Totsukawa

Tanise Suspension Bridge

Totsukawa (十津川村, Totsukawa-mura) is a village located in the Yoshino District of Nara Prefecture, Japan. It is recognized as the largest village in Japan in terms of land area.

As of 2009, the village has an estimated population of 4,029 and a density of 5.99 persons per km². The total area is 672.35 km².

History

In 1889, a major flood happened in Totsukawa. The flood destroyed many homes and farms, so, many of Totsukawa’s people moved to Hokkaido (the northernmost tip of Japan). And they developed a new village there. It was named “Shintotsukawa”. “Shintotsukawa” means “New Totsukawa” in Japanese.

Landmarks

• The Tanise Suspension Bridge, one of Japan's longest steel-wire suspension bridges, is located in the Tanise/Uenoji area in northern Totsukawa. It was built in 1954 and is 54m high and 297m long. Each family in the village donated 3,000 dollars to the construction. The money collected from the villagers totaled 80,000 dollars from people in region. It is a popular sightseeing spot now. Tourists can experience nature and thrills. Yuredaiko（The drums on the shaking bridge)is an event held on August 4th ever year. The team that performs on that day is called “Kodama” and they put on a powerful show of Japanese drums. Many people gather on that day to see the performance.

• There are gondolas called “Yaen” in Totsukawa village. Yaen are small gondolas hung from ropes above a river and move from shore to shore of the river. A Yaen is also called a “Human powered ropeway” and is a peculiarity of Totsukawa. Yaen advance by pulling on a rope within the gondola. It takes about 10 minutes for the average person to cross a river. Since a person using a Yaen has the appearance of a monkey on a vine, the name “Yaen” was given. Though the existing Yaen are mostly used by tourists now, Yaen were used as a means of transportation in Totsukawa for a long time.

• Sasanotaki (Waterfall of the Bamboo Grass) This waterfall was put on the list of 100 best waterfalls in Japan. It is about 32m tall. The trail head with access to the waterfall is located about 12km from Takigawaguchi on the national route 168. Though Sasanotaki cannot be seen from the road, the trail head is well marked as a place for tourists by a large signboard. The waterfall is about a 10min walk from the trail head for the average visitor. After going through a set of stairs and a tunnel, the waterfall will appear before one's eyes in about three minutes. The water in the valley of Takigawa which comes from Sasanotaki is some of the cleanest water in Nara prefecture.

• Tamaki Shrine is a Shinto shrine located at the top of Mt. Tamaki (1,760m) in south-eastern Totsukawa. It was built by the Emperor Sujin in 37B.C. and is surrounded by many big cedar trees. One of them is over 3,000 years old; it is called "Jindai Cedar Tree". Tamaki Shrine is registered with the UNESCO World Heritage Centre as part of the "Sacred Sites and Pilgrimage Routes in the Kii Mountain Range." See below:

UNESCO World Heritage

Two of the main hiking routes that lead through the mountains of Totsukawa are also registered as part of the "Sacred Sites and Pilgrimage Routes in the Kii Mountain Range" officially inscribed by the UNESCO World Heritage Centre in 2004.

Totsukawa Senior High School

Totsukawa Senior High School is in the south end of Totsukawa village. It is the oldest high school in Nara Prefecture. It was built by the order of Emperor Komei in 1864. This school is said to be the only high school in Japan built by the order of an emperor. Currently, there are only 150 students attending the school. The kendo (Japanese fencing) team and the rowing team go to Inter-high (national high school championships) every year. The kendo team has a long history and has produced many ranked kendo masters. Totsukawa Senior High School is far away from other towns; it is one of the most isolated high schools in Japan because of the mountains that surround the area.

Onsen - Hot Springs

Totsukawa has a lot of natural onsen or hot springs. Tosenji Hot Spring in Totsukawa was put on the list of the best one hundred hot springs in Japan. The water from some of these hot springs is safe to drink. The source temperature of the water is about 70℃ and is also said to cure your cuts and burns. The hot springs in Totsukawa are unusual because the hot spring water is used, as is, directly from the source without reheating or recycling. Good onsen are said to keep you warm even long after bathing and many people claim this of the hot springs in Totsukawa. Compared to other hot springs in Japan, the hot springs in Totsukawa are less expensive to use. There are also many footbaths in Totsukawa which are said to have health benefits for feet. Footbaths in Totsukawa are free of charge.

Famous Foods

"Meharizushi" is a local specialty food of Totsukawa, Yoshino county and the surrounding areas. Meharizushi consists of a rice ball that has been wrapped in a pickled Takana leaf. The name ‘meharizushi’ comes from one having to open their mouth and eyes wide in order to eat the food. The filling for meharizushi is different in each recipe, for instance sometimes pickles are put inside, sometimes soy sauce is added for taste and sometimes, there is no filling at all.

Public Transportation

The only form of public transportation to/from Totsukawa village is a public bus system. The bus that runs to Totsukawa is the longest bus route in Japan. The bus line starts at Yamato-Yagi station (Kashihara city, Nara prefecture) using the national roads 24 and 168, and finishes at JR Kise station in Shingu city, Wakayama prefecture. The road passes through many mountains and tunnels on the way through Totsukawa and the trip takes about 7 hours. A break time on the way is included.

Sister cities

• Izumi, Kumamoto (now Yatsushiro)
• Higashiiyayama, Tokushima (now Miyoshi)

External links

Media related to Totsukawa, Nara at Wikimedia Commons

• Totsukawa Village web page (in Japanese)