[Oga City, Akita Prefecture] ``Oga Autumn Breeze'' Retraces the Oga Peninsula where Masumi Sugae walked. -Part 1 Kanpuzan/Motoyama - Touring the mountains of faith-　

Masumi Sugae (1754-1829). He was a travelogue during the Edo period who traveled mainly to northern Japan and Hokkaido, writing about the landscapes, people's lives, and customs along with colored illustrations. He moved to Akita at the age of 48 and continued to travel all over Akita and write books until his death at the age of 76. He is said to be Japan's first folklorist, and Masumi Sugae Yuranki , which was kept at Meitokukan has been designated as an important cultural property of the country.

Masumi Sugae left five books of Oga Peninsula travelogues called ``The Five Winds of Oga.''

Masumi Sugae set foot on the Oga Peninsula in 1804. We headed north from Kubota Castle (Akita City) and first visited the southern coast of the Oga Peninsula, Mt. Kanpuzan, and Hachirogata (Ogata Village), then headed toward Noshiro (Noshiro City). The experience is summarized as Autumn Wind of Oga

Masumi was so impressed by the Oga Peninsula that he visited it again in 1810. The records from that time were compiled into four books: Oga Spring Breeze '', ` `Oga Cool Breeze' ', ` `Oga Island Wind '', and ` `Oga Cold Wind These five books, including ``Oga no Spring Breeze'', ``Oga no Cool Breeze'', ``Oga no Shimakaze'', ``Oga no Cold Breeze'', and the first ``Oga no Autumn Breeze'' are called Oga no Gofu It is an extremely valuable resource for learning about the Oga Peninsula.

Here, we will follow Masumi Sugae's footsteps in Oga in three parts, following the [Five Winds of Oga]. The first is ``Oga no Autumn Wind,'' which was the first time I visited the Oga Peninsula in 1804.

"Masumi Sugae Yuranki," a nationally designated important cultural property, cannot be viewed because it is privately owned, but several manuscripts of "Masumi Sugae Yuranki" that have been transcribed in their entirety by later calligraphers remain, and are exhibited at the Akita Prefectural Museum and the National Museum. It can be viewed at the National Diet Library, National Archives of Japan, and libraries nationwide.

This article will be written with reference to manuscripts held by the Akita Prefectural Museum, the National Archives of Japan, the National Diet Library, and a modern translation published in 2000. Dates in the Edo period are the dates and times recorded by Masumi (old calendar) unless otherwise noted.

reference

• Akita Prefectural Museum Masumi Sugae Library (Manuscripts)
  • URL: Akita Prefectural Museum Masumi Sugae Library
• National Diet Library Digital Collection Akita Series Special Collection No. 1 (Masumi Sugae Collection No. 1/Manuscript)
  • URL: National Diet Library Digital Collection Akita Series
• National Archives Masumi Travelogue (manuscript of 1898)
  • URL: National Archives Masumi Travelogue
• Published by Heibonsha Masumi Sugae Travelogue 5 Edited and translated by Takeshi Uchida and Tsuneichi Miyamoto Published on August 9, 2000
  • *Citations from Masumi Sugae's writings are based on ``Masumi Sugae Travelogue, Heibonsha Publishing, Edited and Translated by Takeshi Uchida and Tsuneichi Miyamoto.''

``Oga Autumn Breeze'' walking along the southern coast and inland of the Oga Peninsula

On August 14, 1804, Masumi left his accommodation in Kubota Castle, the residence of the Kubota Domain (Akita Domain), stayed one night at Tsuchizaki Minato (Tsuchizaki Port, Akita City), and the following day, on the 15th, he set out on foot towards the Oga Peninsula. I'm leaving. Our first destination was Tenno Village (Tenno, Katakami City) along Hachiro Lagoon, and we used this as our base for a while as we toured the Oga Peninsula. Hachirogata was originally a lake at the base of the Oga Peninsula, but now most of the surface of the lake has been reclaimed and only a portion remains as Lake Hachiro (Ogata Village).

Visit the Oni no Hidden Village and the Shintama Pond on Mt. Kanpu

On August 21st, I climbed Mt. Kanpuzan (335m above sea level) and was impressed by the scenery. On the way down the mountain, we visited a place called ``Ishigura, or Hidden Village,'' where many rocks are piled up like a mountain. This place is still tourist attraction and is said to be the place where demons lived.

