Access and Bus Schedule to Akita Komagatake (2011)

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① One-Way Fare to the 8th Station:

From JR Tazawako Station : 1,000 yen

From Tazawako-han (at Lake Tazawa) : 910 yen

From Tazawako Kogen Onsen (Plateau Onsen Area) : 600 yen

②　 Komagatake-sen Bus Schedule:

The buses are available only on the days shown in pink above. Those are the days when private vehicles are not allowed to access to the 8th Station (“Hachigome”) It is every Saturday, Sunday, and Holidays between June 1st to October 31st as well as the weekdays between June 21st and August 19th, 2011.

The bus service may become suspended due to the weather condition.

◎ Not operated on Saturdays, Sundays, and Holidays in October.

★ Operated on Saturdays, Sundays and Holidays in October.


The names of the bus stops are as follows:

　(From left)

　Tazawako-eki-mae 田沢湖駅前

　Tazawakohan 田沢湖畔発

　Kogen Onsen 高原温泉

　Arupa Komakusa アルパこまくさ

　Kogen Onsen 高原温泉

　Komagatake Hachigome 駒ケ岳八合目


③ Komagatake Flowers Calender

The chart shows when the flowers are predicted to bloom. The

(From top)

Shirane-Aoi　シラネアオイ

Komakusa　コマクサ

Miyama Daikonsou　ミヤマダイコンソウ

Miyama Kinbai　ミヤマキンバイ

Minezuou　ミネズオウ

Chinguruma　チングルマ

Benibanaichigo　メニバナイチゴ

Ezotsutsuji　エゾツツジ

Miyama Usuyukisou　ミヤマウスユキソウ

Nikkoukisuge　ニッコウキスゲ

Kobaikeisou　コバイケイソウ

Miyamarindou　ミヤマリンドウ

Ezo-Oyama-Rindou　エゾオヤマリンドウ


(From left to right at the top)

June, July, August, and September.

④ TAXI 

Obonai Kanko Hire : TEL 0187-43-1221

Tazawako Kanko Taxi : TEL 0187-43-1331

Yellow Field of Tenderstem Broccoli Near Lake Tazawa

The climate has been mild and very refreshing in this season! Come to Tazawako and take a bicycle ride near Lake Tazawa!

The beautiful Nanohana （菜の花）, Tenderstem Broccoli flowers, are blooming at the lake! Osawa Area （大沢）is near Kata Bunko (an old elementary school site) and Statue of Tatsuko.  From this direction, you can see two of Akita's landmarks, Lake Tazawa and Mt. Akita Komagatake!

Lake Tazawa (left) and Mt. Akita Komagatake (right)

Picking Mountain Vegetables on World Challenge Day

On May 25th, the World Challenge Day, we have challenged to fulfill the quota of 15-minutes exercise by picking Sansai, Mountain Vegetables!

Our destination was Daikakuno Farm （大覚野牧場） in Nishiki Area.

Daikakuno Farm （大覚野牧場）is located in Nishiki Area, from where you can have a splendid view of Akita Komagatake and Mt. Moriyoshi. The pasture land is over 170 hectare on a plateau of about 520 meters (1706 ft.) high. The rolling crops and grassland (some people say) reminds you of the scenery in Northern Europe! There are a few ponds in which small shrimps inhabit as well as a swamp called Tatechinuma, which is said to be where giant carps can be caught.

The cows are out in early June.

Daikakuno Farm is about 1 hour away drive from our office near JR Tazawako Station. You take Route 105 northbound to Kita-Akita City. Along the road, you will see railroads and no-man Stations of Akita Nairiku Jukan Railway. You also will drive seeing the mountains, rice paddies, and beautiful rivers. You will pass Kamifusen-kan, an event site for the Giant Paper Balloon Festival of Nishiki Area. The gravel road that leads you to the farm appears on your left.

We took the roads to drive further into the mountain  in search of some good Sansai !!!

Funny, although we did not expect to see many people in middle of the week, we did see many cars with full loads of Sansai! We laughed in the car how we couldn’t help feeling competitive with others!

Here are some findings on this day:

Taranome (left top/ center right), Zenmai ferns (left bottom),

Koshiabura (center bottom), and Warabi ferns (right bottom)

Obviously, 15 minutes was not enough to find many Sansai but we did accomplish our 15-minutes quota! Also, we were incredibly refreshed by the breeze in the young leaves!

... Now back in the office!

World Challenge Day Opening Ceremony in Semboku City

Yesterday was the World Challenge Day. Semboku City is one of the 103 municipal communities in Japan that participated in the event!

World Challenge Day Opening Event in Semboku City

 

At 9:00 a.m., people gathered at an opening ceremony at Ochiai Baseball Park in Kakunodate Area. A participant of a Ground Golf game made a fair play pledge in front of Semboku City Mayor (Left) and Hiroko Nagasaki (Right), an ex-Olympian who came to take a part in sports events held in around Semboku City on this day!

