The foothills of the Shirakami Mountains are a "museum of surprise and excitement" (Fukaura Town, Aomori Prefecture)

This is the 7th installment of the series, "Good Travel ⇌ Communication from the Locals". This time, we received a contribution from Mr. Suzuki Tuna of Fukaura Town, Aomori Prefecture. Last fall, Mr. Suzuki was introduced by a staff member of the Aomori Prefectural Government's Tourism Division, who said, "There are hot people in Fukaura Town!" The town was damaged by a typhoon and torrential rain in August last year, and the staff was concerned about that. And the last name is "tuna". When I heard his name, for some reason I mistook him for a foreign staff member who liked Japan (laughs) I wondered if you could get a sense of what kind of person he was from the sentences that were worth reading. Fukaura Town is an area rich in nature at the foot of the World Heritage Site "Shirakami Mountains". From spring to summer, it is perfect for a distant destination that you want to go to for the first time in a long time.

Fukaura, a hardcore inconvenient town that is located at the western end of Aomori Prefecture and is known as an "isolated island on land" in the prefecture, and a convenience store finally opened in the center of the town three years ago, but there are many scenic spots here and there, not to mention the Shirakami Mountains, which is a World Heritage Site. It's a treasure trove of photogenic images.

Fukaura, known for the Shirakami Sanchi, a World Natural Heritage Site, is a small town located on the Sea of Japan side of Aomori Prefecture. The population is currently 7,251 (as of the end of February 2023).
It is located in the southwestern part of Aomori Prefecture, bordering Akita Prefecture to the south, facing the Sea of Japan to the west, and the mountainous area is connected to the Shirakami Sanchi, which is registered as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
The Shirakami Mountains are a general term for a mountainous area of approximately 130,000 hectares that stretches from the southwestern part of Aomori Prefecture to the northwestern part of Akita Prefecture. In December 1993, 16,971 hectares, which are occupied by the most natural virgin beech forest in the Shirakami Mountains, were registered as a World Natural Heritage Site for the first time in Japan, along with Yakushima Island (Yakushima Town, Kagoshima Prefecture). The area spans Aomori and Akita prefectures, and the area ratio is large on the Aomori Prefecture side, which is about 3 to 1, which is equivalent to 3,610 Tokyo Domes.

The registered area is located in three towns and one village: Fukaura Town, Urigasawa Town, Nishimeya Village, Aomori Prefecture, and Fujisato Town, Akita Prefecture, and the size of Fukaura Town is 4,120 ha. That's 24% of the total, or about 900 Tokyo Domes.
It met the criteria of a World Natural Heritage Site as "a remarkable specimen representing an important ongoing ecological or biological process in the evolution and development of terrestrial, freshwater, coastal, and marine ecosystems and animal communities," and was evaluated by UNESCO for the existence of a large area of primeval beech forests representing East Asia. We are grateful that this precious heritage has been passed on, and let each of us do our best to follow the rules and preserve the beauty of the natural beech forest." It declares.

In 2023, Fukaura Town, located at the western foot of the Shirakami Mountains, which will celebrate its 30th anniversary as a World Natural Heritage Site, has a wide variety of inspiring contents that have benefited from Shirakami, so let's introduce them.

A fantastic pond called "Miracle Blue"

The Twelve Lakes, which are the gateway to Shirakami, are located at the western end of the Shirakami Mountains, and 33 lakes and marshes, large and small, are located on a plateau around 250 meters above sea level. When viewed from the middle of the 940-meter-high Mt. Kuzureyama, 12 large ponds were visible, so it came to be called the "Twelve Lakes". It boasts an area of 780 hectares and has been established as a Tsugaru Quasi-National Park. Among the 12 lakes, the most popular spot is the "Aoike" (Aoike), where the clear blue water surface is fantastic. The beech trees shine on the surface of the water, which looks like blue ink has been poured, creating a mysterious atmosphere.

My recommended time of day depends on the season and the weather, but it is still around 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. when the sun is high. Even around 14 o'clock, it's barely safe! The local software "Aoike Soft" is popular here. In fact, "Aoike Soft" was invented by me. It is on sale for a limited time at JR Jujiko Station, so please enjoy it.

Sightseeing train "Resort Shirakami" running along the beautiful coastline

The "Resort Shirakami", which connects Akita from Aomori and Hirosaki via the Gono Line, is a sightseeing train for railway fans who can enjoy the superb view of the Sea of Japan. Equipped with an eco-friendly hublid system. The floor is higher than that of a normal vehicle, and the windows are larger and the view is outstanding. At one of the most scenic spots along the line, you will be driving slowly and will introduce you to the highlights with an announcement in the car. Let's take one of the most popular local flights in Japan and tour the spectacular scenery of the Shirakami West Coast.

As I mentioned at the beginning, in August last year, the area was hit by record-breaking heavy rains, which damaged living infrastructure and other infrastructure, and the area along the JR Gono Line was also severely damaged by roadbed runoff, seawall runoff, and sediment inflow. However, thanks to the warm support of people all over the country and JR's strongest on-site capabilities, the restoration work, which was initially expected to take a year, proceeded at a breakneck speed, and only about four months later, on December 23, the entire line resumed operation. Gratitude (tears). At the end of the year, residents along the railway line patted their chests.