Kanpuzan is a volcano that was originally active from about 30,000 years ago to about 10,000 years ago, but is currently inactive and is not registered as an active volcano. [Oni no Hidden Village] was created when a mountain of lava was pushed out from underground during an eruption a long time ago, and collapsed due to its weight. There is a space, and this is said to be the home of the demon.

The space existed even in the Edo period, and Masumi and his group "all just put their heads in and looked into it," and it seems like not a single one of them entered because it was creepy. It is written that there was a stone nearby called Suzuri Mizu, in which water was collected in the hollow of a stone in the shape of an inkstone, and this inkstone water is still full of water and never dries up. It is thought to refer to [Kobo Daishi's ink stone], which is said to exist.

INFORMATON

• Facility name: Demon's Hidden Village/Kanpuzan
• Address: 62-1 Kanpuyama, Wakimoto Tominaga, Oga City, Akita Prefecture　
• Phone number: 0185-25-3055
• Kanpuzan Rotating Observation Deck/Observation Deck Restaurant
• Business period: Late March to end of November
• Closed: Open every day during business hours, from early December to mid-March
• Admission fee:
  • Rotating observation deck/adults 550 yen, elementary and junior high school students 270 yen
  • *The revolving restaurant can be used without admission fee.
• URL: Kanpuzan Rotating Observatory/Observatory Restaurant
• access:
  • Public transportation: Approximately 20 minutes by Kanpuzan sightseeing taxi (reservation required) from JR Oga Line Oga Station
  • Car: Approximately 40 minutes from Akita Expressway Showa Oga Peninsula IC

GOOGLE MAP

Legend has it that a large snake lives there, where a woman threw herself into the pond long ago [Shintama no Ike]

we stopped at Pond , which is located at the foot of Mt. Kanpū and is said to be where a person named Tamahime threw herself down in the past

[Shintama Pond] is still known as a view point of Mt. Kanpu, but the legend that has been passed down to this day is slightly different from the story that Masumi heard. According to `` Oga Folktales A girl named Otama, who was courted by a village headman, threw herself into a pond and turned into a giant snake in order to escape from him .'' There is another legend about Shintama no Ike. The original Tama-no-ike pond was located at the crater of Mt. Kanpu, but when the water dried up, the large snake that lived there moved to the pond at the foot of the mountain.

INFORMATON

• Facility name: Shintama Pond
• Location: Oga Nakatakigawa Kanpuzan Yokodori, Oga City, Akita Prefecture
• Phone number: 0185-24-4700 (Oga City Tourism Association)
• access:
  • Public transportation: Approximately 8 minutes by taxi from Hadachi Station on the JR Oga Line, approximately 1 hour on foot from Sky Park Kanpuzan Observation Deck
  • Car: Approximately 35 minutes from Akita Expressway Showa Oga Peninsula IC

From Wakimoto to Shiosezaki and in front of the gate of Akagami Shrine

On August 24th, Wakimoto (Wakimoto/Wakimoto, Oga City) along the coast, and the medieval castle [ Wakimoto Castle ] (Masumi calls it Ohira Castle) Oibanasaki I'm taking a tour. From Ikuhanazaki, you can see Mount Chokai, Tobishima (Sakata City, Yamagata Prefecture), and Taiheizan (Akita City, Akita Prefecture), from which Ohira Castle was named. I was fascinated by it.

The next day, we moved west along the coast, passing through Funagawa (Funagawa Port, Oga City), Onagawa no Ura, where camellias grow We will arrive at the southernmost port, Obamaanoura

Many camellias still bloom in Funagawa Port Camellia, and the camellias blooming in the Notozan area near the port are considered to be the northern limit of wild-growing in Japan and have been designated as a national natural monument.

The weather was bad in Obama, so we finally went out around noon on August 27th, and saw the strangely shaped rocks at Shiosezaki. When Masumi saw Shiosezaki for the first time, he described the strangely shaped rock formations as ``a sight that cannot be described in words or description,'' with ``the view of Cape Shiose that was just astounding.''

