Jun 20, 2015
June 14 (2) - Yoi Onsen Hot Spring in Shiso City, Hyogo
After visiting the Grandpa & Grandma's Iris Garden, my husband and I headed for the Yoi Onsen Hot Spring in Shiso City. Another one-hour drive brought us there. We arrived at 3:30 p.m.
According to my husband, who has been visiting many different hot springs in Hyogo Prefecture for the past 10 years, the quality of Yoi Onsen hot spring offers one of the best in the prefecture.
At first, we took separate baths. Afterwards, we lay down on a large tatami-mat room which is used as a resting place.
Around 4:30 p.m, I ordered gyudon at the restaurant. We can choose where to eat: at the tatami room, at the restaurant, or at the cafeteria. I chose the last one.
Seeing some ashtrays, I can assume that this place is commonly used by smokers because smoking is prohibited inside the building. I don't smoke, so I felt lucky that there were no smokers at that time. I occupied the lovely place myself.
The late afternoon breeze made me more comfortable after refreshing my body at the hot spring.
According to my husband, who has been visiting many different hot springs in Hyogo Prefecture for the past 10 years, the quality of Yoi Onsen hot spring offers one of the best in the prefecture.
At first, we took separate baths. Afterwards, we lay down on a large tatami-mat room which is used as a resting place.
Around 4:30 p.m, I ordered gyudon at the restaurant. We can choose where to eat: at the tatami room, at the restaurant, or at the cafeteria. I chose the last one.
Seeing some ashtrays, I can assume that this place is commonly used by smokers because smoking is prohibited inside the building. I don't smoke, so I felt lucky that there were no smokers at that time. I occupied the lovely place myself.
The late afternoon breeze made me more comfortable after refreshing my body at the hot spring.
Two pots of Viola were planted at the center of the table.
I wondered what kind of birds use this nest?
I put aside the ashtrays while eating.
Having gyudon in the cafeteria tasted so nice at the lovely table.
The white big lilies also welcomed visitors at the cafeteria.
Jun 15, 2015
June 14 - Grandpa & Grandma's Iris Garden in Sayo, Hyogo
Additional writing on July 8, 2015.
I listened to a radio program on June 20. In the program, Goro Tani, one of the local popular personalities in Radio Kansai Broadcasting station, visited Grandpa & Grandma's Iris Garden in Sayo, Hyogo Prefecture on Saturday, June 13.
Tani said on the radio that while driving to the small countryside, he hadn't seen anything special, so he wondered if an Iris Garden actually existed there. A big surprise awaited him when he arrived there. There were many cars parked in front of the Iris Garden.
Someone told him that they had more than 4,000 visitors for the period of 20 days last year. Tani wondered if the 2 parking lots were enough for visitors.
During his visit, he also interviewed five local people who were aged 80 to 83. They were Mrs. Mitsuko Takeda, 80 at the youngest, Mrs. Nobue Iseki, Mrs. Toyoko Taniguchi, Mr. Hatsumi Ikesaka and Mrs. Miyako Ikesaka 83 at the oldest.
According to the interviewees, the small village currently has a total of 13 houses with 20 people live in them. Sixteen out of twenty are older than 70 years old.
Tani told them he was so surprised that the garden was well taken care of. Moreover, the garden was made by local senior citizens. Interviewees replied that they had to work hard for the garden, and that made them energetic.
The garden was initially made by Mr. Hatsumi Ikesaka 18 years ago for the purpose of starting to do something after his retirement. His wife, Hatsumi, loved flowers, so he decided on planting flowers.
Mr. Masao Maeda, aged 70, the chief, is planning to make another parking lot before daybreak of the next day, Sunday, June 14. They expected more visitors to come for Sunday.
They are getting older, but they are still planning to grow peaches, chestnuts, kiwi fruits, and Japanese plums in the upper side of the iris garden.
The local radio program taught me something. As I am still at the age of 49, I may able to try something new.
My husband and I watched a YouTube video regarding Grandpa & Grandma's Iris Garden in Nishi-Shinjuku, Sayo, Hyogo the other day.
The video was produced by Hyogo Prefecture in 2012. According to the program, Nishi-shinjuku has become less populated in the last couple of years. They said only 26 people lived in the area, 22 of whom were aged 65 or older.
Hyogo Prefecture had two plans for this area. One of them was "Chiiki-Saisei-Dai-Sakusen or Regional Reclamation Project" and the other "Shokibo-Shuraku-Genki-Sakusen" or "Small-Scale Community Revival Project."
The locals of Nishi-Shinjuku reclaimed abandoned rice fields and turned them into an iris garden.
They planted a total of 500,000 pots of 170 different varieties in the garden sized approx. 10,000 m2.
My husband and I drove through many ridges and visited the place (or went there) on June 14.
The place was a remote area, away from towns which have grocery stores and schools.
In most cases, elderly people don't want to leave the area where they had become used to living in, no matter how inconvenient the place had been for them.
