For generations, the Sherpa people have been known as the indispensable partners of Himalayan mountaineering. Lama Gyalu Sherpa followed that tradition, working as a high-altitude guide and climbing Mount Everest twice. Nearly twenty years ago, however, his life took an unexpected turn when he moved to Japan.

Today, making full use of the skills and courage he developed in the Himalayas, Lama Gyalu works as a forestry entrepreneur and arborist, helping to care for the forests of central Japan. This four-part series follows his extraordinary journey from the mountains of Nepal to the forests of Japan, and explores how mountain knowledge can transcend national borders and find new life in a different landscape.

Story by
Katsuhiko Kano

Professor Emeritus of Cultural Anthropology, Kanazawa University
Member of the Scientific Committee, Japan Mountain Day Foundation

About the Author

Professor Emeritus – Kanazawa University Katsuhiko Kano is a cultural anthropologist whose primary fieldwork has focused on Nepal and Himalayan Mountain communities.
Having conducted extensive research on rural livelihoods, migration, and community resilience in mountain regions, he brings an interdisciplinary perspective to the challenges facing Japan’s aging rural and forest

Episode 1
From the Himalayas to Japan

The word “Sherpa” is widely known as referring to the high-altitude porters and guides who support Himalayan expeditions. Originally, however, Sherpa is the name of a Tibetan-related ethnic group whose homeland is the Solu-Khumbu region in the highlands of northeastern Nepal. The Sherpa people speak a Tibetan-related language and follow Tibetan Buddhism. From the late nineteenth century onward, many Sherpas also migrated to the Darjeeling district of West Bengal, India.

Lama Gyalu Sherpa was born in 1977 in the village of Taptin in the Solu region of Nepal. From a young age, he trained under Nawang Yonden, a renowned Sherpa in the world of Himalayan mountaineering, and worked as a high-altitude porter and guide for mountaineering expeditions and trekking tours from Japan, Europe, and North America.

He later climbed Chomolungma, or Mount Everest, twice, and also gained extensive experience in mountaineering and trekking in India, Pakistan, China, and other regions. Eventually, he came to serve as a sirdar—the leader of the local staff.

During this period, he met Mariko, who was accompanying a Japanese tour as a guide from the Japanese side. The two married, and in 2005 he moved to Japan.

For some time after arriving in Japan, he lived in Kanagawa Prefecture and worked as a guide for overseas and domestic mountaineering tours organized by Japanese travel companies. However, guiding alone was not enough to support his family, and he also worked at an automobile-related factory to make a living.

Then, in the wake of the economic downturn caused by the so-called Lehman Shock, he lost his factory job. In 2009, he decided to move with his family to Matsumoto City in Nagano Prefecture, at the foot of the Northern Alps.

He chose Matsumoto because, through his work as a mountain guide, he had visited the Northern Alps many times and had grown fond of the region’s natural environment and the atmosphere of the city.

At first, after moving there, he considered opening a Nepalese restaurant. In the end, however, he chose work related to forests and trees.

“I came to Matsumoto because I loved the nature of this region. If possible, I wanted to do work connected with that nature. The forests here also have something in common with the forests around Solu, where I come from.”

At the beginning, he took on contract work for local forestry-related companies. Much of this work involved cutting trees, especially high up near the tops of tall trees.

In this region, as in many parts of Japan, the forestry workforce is aging, and the shortage of workers has become serious. Passing on skills to the next generation has also become increasingly difficult.

“Climbing tall trees and cutting branches requires not only skill but also courage. In that sense, my experience in mountaineering proved very useful.”

As he came to understand the situation in the field, he began to think that if he was going to do this work, he wanted to do it under his own responsibility and in the way he truly believed in. In 2012, he founded Sherpa Forestry Co., Ltd.

People often say that a crisis can become an opportunity. But in reality, there are not many people who can actually make that happen.

(To be continued)

Tokyo’s Ultra-Low Mountains
Rediscovering the City Through Its Hidden Mountains
By Kazuhiko Miwa

Kazuhiko Miwa,

A writer, former high school teacher, and long-distance journey runner. He is a member of the Tokyo Metropolitan University Alpine Club, founder and organizer of Miwa-juku, a science seminar series for adults, and a coordinator of the Horizon Conference, a long-running Japanese forum for explorers and travelers. In recent years, he has devoted much of his time to researching komainu—traditional guardian lion-dog statues found at shrines and temples throughout Japan. He has authored several books on travel, running, languages, and environmental issues.