Visit Nishikaji Temple (Akagami Shrine) and think about the legends from ancient times

Masumi arrives at Monzen, Funagawa Port, Oga City, and visits Nishakuji Temple located halfway up the main mountain

As Masumi has written, Nisseki-ji Temple is a historical temple where the legend of Emperor Wu of the Han (ancient Chinese country) and five bats (Red God Legend) has been passed down. During the Heian period, Oga Peninsula flourished as a center for mountain training, with many branch temples (shrines and lodgings attached to the main temple), but during the Edo period, it was said that ``now only Kisshoin and Chorakuji remain.'' As you wrote, I was very lonely.

Hizakuji Temple was abandoned in the Meiji period, but Akagami Shrine , including the Goshado (Nationally Designated Important Cultural Property) built in the Muromachi period, and 999 steps that are said to have been built by five demons in one night. The stone steps remain.

*For details on the legend of the five bats and the 999 stone steps, please refer to Demons of the Oga Peninsula - Why do Namahage use knives to punish people? - Is it true that Namahage are gods? Please.

Tohoku Rokken trivia media: NEFT

Related article

[Oga City, Akita Prefecture] Demons of Oga Peninsula - Why do Namahage use knives to punish people...

https://jp.neft.asia/archives/34981

When you hear the word Oga, the first thing that comes to mind is Namahage. Every year on New Year's Eve, demon-like people wearing masks with scary faces and costumes made of straw visit people's homes shouting, ``No lazy people, no crying children!'' In his hands, he holds a Deba knife and a bucket. Namahage descends to the village from Mt. Kamiyama to pray for the villagers not to be lazy in the winter and for good health and a good harvest in the new year (at the Namahage Chaito Festival) ©Akita PrefectureThe Namahage is scary at first glance, but... In fact, we are trying to punish the lazy people who spend all their time at the kotatsu and the irori hearth during the winter agricultural off-season, so that they will not get sick.

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INFORMATON

• Facility name: Akagami Shrine, Goshado, 999 stone steps
• Location: 35 Harakawa (Akagami Shrine), Funagawa Port Honzanmonzen, Oga City, Akita Prefecture
• Phone number: 0185-24-9220 (Oga City Tourism, Culture and Sports Department, Tourism Division)
• access:
  • Public transportation: From Oga Station on the JR Oga Line, take the Oga City Bus Oga Minami Line and get off at Monzen Parking Lot bus stop.
  • Car: Approximately 40 minutes from Akita Expressway Showa Oga Peninsula IC

GOOGLE MAP

Visit the famous spots at the foot of Mt. Kanpū and continue your journey from Oga to Noshiro.

After Masumi finished visiting Nishikaku-ji Temple, he returned the way he had come and visited several villages, arriving at Tenno Village, the base of his Oga travelogue, on August 30th. After staying for a while, on September 4th, we set out along Hachirogata towards Noshiro.

On September 6th, a spring called Takino-kashira, where clear water flows out from between rocks, is located on the Shibikawa River (Goriai Magawa River , Oga City) at the base of the Oga Peninsula. I'm observing the group.

The area around the head of the waterfall is the tip of lava that flowed from Mt. Kanpu, and even today, a lot of fresh water still flows out from between the rocks. Among the springs, Taki-no-Kashira is the largest and forms a pond. The spring water is still used as drinking water and agricultural water in Oga City, and is carefully protected.

INFORMATON

• Facility name: Taki no Kashira
• Location: 34 Goriamagawa, Oga City, Akita Prefecture (Oga City Takinokashira Water Purification Plant)
• Phone number: 0185-46-4105
• Visiting hours: 10:00-15:00
• Regular holidays: Open all year round
• access:
  • Public transportation: Approximately 20 minutes by taxi from JR Oga Line Oga Station
  • Car: Approximately 30 minutes from Akita Expressway Showa Oga Peninsula IC

GOOGLE MAP

On the Oga Peninsula where Masumi Sugae walked, there are 90 marker posts and information boards set up to help you take a stroll.

The path that Masumi Sugae walked on the Oga Peninsula has been maintained as the `` Masumi Sugae Path ,'' and there are marker posts at 83 locations that have some connection to the path, and detailed information boards at 8 locations. Please use it as an aid when walking around the Oga Peninsula.