global Geopark!

We’ve started a new business year at the Itoigawa Global Geopark and, as you may have noticed, we’ve completely redesigned the website to provide you with even more information about the Itoigawa Global Geopark!

The newly redesigned Itoigawa Global Geopark homepage offers significantly more content than before

Make sure to explore our new page to learn even more about what’s happening around the Itoigawa Global Geopark!

-Ishikoro

Beautiful Winter Day

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Feb 122014

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

Itoigawa Station Reopening Event – Dec 1st

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Nov 272013

With the opening of the new Itoigawa Station this Sunday, Japan Rail and the City of Itoigawa are working together to hold an event to commemorate the occasion. The event runs from 10:00am until 3:00pm on December 1st and features a number of activities for adults and children alike.

Ten children were chosen in a citywide lottery to work for an hour as station employees, to better understand what the staff at the station do everyday to serve our community. They will get to tour places like the ticket office and signalling equipment, as well as see everything the station attendants do to ensure the safety of passengers.

Visitors to the event will also be invited from 1:30pm until 2:20pm to take a close look at the Oito Line train. One of the “Itoigawa Geopark Trains” will be parked at the platform and will be open for visitors to look inside. You can also have your picture taken with the train wearing a station attendant’s cap!

A number of other events are planned, including a Workshop Corner where visitors can make paper crafts, badges, and coloring activities. There will also be an N-gage-sized model train set on display, with dioramas of some of Itoigawa’s train stations.

Be sure to come visit us on Dec 1st and take part in the festivities! Don’t miss Itoigawa’s Benten Taiko’s taiko drum performance, which will start from 11:00am !

See you there!

-Ishikoro

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