Everything Is Interconnected
The Resolution of the
People Living in the
Mountains since
Long Ago
A Rough Yet Delicate Culture
One-of-a-kind terraced rice paddies and carp ponds developed through the use of cattle.Nishikigoi (colored carp, also known as “swimming jewels”) developed through the ages with a unique sense of beauty. A tunnel dug by hand and with deep conviction, the longest of its kind in Japan. These have all been nurtured by the resolution of the people living in these mountains since long ago. An unparalleled landscape is here, born out of the tight bonds of the resolution of its people. This is a place where you can experience the strength and beauty of the people’s vitality. Welcome to Yamakoshi
01
The Indelible
Beauty of an
Unspoiled
Landscape
Terraced Rice Paddies and
Carp Ponds
See the artistic landscape developed through the strength of the people living in these mountains. Experience the one-of-a-kind natural features of this land.
Resolution
Although it’s not an easy place to live in,
with
hard work and inventive thinking,
our predecessors
overcame the difficulties of the
natural landscape
and used it to create
these terrace rice paddies
and carp ponds.
It is because of their strong will
to survive in
these mountains that this
picturesque scenery
has been handed down and
continues to this day.
02
The Greatest Treasure
of Yamakoshi
Farming with Bulls
Bulls have long been a part of life in Yamakoshi. They are an important part of the lifestyle in these mountains.
Resolution
“The Crashing of the Bulls’ Horns” has been designated as an
important intangible cultural asset.
Bulls are important to the people of Yamakoshi,
so the unique feature of this event is that there
are no winners
or losers, which is to prevent
injuries to the bulls.
It can be said that the
impressive sight of bulls weighing
over one metric
ton locking horns is Yamakoshi’s greatest treasure,
continuing to delight to the present day.
03
Swimming
Jewels
Colored Carp
The people discovered the value of carp through their aesthetic sense. With this sense of beauty, they continue to develop this new culture.
Resolution
Yamakoshi is the birthplace of nishikigoi.
In the
middle of the Edo period, black carp were raised as food.
From these black carp, a mutation was discovered
in
which different colors appeared on their
bodies.
The people of Yamakoshi found beauty in
these multi-colored carp
and with their unique
sense of aesthetics,
developed over 100 different
varieties of nishikigoi,
discovering new value in
these carp.
04
Deep Conviction
Dwells in this Path
Hand-dug Tunnel
The people cut a new path in order to survive the harsh winters, not just for themselves, but for the following generations.
Resolution
With over four meters of snow accumulation,
going
over the mountain passes in winter was
extremely
difficult in Yamakoshi.
There was tragedy after
tragedy of people being stranded
in blizzards and
dying. In order to overcome these harsh conditions,
our predecessors spent 16 years toiling with
pickaxes to dig this tunnel.
This tunnel is the vessel of the powerful will of
our predecessors.
-
05
Play around with the
charms of Yamakoshi