The idea of making a beautiful Iris garden is great. When we were entering the garden, they asked us to donate 500 yen per person for the purpose of environmental preservation. We were more than willing to pay the amount.
The irises are in full bloom in the middle of June, and this lasts for about one month. The garden is open to the public during this time only, and is closed during the rest of the year. The funds collected from visitors are used to maintain the garden for the next year.
We would like to visit the place next year, and I do hope that they will maintain the beautiful garden as it is.
The sign board says:
The abandoned community is behind here. Rough road.
The ruins of an elementary school is located 1.6 kilometers away from here.
Also, a shrine is 2.6 kilometers from here.
After returning home, I checked on the Internet and found that the elementary school here
was ruined in 1963, more than 50 years ago. I think people left this village by that time, and the school couldn't be operated anymore due to the shortage of their students.
I listened to a radio program on June 20. In the program, Goro Tani, one of the local popular personalities in Radio Kansai Broadcasting station, visited Grandpa & Grandma's Iris Garden in Sayo, Hyogo Prefecture on Saturday, June 13.
Tani said on the radio that while driving to the small countryside, he hadn't seen anything special, so he wondered if an Iris Garden actually existed there. A big surprise awaited him when he arrived there. There were many cars parked in front of the Iris Garden.
Someone told him that they had more than 4,000 visitors for the period of 20 days last year. Tani wondered if the 2 parking lots were enough for visitors.
During his visit, he also interviewed five local people who were aged 80 to 83. They were Mrs. Mitsuko Takeda, 80 at the youngest, Mrs. Nobue Iseki, Mrs. Toyoko Taniguchi, Mr. Hatsumi Ikesaka and Mrs. Miyako Ikesaka 83 at the oldest.
According to the interviewees, the small village currently has a total of 13 houses with 20 people live in them. Sixteen out of twenty are older than 70 years old.
Tani told them he was so surprised that the garden was well taken care of. Moreover, the garden was made by local senior citizens. Interviewees replied that they had to work hard for the garden, and that made them energetic.
The garden was initially made by Mr. Hatsumi Ikesaka 18 years ago for the purpose of starting to do something after his retirement. His wife, Hatsumi, loved flowers, so he decided on planting flowers.
Mr. Masao Maeda, aged 70, the chief, is planning to make another parking lot before daybreak of the next day, Sunday, June 14. They expected more visitors to come for Sunday.
They are getting older, but they are still planning to grow peaches, chestnuts, kiwi fruits, and Japanese plums in the upper side of the iris garden.
The local radio program taught me something. As I am still at the age of 49, I may able to try something new.
* * * * * * * * * *
My husband and I watched a YouTube video regarding Grandpa & Grandma's Iris Garden in Nishi-Shinjuku, Sayo, Hyogo the other day.
The video was produced by Hyogo Prefecture in 2012. According to the program, Nishi-shinjuku has become less populated in the last couple of years. They said only 26 people lived in the area, 22 of whom were aged 65 or older.
Hyogo Prefecture had two plans for this area. One of them was "Chiiki-Saisei-Dai-Sakusen or Regional Reclamation Project" and the other "Shokibo-Shuraku-Genki-Sakusen" or "Small-Scale Community Revival Project."
The locals of Nishi-Shinjuku reclaimed abandoned rice fields and turned them into an iris garden.
They planted a total of 500,000 pots of 170 different varieties in the garden sized approx. 10,000 m2.
My husband and I drove through many ridges and visited the place (or went there) on June 14.
The place was a remote area, away from towns which have grocery stores and schools.
In most cases, elderly people don't want to leave the area where they had become used to living in, no matter how inconvenient the place had been for them.
The idea of making a beautiful Iris garden is great. When we were entering the garden, they asked us to donate 500 yen per person for the purpose of environmental preservation. We were more than willing to pay the amount.
The irises are in full bloom in the middle of June, and this lasts for about one month. The garden is open to the public during this time only, and is closed during the rest of the year. The funds collected from visitors are used to maintain the garden for the next year.
We would like to visit the place next year, and I do hope that they will maintain the beautiful garden as it is.
A Meadow Bunting Bird
If you look at the picture very carefully, you will find the brown part.
The bird is just about to fly at the bottom of the picture.
* * * * * * * * * *
The tree looked like a pig's tail. What a weird shape!
The board says "A slope to the observation platform."
Beside the steps, Hydrangeas were in full bloom and looked beautiful.
The great photographer was standing at the center of the picture.
The water mill looked nice with the flowers.
The sign board says:
The abandoned community is behind here. Rough road.
The ruins of an elementary school is located 1.6 kilometers away from here.
Also, a shrine is 2.6 kilometers from here.
After returning home, I checked on the Internet and found that the elementary school here
was ruined in 1963, more than 50 years ago. I think people left this village by that time, and the school couldn't be operated anymore due to the shortage of their students.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)