About This Series

Tokyo’s Ultra-Low Mountains is based on articles originally published on the Japanese “Mountain Day” website ahead of the 2024 Japan Mountain Day National Convention in Tokyo. The series has been re-edited and expanded for English readers.

Prologue: The Hidden Landscape Beneath Tokyo

Tokyo is famous for its skyscrapers, bustling streets, and modern cityscape. Yet hidden among them are dozens of tiny hills and historic “ultra-low mountains,” each with its own story. This series invites readers to rediscover Tokyo from an unexpected perspective—one mountain at a time.

Tokyo is home to many high mountains, including Mt. Kumotori（2017ｍ）in western Tokyo.
But the “TOKYO” discussed here is something different — the densely built urban landscape most people imagine when they think of the city.

Geographically, this urban Tokyo is built across two contrasting terrains:
the Musashino Plateau, which rises about 20 to 80 meters above sea level, and the low-lying downtown areas that are close to sea level.

On standard 1:25,000 topographic maps, the countless buildings hide the contour lines.
But in recent years, shaded-relief maps and topographic visualization maps have become widely available, and with these in hand I began searching for the “mountains” hidden within TOKYO.

Even on official maps, places such as Asukayama, Atagoyama, and Daikanyama still carry the word yama — “mountain” or “hill” — in their names.

As I explored these places, I realized that many of them stand along cliffs marking the edge between plateau and lowland, or on steep slopes carved by rivers such as the Kanda River cutting into the plateau.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, people avoided crowds, and older residents in particular were encouraged to walk in quiet, less populated places.

During that period, I began what I called my “100 Ultra-Low Mountains of Tokyo” project.So far I have climbed only about seventy of them, but in this series I would like to introduce some of my favorite ultra-low mountains hidden within Tokyo.

Tokyo’s Ultra-Low Mountains

Episode 1

Ōuchi-yama — The Hill of Edo Castle

Cherry blossom season had interrupted my “ultra-low mountain climbing,” but after some time away I finally headed out again for a combination of “ultra-low mountain climbing and cherry blossom viewing.”

The Imperial Palace — formerly Edo Castle — stands on surprisingly high ground.

Looking at old maps, the area where Tokyo Station now stands was once reclaimed land along the sea.
The massive stone walls across the moat were built over ancient sea cliffs and reinforced with huge stones transported from the Izu Peninsula.

It is said that when Tokugawa Ieyasu first came to Edo, people joked:

“Edo has neither beautiful women nor stones.”

Edo Castle was originally built as a mountain fortress on the eastern edge of the Musashino Plateau. After Tokugawa Ieyasu entered Edo, however, it was transformed into a powerful stone castle using rocks transported from distant regions.

The area in front of today’s Imperial Palace was once the Hibiya inlet, making it convenient for ships carrying enormous stones.

The elevation of Otemachi is only about 3 meters above sea level, while the top of the castle keep foundation rises to 29.5 meters.

Viewed from the moat below, it truly looks like a mountain.The entire Imperial Palace area is known as Ouchi-yama.
Of course, the Emperor’s residence itself is not open to the public, but the East Gardens — where the Edo Castle keep once stood — can be visited freely.

In March 2023, as the COVID pandemic began to subside, huge crowds gathered near the Otemon Gate for the famous cherry blossom walk through the Inui Street.

Yet once inside the East Gardens, there were surprisingly few people on Shiomi-zaka Slope leading up toward the castle keep foundation.

Most of the Somei Yoshino cherry trees had already lost their blossoms, but the mountain cherry trees were still in magnificent full bloom.Large clusters of rhododendrons were also flourishing, and even without joining the crowds along Inui Street, it was possible to enjoy a wonderful hanami — traditional Japanese cherry blossom viewing — experience.

Today, only the enormous stone foundation of the castle keep remains.

Originally, a magnificent keep tower 51 meters high stood here, but after it was destroyed in the Great Fire of Meireki in 1657, it was never rebuilt.

Perhaps by then the country had already entered a peaceful age, and there was no longer any need for the Tokugawa shogunate to display its authority through such an imposing structure.

From the top of the foundation, one can see the Museum of the Imperial Collections and, beyond it, the skyscrapers that now form the modern gateway to Tokyo.

From the top of the former castle tower, people may once have looked across Edo Bay toward the mountains of the Boso Peninsula (present-day Chiba Prefecture).

