Tohoku Mystery

The only village in the world with a friendship agreement with Machu Picchu Village? Introducing Otama Village, a town packed with unique charms and connections [Otama Village, Fukushima Prefecture]

Otama Village is located in the Nakadori area in the central part of Fukushima Prefecture

Although it is an area with excellent access, with a major highway passing through it, signs along the road proclaim it "Japan's most beautiful village," and a "Machu Picchu" corner suddenly appears at the farmer's market..

Machu Picchu...Machu Picchu!?

This time, we will introduce the deep connection between this idyllic town in Fukushima Prefecture and the little-known Machu Picchu Village in the Republic of Peru in South America

Otama Village , the "most beautiful village in Japan" with a landscape nurtured by Mount Adatara

Otama Village was formed by the merger of the former Tamai Village and Oyama Village

This area is close to the commercial city of Koriyama and the prefectural capital of Fukushima, and borders Nihonmatsu and Motomiya, and is also a key transportation hub with National Route 4 and the Tohoku Expressway running through it

Rising majestically to the northwest of the village Mount Adatara . The cold wind that blows in from this mountain is known as " Adatara oroshi ." Agriculture is the village's main industry, and the fertile and pure water that flows from Mount Adatara helps to grow delicious rice.

In addition, Otama Village is a member of the "Most Beautiful Villages in Japan" Association, which is managed by the NPO "Most Beautiful Villages in Japan" Association

The gradation from the forest deep in the mountains to the rice fields that gently spread out towards the foot of the mountain. In early summer, the flooded rice fields look like silver mirrors, and as autumn approaches, the colorful rice ears swaying in the golden color are reminiscent of the vast wheat fields overseas. The beauty of the scenery where nature and human activities blend together is a major attraction of the village

The mystery of Machu Picchu's sudden appearance in a peaceful village

Machu Picchu

In Otama Village, surrounded by idyllic rural scenery, you will suddenly come across a word written in katakana. At Adatara no Sato Farm Shop, Otama Village's direct sales farm, there is a permanent corner with "Machu Picchu" goods

Machu Picchu is the village of Machu Picchu in the Republic of Peru in South America. It is famous as a city in the sky that has been designated a World Heritage Site

Otama Village is the only local government in the world that has a friendship city agreement with Machu Picchu Village

Why Otama Village and Machu Picchu Village?

Many people may find this strange, but the reason this connection was made was due to the efforts of an immigrant from Otamamura, Mr. Nouchi Yokichi .

A Japanese man who dedicated his life to the development of Machu Picchu

Machu Picchu, the floating city that is now a must-see tourist spot as a World Heritage Site in Peru, South America, was discovered by American archaeologist Hiram Bingham in 1911 and was shrouded in secrecy for a long time afterwards

Meanwhile, Yokichi Nouchi, a native of Otama Village, Adachi District, Fukushima Prefecture, built waterways, dams, and power plants on site, as well as hotels and schools, turning the Machu Picchu ruins into a World Heritage Site, creating jobs for local residents and making a major contribution to the development of tourism in Peru. He also created Machu Picchu Village

Nouchi Yokichi was born in 1859 to a wealthy farming family, but he took advantage of the booming rubber production at the time and, with great ambitions to succeed in South America, he traveled to Peru at the young age of 21, despite his family's objections

The year was 1923, and Yokichi had been wandering around Brazil, the United States, and Bolivia, before returning to Peru and working for the Peruvian National Railway's Cusco-Santa Ana Line, where he was involved in driving trains and line expansion work

When the Cusco-Machu Picchu section was completed, Yokichi, who had married Maria Bortillo the previous year, settled in Machu Picchu

Railway tracks running through Machu Picchu Village

Class consciousness was strong in Peru at the time, and Japanese immigrants were naturally treated as the lowest class and discriminated against, but the local villagers welcomed Yokichi and his family like family and kindly shared their food with them even during times of food shortages

Yokichi was so touched by this kindness that he thought, "Now it's my turn to repay this kindness to this place."

