MENU
  1. HOME
  2. COLUMNS
  3. A Journey of Beauty with the Natural Materials of Okumikawa

NATURE , ACTIVITY , HOTSPRING

A Journey of Beauty with the Natural Materials of Okumikawa

  • A Journey of Beauty with the Natural Materials of Okumikawa

Seek beauty in Okumikawa! Use materials from the Okumikawa region and make yourself beautiful inside and out. Enjoy several beauty related experiences such as distillation that soothes you with its fragrance, or foundation and soap making using the local materials. You can also relax at the hot spring baths and beautiful nature to make your body and soul relaxed and free of stress.

Okumikawa Distillery

Okumikawa Distillery

First, go for a stroll along the Mochizuki Road which runs between the river and the railroad tracks. Depending on the season, you can try looking for plants to distill. Afterwards, experience the process of distilling plants and creating essential oils.

This is a soothing experience where you can enjoy the aroma of plants as they’re cut and distilled.

【Address】 1 Yuya Park, 23-4 Kitano, Notose, Shinshiro City, 441-1605
【Business Hours】 Saturdays through Mondays 10:30-15:30
【Holidays】 Tuesdays through Fridays
【URL】https://land-world.jp/home/okumikawa/

Mt. Horaiji

Mt. Horaiji

Mt. Horaiji is 695 meters high and is made up of rhyolite, the remnants of a 15-million-year-old volcano. Horaiji Temple, located halfway up the mountain, is said to have been founded by a hermit named Rishu about 1,300 years ago (703 AD).

When the then-Emperor Monmu fell ill, he sent an imperial envoy to Rishu. The legend says that Rishu rode to the capital on a phoenix and cured the emperor's illness by praying for seven days. The grateful emperor constructed an elegant temple on the mountain where Rishu lived and named it Horaiji Temple, meaning “Temple of the Arriving Phoenix.”
 
Climbing up the stone steps of the main approach to the temple, just past the Niomon gate, you will find the famous Kasa-sugi (umbrella cedar) tree. The tree is estimated to be 800 years old and stands 60.8 meters high, stretching towards the sky. The tree is called "Kasa-sugi" because the branches spread out in all directions above the trunk, giving it the appearance of an umbrella. Selected as one of the 100 best trees in Japan, the Kasa-sugi is a rare variety and is considered to be of the highest quality in terms of appearance. There are 1,425 stone steps.

Chiiwa Gorge

Chiiwa Gorge (Chiiwa Kyo)

Chiiwa Gorge is a river gorge and scenic spot located within the city of Shinshiro. Chiiwa Gorge (meaning "Milk Rock”) is named after the lime in the tuff which dissolved and formed stalactites on the ceiling.

There are many statues of Kannon (Goddess of Mercy) in the cave, and there is a natural stone gate called Tsutenmon near the top of the mountain. The beauty of the valley and the oddly shaped rocks make for a spectacular sight for all who visit.

Hazuki at Yuya Onsen

Hazuki by Hazu Resort at Yuya Onsen

The elaborate craftsmanship of the time has been preserved throughout, giving the rooms a sense of history and prestige. The view from the inn is spectacular, with a beautiful valley stretching out from every room.

The restaurant offers not only delicious but also health-promoting medicinal dishes in a relaxing space surrounded by nature.
The open-air bath overlooking the flowing Ure River is a small but invigorating experience. Soaking in the hot spring is sure to provide a moment of supreme bliss.

【Address】 45-1 Takiue, Toyooka, Shinshiro City, Aichi Prefecture 441-1631
【Public Transport】 A 3-min. walk from Yuya Onsen Station on the JR Iida Line
【URL】http://www.hazu.co.jp/hazuki/index.html

naori

Naori

Japanese foundation is very popular because it is fine-textured and easy to blend into the skin. The raw material is a mineral called silica mica, and the only place in Japan it can be collected is in Toei Town. High-quality sericite is also known as “miracle powder.” Stop by the mine and see this cosmetic ingredient for yourself. Combine the natural ingredients you choose to make your own cosmetics.