In recent years, there was even a movement advocating reconstruction of the Edo Castle keep on this very foundation.

However, the plan was never completed in time for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.

Even without the tower, the view is more than enough.
Personally, I feel that no taller structure is needed within the peaceful landscape of the Imperial Palace gardens. 

On the way back, I descended through Kitahanebashi-mon Gate, crossed the moat into Kitanomaru Garden, passed the Nippon Budokan, and exited through Tayasu Gate toward Kudanshita Station.

From Tokyo Station, I had walked for nearly two hours.

My pedometer showed more than 10,000 steps.Just how enormous Edo Castle must once have been.

Episode 11: 

The Important Tangible Folk Cultural Property “Tateyama Religious Implements”

Hello everyone. I am Takano, Director of the Toyama Prefectural Tateyama Museum.The collections related to Tateyama faith preserved in the two settlements of Ashikuraji and Iwakuraji have been designated by the Japanese government as an Important Tangible Folk Cultural Property under the title Tateyama Religious Implements. In this article, I would like to introduce how these materials have been studied and why they are considered so valuable. 

(1) Religious Implements of Tateyama Faith in the Ashikuraji Settlement

In the early Edo period (1603–1868), Iwakuraji had 23 temple lodges (bōke), whereas Ashikuraji had only six lodges and a few Shinto priests, making Iwakuraji the dominant center. However, by 1801, during the late Edo period, the situation had reversed: Iwakuraji had 24 lodges, while Ashikuraji had grown to 33 lodges and five shrine priests. 

The religious practitioners of Ashikuraji actively spread Tateyama faith throughout Japan using Tateyama Mandalas. They also attracted the devotion of women from the inner chambers of Edo Castle through the Nunobashi Kanjō-e (Cloth Bridge Consecration Rite). Their missionary activities flourished, and they eventually gained economic prominence as well. As a result, even in the 1960s, a large number of religious implements remained in Ashikuraji. 

In 1968 and 1969, the Toyama Prefectural Board of Education conducted interviews with elderly residents and surveyed folk materials in Ashikuraji. The results were published in Tateyama Folklore: Emergency Survey Report on Folk Materials in the Tateyama District. Based on these investigations, the collection was designated in 1970 as an Important Folk Cultural Property of Japan (today classified as an Important Tangible Folk Cultural Property). At that time, the designation consisted solely of 1,083 items from Ashikuraji. 

In 1972, the Tateyama Folklore Museum was opened in Ashikuraji to exhibit these materials. In 1991, the Toyama Prefectural Tateyama Museum succeeded its functions and continues to preserve and present these collections today. 

Meanwhile, in Iwakuraji, although local historians had organized and deciphered historical documents, no comprehensive survey of the religious implements preserved there had been conducted. Curators at the Tateyama Museum took on this challenge and began systematic research into the religious materials remaining in Iwakuraji. 

(2) Additional Designation of Religious Implements from the Iwakuraji Settlement

The Tateyama Museum focused its attention on religious implements preserved in three former temple lodges: Enmeiin, Tagabō (now Taga Shrine), and Nakamichibō. 

Iwakuraji once had as many as 24 temple lodges. However, in 1858, during the late Edo period, a massive debris flow swept through the Jōganji River basin, destroying nine lodge buildings. Subsequently, the Meiji government’s policy of separating Shinto and Buddhism forced many religious practitioners to become Shinto priests, leading them to relinquish Buddhist statues and ritual implements that had been used in the mountains and villages. Fortunately, significant numbers of religious objects survived in the three former lodges mentioned above. 

Research by the Tateyama Museum revealed that these former lodges preserved not only implements related to daily life and hospitality in pilgrimage lodgings after the Meiji period, but also tools used by Shinto priests and even woodblocks for printing Guide Maps for Tateyama Pilgrimage Ascents dating back to the Edo period. Some of these items had no counterparts in Ashikuraji. 

It had long been believed that both Ashikuraji and Iwakuraji declined rapidly after the Meiji Restoration. However, the surviving religious implements indicate that lodging activities were revived even in the middle of the Meiji period. These new findings have greatly advanced our understanding of the history of Tateyama faith. Recognizing the value of these materials, the Agency for Cultural Affairs approved an additional designation in March 2020. As a result, 160 items from Iwakuraji and related materials were added to the original collection of 1,083 items from Ashikuraji, bringing the total number of designated objects to 1,243.

