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The page may not be displayed properly if the JavaScript is deactivated on your browser Japanese version Share your travel photos with us by hashtagging your images with #visitjapanjp Even if you miss the full bloom of cherry blossoms in spring you can still appreciate the beauty of the cherry blossom tree year-round at the Cherry Bark Work Museum in Kakunodate or the art of working with cherry blossom tree bark has been a traditional practice in Kakunodate since 1780 you will find a wonderful collection of cherry blossom bark craft from handmade tea canisters to medicine boxes and signature stamp cases it’s also possible to catch master craftsmen at work Watch how easily they transform simple wood into a work of art and let them teach you all about their time-honored techniques You can make your own kabazaiku wall hanging or coaster using bark or make a stop in the gift shop to peruse the selection of exquisite objects Browse the JNTO site in one of multiple languages Please enable JS and disable any ad blocker Public Relations Office, Government of Japan Home > Highlighting JAPAN > Highlighting Japan February 2018 > Revitalizing the Regions Blessed with a beautiful lake and prolific hot springs has revived a tradition called toji (hot spring cures) The city is now promoting health tourism to hot springs visitors from Japan and overseas No article or any part there of may be reproduced without the express permission of the Cabinet Office. Copyright inquiries should be made through this form The  Nyūtō Onsenkyō resort in Semboku Akita Prefecture is a cluster of seven hot spring inns alongside Sendachi-gawa Each of the inns has its own springs with distinct characteristics all supplying large quantities of hot water The facilities have a rustic look and a hidden-away feel Mid-October is the peak of the autumn foliage season in this area Visitors can enjoy being soothed in both mind and body by the experience of bathing in open-air pools while listening to the babbling of the nearby stream and viewing the seasonally colored leaves of the forest The hot springs at Tsurunoyu Onsen are the most historic having been visited by a seventeenth-century lord of the Akita domain for a hot-spring cure The thatched-roof building that housed his guards now accommodates visitors to the inn Another distinctive feature of this inn is that it has four hot springs from separate sources each with its own water quality and therapeutic effects The inn’s signature bathing place is a large open-air bath for both men and women a stream of falling water under which bathers stand Created in cooperation with Cable Networks Akita.) Japanese version Akita Prefecture is perhaps best known for its abundance of natural beauty (and also for its beautiful breed of dog) But there’s far more to the region than its mountains and fluffy inu – Akita also has a long heritage of craftsmanship extending across a variety of genres including textiles and ceramics; it also produces superb sake and local cuisine So what better way to explore the best of Akita than through the five senses In this five-part series, we take you on a journey through the region using sight, sound, smell, touch, and taste to provide top tips on things to experience while you’re there. If you’re looking for even more things to do and see, visit the prefecture’s official website at www.akitafan.com/en exploring the region through your sense of sight… To get a peek at Akita’s majestic autumn leaves, make your way north to the Shirakami Sanchi mountain range a UNESCO World Heritage Site that’s home to waterfalls you’ll find a 4.6km-long trail through Yuze Gorge which features sharp cliffs eroded into strange shapes Combined with the breathtaking beauty of colorful fall foliage on both sides of the river a waterfall with a 60-meter drop that’s been officially designated one of Japan’s 100 best Covered in wildflowers in summer and brilliant leaves in fall, Mt. Moriyoshi is worth a visit any time of year – but in winter, here there be giants. These towering ice giants, actually snow-covered trees, are called juhyo (“snow monsters”) and are said to be the ancient guardians of the mountain which features several courses of varying difficulty “Shouldn’t rice be in the ‘taste’ section?” you ask and while Akita does grow some of the nation’s finest grains it does so in a way that’s as fun to look at as it is to eat We’re talking about the Akita Rice Field Art Experience in which different colored rice seedlings are planted in patterns to create stunning works of art right there in the fields You can even take a train from Takanosu and Kakunodate and watch these edible works of art roll by in style Japan is known for its high-quality fireworks displays, and Omagari in Daisen city regularly assembles the best of the best for some seriously explosive evenings Omagari hosts multiple fireworks festivals throughout the year – the summer version is a national competition in which the best pyrotechnicians in Japan show off their stuff to hundreds of thousands of spectators (if you can’t make it in the summer