【Address】 13-7 Nokiyama, Shimoda, Toei Town, Kita-Shitara County, Aichi Prefecture 449-0206
【Business Hours】 9:00-17:00
【Holidays】 Wednesday through Thursday, year-end and New Year holidays (December 27–January 4)
【Public Transport】 [JR Iida Line] Toei Station → [Bus] Toei Line: Get off at Toei Onsen → Walk approx. 20 min.
【URL】 http://naori-toei.jp/

Soap making experience

Soap making experience

Make your own soap using sericite, a mineral that in Japan is found only in Toei Town, and honey from Toei Town. Discuss with the instructor to create a soap recipe that suits your skin and has your favorite scent.
Surrounded by nature, the class is private and limited to one group per day. You can enjoy a relaxing time while making your own soap.

【Address】 7 Tsuki Yamate Shimoda, Toei Town, Kita-Shitara County, Aichi Prefecture 449-0212
【Business Hours】 Thursdays through Mondays / 9:00-17:00
【Holidays】 Tuesdays and Wednesdays
【Public Transport】 Alight at Toei Station on the JR Iida Line (10km from the station. There is no public transport to the site).
【URL】 https://simple-plus.amebaownd.com/

Roadside Station Shitara

Michi-no-Eki (roadside station) Shitara

Roadside Stations are rest areas found along roads which not only provide a place for travelers to rest but also promote local tourism and trade. This facility includes an exhibition of a wooden car from the disused Toyohashi Railway Taguchi Line, a sake brewing workshop and the Okumikawa Museum of Local History. In the commercial facilities, you can purchase local vegetables and enjoy meals.

◆Facilities Promoting Regional Industry
There is a restaurant Seirei where you can eat food that can only be found here using plenty of local ingredients, Seirei Market with local products mainly from Shitara Town, Houraisen Sake Laboratory where you can experience sake making in a restored laboratory of an abandoned school in Shitara, and the office of Shitara Town Tourism Association.

【Address】 17-7 Nakada, Kiyosaki, Shitara Town, Kita-Shitara County, Aichi Prefecture 441-2302
【Business Hours】 9:00-17:00
【Holidays】 Open every day
【Public Transport】 JR Hon-Nagashino Station → Take a bus from the station, get off at Tanai, and walk 5 min.
【URL】 https://www.kankoshitara.jp/michinoekishitara/

Gourmet Restaurant Sakata

Gourmet Restaurant Sakata

This is a small Japanese restaurant in town located at the foot of Mt. Myojin.
Run by a couple in Toei Town, there are home-made menu items and dishes made with local ingredients.
They have won the Grand Prix in the "Jidori (locally bred) Chicken Contest."

Come and enjoy the food as well as the blessings of nature nurtured by the delicious air and clean water of Toei Town, Okumikawa.

【Address】25-2 Futada, Hongo, Toei Town, Kita-Shitara County, Aichi Prefecture 449-0214
【Business Hours】11:30-14:00, 17:00-20:00
【Holidays】Tuesdays and Wednesdays
【Public Transport】[JR Iida Line] Toei Station → [Bus] Toei Line: Get off at Ichiba → Walk 5 min.
【URL】https://www.yamaresu-sakata.jp/

Sample Itinerary

《Day 1》

08:30 Pick up your car at a rental office near Nagoya station, and depart
    ↓
Travel by car (approx. 2 hours)
    ↓
11:00 Distillation experience at Okumikawa Distillery and healthy lunch
    ↓
Travel by car
    ↓
14:00 Mt. Horaiji
    ↓
Travel by car
    ↓
15:00 Arrive at Yuya Onsen and check in at Hazuki
    ↓
Pick up a bicycle from the accommodation
    ↓
Travel by bicycle
    ↓
16:30 Chiiwa Gorge
    ↓
Travel by bicycle
    ↓
17:30 Arrive at the accommodation
Enjoy dinner and a bath
Stay overnight at Hazuki

《Day 2》

08:30 Check out of Hazuki at Yuya Onsen
    ↓
Travel by car
    ↓
09:30 Tsuta no Fuchi
    ↓
Travel by car
    ↓
10:30 naori foundation making experience at Nokiyama School
    ↓
Travel by car
    ↓
12:30 Chicken lunch at Restauant Sakata
    ↓
14:00 Soap making experience at Simple+
    ↓
Travel by car
    ↓
15:30 Shopping at Roadside Station Shitara
    ↓
18:00 Return your car at a rental office near Nagoya Station