2012 New Year Greetings

How is your starting this year?
May the New Year turn out to be the happiest and the best for you!

Mt. Fuji from the sky.

It is a symbol of New Year's good luck.

The year-end greetings

I would like to take a moment to say thank you very much  for your kindness and support throughout the year 2011.
I wish you will have the best this holiday season and I look forward to continuing our close friendship and relationship in the next year 2012, too.

Best wishes from mountainstreamer

２０１１年もあと僅か、皆さま今年も大変お世話になりました。

本来ならば日頃お世話になりました皆さまへ年末年始の賀詞を述べさせて頂きたいところですが、
本年３月に第２の故郷イーハトーヴ（岩手）含む東日本が被災しまだ９ヶ月あまり、
復興へはまだまだ道半ばで多くの方々が不自由で不安な生活を余儀なくされているところ、
今年はご挨拶と皆さまへの感謝の気持ちだけ伝えさせて頂きたいと思います。
来年が皆さまにとって最良の年となりますように、
被災地にいち早く春が訪れますように、心より祈念致します。

それでは皆さま、よいお年をお迎え下さい！

What's New ?

New Photographs uploaded to my Facebook Album;
Hakodate (1) (2) (3)
Sapporo (1) (2)
Coming soon to this blog as new post with higher resolution photographs.

We never forget the day "3.11"

 We express our sincere condolences for all sufferers from the catastrophic disaster, Great East Japan earthquake & major tidal wave.

 A half and a quater year passed.. but we never forget the day "3.11".
Japan shall get the perfect recovery from the disaster.
Tohoku shall get back the beautiful coast and blue sea again.

 Thank you very much for your sympathy, kindness, & cooperation for Japan.

東日本大震災で被災された皆様、被害を受けられた皆様に、謹んでお見舞い申し上げます。
東日本大震災から９か月、あの日を忘れない、そして被災地の復興に祈りを！

Kitayamazaki, a scenic coast of Sanriku, Tanohata Vil. Ihatov
陸中海岸国立公園　名勝・北山崎（岩手県・田野畑村）

Sapporo White Illumination started !

New Photographs uploaded to my Facebook Album;
Hakodate (1) (2) (3)
Sapporo (1) (2)
Coming soon to this blog as new post with higher resolution photographs.

Trekking mid autumn Oze marshland

 Oze National Park, the largest basin marshland in Honshu island of Japan, has been registered under the Ramsar Convention from 2005. Oze is located over 3 prefectures, Fukushima, Niigata, and Gunma. Oze is consist of 2 areas, large marshland "Ozegahara", and mountain lake "Ozenuma", surrounded by mountains as Mt.Hiuchigatake, Mt.Shihutsu and others. Mt.Hiuchigatake is the highest mountain in Fukushima and northward. Many hikers visit Oze throughout the year to enjoy its seasonal beautiful landscape.

 Ozegahara in mid autumn, tinted autumn reeds called "Kusamomiji", are shining gold all around with sunshine. Some "Chito" ponds in the marsh, their surfaces relrected blue sky, white cloud, and blue mountain in the distance. The juxtaposition and contrast of different colors, red, yellow, green, blue and white, are so beautiful.
 

 Entering Ozegahara from the gateway "Hatomachi-touge" mountain pass in Gunma, walking forward on wooden footpath for some kilometers, and enjoying the autumnal grand view of marshland, you will reach the base of Mt.Hiuchigatake at last. Here "Miharashi"(meaning view or lookout in japanese) is the intermediate point between Ozegahara and Ozenuma, and there are some mountain lodges around here.

 Many hikers take rest, or stay at mountain lodge, to enjoy sunset marshland and mountain scenery with drinking beer or hot Sake, and fantastic landscape walking in morning fog on the following early morning. Next day, some hikers will traverse to Ozenuma area,  ascending uphill mountain trail to the edge point of Ozenuma "Nushiri", or some will return to the gateway Hatomachi-touge to enjoy Ozegahara view again.

 Ozenuma, mountain lake at the south base of Mt.Hiuchigatake, is approximately 250m higher than Ozegahara, and has different picturesque scenery with Mt.Hiuchigatake at back. Some trees and leaves are still green, some are coniferous trees and evergreen around Ozenuma.

 Some mountaineers enjoy climbing up Mt.Hiuchigatake steep trail directly running up to the top with labor. Nushiri is the west edge point Ozenuna circle footpath, and the east side, Oze visitor center and "Chozo-goya" mountain lodges are there, is the final destination. From visitor centor, you can chose the gateway to Hinoemata village, Fukushima pref, or Katashina village, Gunma pref. And reverse course is also good trekking route.
 Therefore, there are respective and various ways to enjoy Oze for hikers, climers, and others. Visit Oze, and wish Fukushima cheer up!

more photographs on Facebook (1) (2)

more information about Oze;
Oze Preservation Foundation
Hinoemata village, Fukushima pref.
Katashina village, Gunma pref.

A big one that induced me into the mountainstreamer world

 I have a hidden my own creek in "Ihatov"( Iwate prefecture, Tohoku region in Japan).
 Ihatov is an imaginary Utopia or Arcadia, an earthly paradise in a fairy tale "Night on the Galactic Railroad" ("Milky Way Railroad") written by Kenji Miyazawa. A fantastic story of protagonist Giovanni and his friend Campanella travelling to the eternal world by taking the Garaxy Express train.
 Also Ihatov has been my second home, since I married in Morioka city 20 years ago. There are many beautiful nature and rural scenes in Ihatov. They have many nature sports and activities, and mountain stream fishing is major one in Ihatov.
 I remember a big one that induced me into the "mountainstreamer" world even now. "Yamame" landrocked salmon, "Iwana" Salvelinus pluvinus or char mountain trout, are nice fighting games and their appearance are so beautifil like gems.

 I caught a big one Yamame at a very small but beautiful stream somewhere in Ihatov. From then onward I become an enthusiastic mountain stream fishing fan, and sometimes go fishing in Ihatov these every years.

 But suddenly recent large earthquake and major tidal wave destroyed local life and nature in Ihatov all at a moment flash. As luck would have it, my wife's family and relatives survive the disaster, one had a narrow escape from tidal wave at beach. Half year passed, but as yet, many sufferers are forced to live under supply shortage in temporary dwellings. We wish the stricken area get remarkable rehabilitation with advanced technology and support without a moment's delay.