not to fear: the spring and fall versions are pretty darn impressive Located in the eastern part of Semboku City, the Dakigaeri Valley is known for its spectacular views – and its interesting name the mountain road that people used to travel on through the area was so narrow that those who were going in opposite directions and needed to pass each other had to embrace (daki) in order to turn around (gaeri) and switch places The paths that now lead through the scenery are much easier to traverse Dakigaeri is located in the middle of a forest that transforms into a bright patchwork with the coming of autumn and adding to the colorful affair is the Kami Iwahashi a red suspension bridge that stretches across the valley Photographers are drawn to a particular luster of the area’s water which owes its brilliance to the light that shines through the water and bounces off the white rock of the Dakigaeri Valley’s shallow stream beds Another must-see attraction of the area is a section of the valley known as Seiganji It gets its temple-like name thanks to mist First begun as a way of dispelling the bad fortune or negative energy of the year before, the Hiburi Kamakura Festival is now seen as a way to keep community ties strong and celebrate a sense of togetherness Participants in the festival grab hold of ropes that have been woven from straw and which are attached to bales of hay and then participants swing the flaming bundle around their bodies and over their heads with increasing speed setting the night afire with a brightly lit display One night in February, dozens of paper balloons ascend into the sky above the Nishiki district of Semboku City, each painted with an elaborate design: one might depict a samurai, another a beautiful maiden, and another a mythical creature from old folklore. It’s all part of the Kamihinokinai Paper Balloon Festival and the people of this part of the city have been practicing this tradition for more than a century each balloon is said to bear a wish – some for business success and others for a good harvest – of the teams who set these constructions of paper and bamboo aloft Akita is a part of Japan that’s known for bitterly cold winters and extremely high snowfall But rather than staying bundled up all the time the people of this region don’t flee the cold One snowy – and picturesque – tradition from this part of Semboku is the Tazawako Plateau Snow Festival where participants transform fresh powder into a wide variety of snow sculptures featuring traditional motifs from legend and folklore as well as contemporary designs like anime characters There are also plenty of winter-themed athletic competitions and even a contest that sends people sliding on their backsides through the snow Artforme has long strived to create exquisitely handcrafted products that reflect the tradition of craftsmanship in Akita They are always searching for new design inspiration to create truly innovative forms Below are four of our favorite items from the company: all of them beautiful to behold This unique hairbrush first catches the eye with its organic flowing curves, and it fits perfectly in the hand when you pick it up. No other brush has a three-dimensional profile quite like it, and the revolutionary shape of this piece won it a Good Design Award in 2013, and an Omotenashi Selection Gold Award in 2016 The gentle contours of the brush gently massage your scalp with each stroke it’s made from a wood called ono-ore-kanba which is said to be so hard that it can even break an axe Don’t worry though: it’s far easier on the head As Hiroyuki Hashino, owner and founder of Akita Artforme explains when products are made with careful consideration for their materials more beautiful and timeless products are the result One example of this is the company’s wood-handled brush which combines both form and function in an item that is attractive enough to serve as interior decoration and handy enough to use every day and are tough enough to sweep up clogged dust or pet hair on tatami but gentle enough to brush a delicate fabric like cashmere The handle of the brush is carved to fit snugly in the hand and the wood comes in three stylish colors: natural That’s certainly the case with this whimsically designed shoehorn set which was chosen for the Omotenashi Selection in 2016 The shoehorn is made from the same ono-ore-kanba wood as the Twist Hair Brush the hardness of the wood makes it difficult to work with it has an unrivaled smoothness that will make slipping on your shoes a daily pleasure The wood known as ono-ore-kanba grows only 0.2mm each year Pieces made from this material are meant to be small treasures and the smaller sized version of Artforme’s shoehorn is just that The shoehorn is shaped to fit just right in the hand the small stand that the shoehorn rests in is made from local Tohoku hardwood and is carved and polished into the shape of a tall boot the natural wood color of the shoehorn will darken For more information about Artforme, visit artforme.co.jp Japanese version Japanese version Japanese version Japanese version Japanese version Japanese version Japanese version