Hida City Creates a Broad-leaved Town Development (Part 2)|"Hida Sanko City Soyana" Preview
On the morning of the second day, we headed to "Hida Sanko City Soyana". It's the main thing this time, and it makes me feel good. The facility is located on the premises of "Roadside Station Alp Hida Furukawa", which is about 5 minutes by car from the center of Furukawa.
The building is a one-story wooden building. The outer walls are surrounded by wood dyed dark brown. The fascia and the bars on the roof are simple square timbers. It has a calm design without any oddities. The viewer is also calm.
In the first place, why was "Hida Sannaichi Soyana" built?
In Hida City, there was a (former) farmer's market that was open until June. Say you will take it over.
The reason is the aging of the (former) farmer's market. It was built for more than half a century, and the indoor temperature could not be adjusted, which was not good for customers and staff, as well as for agricultural products. At that time, we were able to secure a building site on the roadside station, and the project started. It was inevitable that hardwood was incorporated into the concept.
At the completion ceremony, the mayor of Tsutake said, "We want to deliver agricultural products grown in mineral-rich water born from the rich forests of broad-leaved trees in Hida City." It's all packed into a short comment.
Finally, it's time for the preview. I can already smell the wood at the entrance before entering the room. When I entered, the scent of fresh wood filled the air. The interior is equipped with display shelves, fixtures, and counters made of hardwood from Hida City.
Mr. Makigano, aka the manager of the tomato store, says, "We want to make the store attractive throughout the year with standard and rare vegetables, as well as agricultural products from other regions during the season when the harvest is low in the local area," and "I want not only locals but also tourists from inside and outside the prefecture to visit." It was impressive to hear him talk about his thoughts on farmers at every turn.
Let's take a look inside the store.
I took a tour and left the facility.
There were more small-diameter hardwoods than I had imagined. There are a wide variety and quantity of wild vegetables and vegetables, and the prices are reasonable. It is a rewarding facility for those who want to buy souvenirs at the end of their trip. In addition, the store's best products are posted on Facebook every day.
When I come to the countryside from Tokyo, I sometimes suspect that the food self-sufficiency rate in Japan is low. I think so because travelers visit shops that sell local products. In fact, large supermarkets in rural areas and suburbs are stocked with products from overseas. "Soyana" aims to buy souvenirs for tourists and locals to use on a daily basis. If such stores were to be opened in various places, the food self-sufficiency rate would improve to some extent.
Another gift from the Hida Forest, "medicinal herbs"
During my stay, I heard that in addition to the efforts of hardwoods, medicinal herbs are being incorporated to improve the health of citizens. It is said to be called "Hida City Medicinal Herb Village Concept Promotion Project". I heard that there is a facility in Furukawa where tourists can experience medicinal herbs, so I went there.
"Hidamori no Megumi" is right next to "FabCafeHida". We are proposing the sale of herbal teas and miscellaneous goods picked in the forests of Hida, as well as medicinal herb workshops. There is also a service that brings in the herbs you have picked and dries them or processes them into powder.
Megumi Hidamori|Shichimi making experience with medicinal herb powder
This time, I experienced "making seven flavors of medicinal herbs". When you sit down, there is a jar of 16 kinds of herbal powder and a bottle for making shichimi in front of you. First, listen to the explanation of each medicinal herb and make a star. After that, add 7 kinds of herbal powders little by little to my bottle to complete the shichimi. I think I explained the combination of flavors, but in the end, I mixed it with herbs that seemed to be good for recovery from fatigue and a good night's sleep. The same is true for the men who participated with me.
The taste of the finished shichimi became slightly more pepper-flavored. I felt that the instructor had whispered several times that if you put a lot of sansho in your eyes, the deception will work.
In addition to making shichimi, you can experience a total of seven workshops such as "making medicinal herb moss balls" and "making medicinal herb bath salts". The cost is 500 yen or 1,000 yen, and the time is mostly 15 minutes, up to 60 minutes. Advance reservation is not required (except for some cases). You can easily experience the deep world of medicinal herbs. The staff has a lot of knowledge about medicinal herbs, so let's ask about this and that.
Medicinal herb cuisine café "OHAKO"|Lunch plate where you can eat medicinal herb dishes little by little
For lunch on the second day, we visited the medicinal herb restaurant "Wusuitei OHAKO". A Western-style building with a red post.
The store is crowded with tourists and locals alike. The menu offers herbal dishes and hand-made soba noodles made with buckwheat flour from Hida. I ordered the most popular "Medicinal Herb Lunch Plate" (980 yen). It can be eaten as if you were trying a little bit of herbal dishes. The taste is lighter and easier to eat than green and yellow vegetables.
Hida City Medicinal Herb Village Concept Promotion Project
I have introduced two places where you can experience medicinal herbs, but I would like to explain why Hida City is medicinal herbs.
As healthy life expectancy became an issue, Hida City turned its attention to medicinal herbs. 245 species of useful plants grow wild in the wild mountains of Hida City, and since ancient times, the people of Satoyama have enjoyed the medicinal properties by incorporating medicinal herbs into their lives. Medicinal herbs contain more minerals than vegetables.
The initiative started as early as the time of the former Furukawa Town (before 2004) to raise awareness of medicinal herbs. In 2016, he launched the "Hida City Medicinal Herb Village Concept Promotion Project". The concept is "Noyama is a medicine box". In 2019, he opened the medicinal herb experience facility "Hidamori no Megumi". Currently, the city has created a product registration system for businesses that handle medicinal herb products, and is promoting the "Hida City Medicinal Herb Town Tour" for tourists.
People of the forest
Hida City, where 90% of the total area is forested, is working on urban development by making use of the natural capital in forests, such as broad-leaved trees and medicinal herbs. Except for the three metropolitan areas, Japan today can be said to be in a state of "total regional revitalization." On the other hand, there is a tendency to introduce some new tool vaguely. I felt that Hida City was different from that kind of snobbery.
During my stay, I heard a lot of stories about hardwood trees and mountains, and towards the end, the Hida people in front of me looked like "forest people". It wouldn't be a mistake.
This time, we introduced a facility where tourists can come into contact with hardwood and medicinal herbs.
In Hida Furukawa, there are not only Shirakabe storehouses, but also tourist attractions such as festival halls, brewery tours, braiding experiences, Hida beef, and local beer. You can also enjoy a real nature experience by hiking, climbing, or using a car.
I've been to Hida Furukawa several times so far, but I'd like to visit it next time in the middle of winter.
Places to go
On the morning of the second day, I visited the Keta Wakamiya Shrine, which is a ten-minute walk from the hotel. It is also known as a shrine that is said to be the model for the anime movie "Your Name" released in 2016. First of all, the scenery of the approach on the way was wonderful.
The shrine is just up the stone steps of the approach. On the way up the stone steps, there was a place overlooking the city of Hida. "This scenery is really good," I said involuntarily. Please stop by. The best time is early morning or evening.
This time, the stay is " Hida Tomoe Hotel 」。 The location is 1 minute from Hida Furukawa Station. The Hida Koshihikari for breakfast was shiny and delicious.
Interview cooperation: Hida City Town Development and Tourism Division
Related Sites
Hida City Official Tourism Site