Want to Act in Chojin-Neiga Show? Sign Up for the Lesson!

Akita Chojin Neiga is a local super hero show that is very popular in Akita Prefecture. The production company also manages an athletic training gym in Akita City called Akita Ken.

 

The casts have been trained in lessons at one of their training gym facility in Nikaho City. This month, the company has decided to start lessons at another location in Akita City to increase the chances for the future cast candidates.

Chojin Neiga (Photo/Akita Keizai Shinbun)

Anybody interested can sign up for this lesson. The lesson does not have any specific eligibility requirements: The candidate for the show will be chosen from the participants in accordance with his or her talented genre – in not only the action movement but also the microphone performances, acting skills, talking, etc.

The lessons will be held every Tuesday from 19:00, and the fee is 3,000 yen per person. The lesson is available for observation as well.

(Source/ Akita Keizai Shinbun)

Seasonal Pizzas of Restaurant ORAE at Lake Tazawa

Restaurant ORAE is known for its unique menu. They offer the original craft beer, Kohan-no-mori Beer, which has won numerous national awards. It is also where a scene of Korean Drama IRIS was filmed.

A scene from IRIS was filmed at ORAE

The seat is now on display.

 The ORAE foods are mainly pizzas and pastas. The menu differs seasonally. Here are some ORAE’s pizzas you can try in this season!

From the Top:

Cheese Pizza

with arious typse of cheeses

Snow Pea Pizza

 with bacon

MIX Pizza

with mushrooms and onions

Tazawa-no-daichi (The Earth of Tazawa) Pizza

Asparagus, green onion, and sausages

All of them are delicious and satisfying!

MAP

World Challenge Day is Tomorrow! What Will You Do?

TIFISA World Challenge Day is an international competition day of sports and physical activities, in which communities around the world take a part to compete against one another. It aims to raise the awareness and motivate the people to be more actively engaged in physical activities starting from only 15 minutes a day.

The event originally started in Canada in 1983 and more than 600 communities participated and continued the event for 11 years. As a result, it is reported that the number of people who involve in physical activity more than 2 times a day has jumped from 5 to 35%. Japanese communities have been involved in this event since 1993. Today 103 municipal communities around Japan have been involved in this event.

Every year on the last Wednesday of May from noon to 9 p.m., participants get involved in physical activity for at least 15 minutes. Any types of physical activities are included; not only team sports (e.g. baseball) but also physical engagements in farming and construction can be counted. Later, the proportion of participants in each community is calculated and competed with another.

This is the first year that Semboku City has sign up for this event. Tomorrow, May 25th, there will be an opening ceremony in Kakunodate area, welcoming a well-known Akita-born swimmer, Hiroko Nagasaki. (She is known for her remarkable achievement as the youngest Olympian at the age of 12 as well as her continuous success in both Los Angeles and Seoul Olympic Games).

What Will We Challenge?

Staffs at Tazawako Tourism Association (that is We) are challenging Sansai-tori, Mountain Vegetables Picking! Who said that can’t be a physical activity? It will require a great deal of physical endurance: squatting, picking, throwing in the basket, and carrying the abundant findings! OH MY!

…We have been extremely excited!

We will find them!



  

  The official T-shirt.

     

Learn How to Make Miso-Tanpo, Akita's Local Specialty, in Tazawako

One of Akita’s local specialties, Kiritanpo (きりたんぽ）, is said to have originated in Kazuno　（鹿角） and Odate area　（大館）. Miso-tanpo (味噌たんぽ） is, on the other hand, said to have originated in Tazawako Area.

Kiritanpo and Kiritanpo-nabe (hot pot)

Miso-tanpo originated in Tazawako Area

The Akita’s rice (often Akita-komachi;あきたこまち) is cooked, mashed, and formed into cylinders around skewers of Akita Sugi (秋田杉), then toasted on an open hearth. Kiritanpo is typically served in a soup with vegetables and chicken as in Kiritanpo-nabe （きりたんぽ鍋）. Miso-tanpo （みそたんぽ） is, instead of cooking taking the toasted rice off the skewer, the rice is toasted with sweetened miso paste and served with the skewer.

At Tazawako Kyoei Paresu, you can have a learning experience in making the Miso-tanpo! From mashing the rice to toasting it on the charcoals, the staff will give you step by step instructions. You can also buy souvenirs, have lunch, and observe Akita dogs and other protected species of birds in cages here. It is located in Shirahama Area.

Miso-Tanpo Making Experience

Place: Tazawako Kyoei Paresu

Date: Until June 30th

Time: 9:00 a.m. to 17:00 p.m.

Fee: 350 yen

Available for Groups of more than 4 peo

Revervation :

Semboku City Tourism Information Center (TABIYORI)

(Photo Courtesy of Tabiyori)