The local gourmet "Fukaura Tuna Steak Bowl" is very popular

The mineral-rich water that springs from the Shirakami Mountains connects the river to the sea, nurturing the fruits of the mountains and the sea. In this way, rivers rich in mountain nutrients and rich fishing grounds such as "Fukaura tuna" are nurtured by moistening the sea, and "natural good harbors" in Fukaura Town are scattered. It seems that the image of "Aomori tuna = Oma" is strong, but in fact, the amount of Fukaura tuna landed is the number one in the prefecture every year. And the local gourmet proposed by Fukaura Town is the "Fukaura Tuna Steak Bowl" that debuted in 2013. It is a bowl of natural tuna from Fukaura.

The reason why I call myself McGraw is the existence of this "Fukaura Tuna Steak Bowl". For more information, please purchase "Local Gourmet Heroes (by the head of the news department of Tooku Nippo)" from the official website and keep it as a string (laughs).

Hot spring lovers visit from all over the country! Even the hot springs are World Heritage Sites!

Hot spring fans yearn to enter one of the most famous hot springs in Japan, Koganesaki Furoshi Onsen. The famous open-air bath by the waves is "1 meter to the Sea of Japan", and the best fun is at dusk. You can spend a luxurious time watching the bright red sunset over the horizon of the majestic Sea of Japan. Aren't you fascinated by the photos?

This is famous as a hot spring with a superb view, and its popularity tends to precede the hot spring, but in fact, it is the food at the inn that is just as popular as the scenic hot spring. The seafood purchased directly from the local network is cho-fresh! In addition to natural tuna, we use a cooking method that makes use of seasonal ingredients such as abalone and turban shrimp, and our customers are pleased with both dinner and breakfast.

Did you have a banquet with a thousand tatami mats?

The coastline of the rocky ledge stretches for about 12 km. It is the coast of Isohama with excellent scenery that spreads out in front of the JR Gono Line "Senjojiki Station". It is said that in the great earthquake of the 4th year of Kansei (1792), the sea floor in the sea rose and appeared on the surface of the water. It is also said that the feudal lord of the Hirosaki Domain, who once ruled this area, held a banquet on the tatami mats of the battlefield.
There are many strange rock monsters in the vicinity, and the representative one is "Kabuto Rock", whose name resembles a Western helmet.

Japan's largest ginkgo biloba commonly known as "Big Yellow"

"Kitakanegasawa no Oichō". It is said to be about 1,000 years old, and it is said to be the place where the Ando clan's separate temple was located in the Middle Ages. It is also called the "tarachine tree of drooping roots" because it is said that touching the aerial roots, which are shaped like a breast hanging from the trunk, improves the production of breast milk. According to the 6th Basic Survey on the Conservation of the Natural Environment conducted by the Ministry of the Environment in FY11 and FY12, the trunk circumference of 22.0 m is the first in Japan in the ginkgo biloba category by tree species, and the fourth largest (currently the third) among all tree species. It was designated as a nationally designated natural monument in Heisei 16.

In addition, from early to late November, it is lit up at night, and you can see the beautiful appearance called "Big Yellow".
The height is about 31 m, which is equivalent to the height of 10 floors of a building, and you can see its enormity when compared with the size of nearby houses.

When I planned and devised the illumination of Japan's largest ginkgo tree 12 years ago and held it for the first time, I was so impressed and shocked that I came up with the idea of naming it "Big Yellow". It has now become one of Aomori's leading early winter light-up events.

Origin of "Shiragami"

This is where the story comes from, and I personally like it.
Finally, let me touch on the origin of the name Shirakami.
In fact, there are various theories and nothing that has been definite, but one theory is that he is like a god who protects people. It is said that when fishermen go out to sea, they use the Shirakami Mountains covered with white snow as a landmark, and when they get lost at sea, they say, "If you think of the Shirakami Daigongen, a god with a white flag will appear and show you the way." It is said that Mt. Shirakami, which was covered with white snow, had a role like a lighthouse for Matagi on the mountain.

On the other hand, some researchers believe that it may be derived from the Ainu language. The indigenous people of the Tohoku region are the Ainu people, and there are many places in the Tohoku region that are derived from the Ainu language. In the Ainu language, rocks are called "sirah" and gods are called "kamuy". Therefore, the theory is that the Ainu thought that there was a rock on Mt. Shirakami and that there was a god there, and called it "Shira Kamui", and that the Japanese people who climbed Mt. Shirakami with the Ainu decided to call it "Shirakami". There is also a cape called "Cape Shirakami" on the Toshima Peninsula in Hokkaido, but there are various theories about the origin of this cape. It's a theme that I would like to see featured in a mystery show (laughs).

This year marks the 30th anniversary of the Shirakami Mountains as a World Heritage Site.
Experience the excitement and mystery at the "Museum of Nature"!

References/References: Shirakami Mountains "From the Foot to the Top" (Taitosha)

Access to Fukaura Town is 2 hours by car from Aomori Airport and 2 hours and 40 minutes by car from Akita Airport. Public transportation is about 2 hours and 20 minutes ~ from "Hirosaki Station" to "Fukaura Station" on the JR Gono Line. From Akita Station, take the JR Gono Line to "Fukaura Station" in about 3 hours~.