With his natural dexterity, he manufactured various tools that were useful for construction work in the village, and together with the villagers, he diverted water from the river to increase agricultural production, and then he built a dam to block the water and even built a power plant to bring electricity to the village.Yokichi also discovered hot springs while cutting down trees, and in 1935 he built a hotel for tourists at the Machu Picchu ruins and hot springs

The hotel, called "Hotel Nouchi," is a three-story wooden building with 21 rooms.In addition to providing accommodation, the hotel also focused on improving the city's infrastructure, including the construction of a post office, courthouse, and village mayor's office within the building, laying the foundation for Machu Picchu

Time passed, and Yokichi, now 53 years old, served as the first mayor of Machu Picchu Village for two years from 1941

Later, Yokichi's relatives in Japan read an article about how Yokichi's daughter had presented Prince Mikasa with a bouquet of flowers when he visited the Machu Picchu ruins in 1958, and this led to him returning to his hometown of Fukushima in 1968 for the first time in half a century

At the time, he was talked about as a "modern-day Urashima Taro" in Japan

His relatives then wanted him to live in Japan permanently, but he returned to Peru and passed away just two months later on August 29, 1969, surrounded by his family and the villagers

Later, Yokichi was praised for his achievements in Machu Picchu, Peru, and the village of Machu Picchu extended the first friendship city proposal to his hometown, Otama. Furthermore, the fact that Yokichi Nouchi's grandson, Cesar Yoshiro Nouchi, was working to connect Japan and Peru also provided support

In June 2012, volunteers from inside and outside Otama Village visited Machu Picchu Village carrying a personal letter from the village mayor

Then, in 2016, we became sister cities

Based on this connection, the Machu Picchu corner of the Adatara no Sato farm shop is lined with a variety of local products, such as Peruvian "Inca Cola" and cookies made with quinoa, a superfood that is attracting attention. Two countries were brought together by the achievements of one person. You may feel deeply moved when you pick up a product and appreciate the depth of this dramatic, movie-like story

Adatara no Sato Direct Sales Store <Information>

  • Name: Adatara no Sato Direct Sales Store
  • Address: 10-1 Oyamashinden, Otamamura, Adachi-gun, Fukushima Prefecture, 969-1301
  • Phone number: 0243482317
  • Official URL: https://adatarano-sato.com/

Google Map

Ample shopping, gourmet and outdoor facilities

Otama Village is also a very attractive area from the perspective of living

The huge shopping center " PLANT-5 " has everything from groceries to daily necessities, home appliances, books, and clothing. When we say groceries, we mean fresh vegetables, fresh fish, fruit stands, and a huge selection of prepared foods. The bakery corner is fully equipped with freshly baked bread, pizza, and even a hamburger shop. It's convenient to be able to do all your shopping in one store.

PLANT-5 <Information>

  • Name: PLANT-5
  • Address: 271 Oyama Nakae, Otama Village, Adachi District, Fukushima Prefecture, 969-1301
  • Phone number: 0243682911

Google Map

The village is also packed with gourmet spots, including soba restaurants, Western restaurants, and ramen shops beloved by locals. One of the most notable is the bakery cafe "Mukaiyama Seisakusho Otama Base Branch." Mukaiyama Seisakusho is a company that has made a complete turnaround from precision machining to producing sweets, including the hit product Nama Caramel. At the cafe terrace, you can enjoy eye-catching sweets made with plenty of seasonal fruit

Mukaiyama Manufacturing Otama Base Store <Information>

Google Map

And don't miss Fukushima Prefectural Forest Park Adatara, which has fans both inside and outside the prefecture. It offers a pleasant natural environment where you can enjoy activities like bird watching. It also has everything from cottages where even beginners can stay empty-handed, to full-scale campsites. There is even a hot spring facility on-site. You can enjoy camping and bathing at the same time, making it a relaxing spot that feels luxurious and great value

If you visit Otama Village, be sure to stop by

Fukushima Prefectural Forest Forest Park Adatara <Information>

  • Name: Fukushima Prefectural Forest Forest Park Adatara
  • Address: 68 Tamai Nagakubo, Otama Village, Adachi County, Fukushima Prefecture, 969-1302
  • Phone number: 0243482040
  • Official URL: https://www.fpadatara.com/

Google Map

Enjoy Otama Village!

This time we introduced Otama Village in Fukushima Prefecture, a village with a wide range of charms and connections that are rare even in the world

Otama Village, with its beautiful scenery, dramatic history, and rich content, is a village that will deeply appeal to you even if you only visit once. Why not enjoy it as a spot to go out on a weekend to refresh yourself, or as a place to make memories with your family?

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