(3) Preserving and Passing Down the “Tateyama Religious Implements”

The Tateyama Religious Implements are classified into five categories:
1. Items related to life in pilgrimage lodgings (363 items) 
2. Items related to hospitality in pilgrimage lodgings (440 items) 
3. Pilgrimage clothing and equipment (110 items) 
4. Materials used for preaching and religious propagation (221 items) 
5. Implements used for prayers and rituals (109 items) 

The Agency for Cultural Affairs has evaluated the significance of these materials as follows:

“Tateyama is counted among Japan’s representative sacred mountains and has served as a major center of mountain worship. This collection comprehensively preserves implements related to Tateyama faith, including those associated with lodge life, hospitality, pilgrimage attire, religious preaching, and prayer rituals. It vividly illustrates the nature of mountain worship in Japan and is of exceptional importance for understanding and studying its actual practices.” The spiritual culture known as Tateyama faith, nurtured by generations of people in Toyama, can truly be regarded as a precious cultural heritage that should be passed on to future generations.

Closing Paragraph

In the next episode, we will introduce the Tateyama Museum itself, focusing on the relationship between nature and human beings in Tateyama. We hope you will continue to join us in this series. 

For readers who would like to learn more about the Tateyama Religious Implements, we recommend Tateyama Faith and Life at the Foot of the Mountain: The World of the Important Tangible Folk Cultural Property “Tateyama Religious Implements” (1,200 yen, tax included). For information on how to purchase the book, please contact the Tateyama Museum.

— Nature Notes by Mouzuika (Yuukou Saito) —

(6)　The Last Edelweiss of Tohoku

Perhaps I am simply old-fashioned,
but whenever I hear the phrase “a flower beyond reach,” I immediately think of Edelweiss.

The true Edelweiss (Leontopodium alpinum) blooms in the high mountains of the European Alps and does not grow in Japan.
Yet Japan has several remarkably similar species belonging to the same genus, Leontopodium.

Curiously, while these plants are largely absent from the Japanese Alps and even Hokkaido’s Daisetsuzan range (with the exception of Mt. Kisokomagatake),
they are unexpectedly abundant in the mountains of Tohoku.

This was the largest colony of Miyama-usuyukisou I had ever seen.
That day, fierce winds swept across the ridge, nearly blowing my hat away.

Today, however, Miyama-usuyukisou is no longer abundant on Mt. Chokai.
Its disappearance has become a real concern.

In the Ou Mountains, the species now appears to be very scarce.
It was once said to grow in the Waga Mountains and Mt. Yakeishi as well,
but I have never seen it there myself, nor have I heard recent reports from others.

At present, Mt. Akita-Komagatake may be the only mountain in the Ou Range where it still survives.
Even there, the numbers are small, and plants near hiking trails have almost vanished.

In earlier years, photographers used to line up before a particular clump to take pictures.
In recent years, I have not seen them.

Was it stolen by plant collectors?

If so, it is a deeply saddening thing.

(7) Flowers That Pierce the Heart

Many alpine flowers are beautiful,
but when asked which is the most beautiful, I always hesitate.

Personally, I would nominate the Shiogama flowers — especially Miyama-shiogama and Yotsuba-shiogama.

When I was young, the vivid magenta of Miyama-shiogama blooming on Mt. Gassan in early summer struck me with astonishing force.
Its color pierced not only my eyes, but my heart itself.

These flowers bloom in alpine meadows and high mountain slopes far removed from the sea.
So why were they given the name Shiogama, which literally evokes a coastal salt kiln?

To be honest, aside from the flowers themselves, the leaves are not especially beautiful — except in a few species such as Miyama-shiogama.

And what about the scientific name Pedicularis?

Looking it up in a Latin dictionary, I found that pediculum means “louse.”
According to Wikipedia, the plant was once used to remove lice.

East or West, the origins of these names strike me as strange and somewhat forced.Yet once a flower has been named “Shiogama,”
I suppose we must continue calling it so, whether we like it or not.

(8) The serpentine Magic of Mt. Hayachine

Among the many famous flower mountains of Tohoku,
Mt. Hayachine in Iwate may be the most extraordinary of all.

This mountain is home to numerous endemic species found nowhere else in the world.

Among them, the most famous and beloved is surely Hayachine-usuyukisou.

Among Japan’s Edelweiss relatives, this species is considered the closest to the true Edelweiss of the European Alps.
It is one of the endemic plants of Mt. Hayachine, a mountain formed of serpentine rock, and grows nowhere else on Earth.

(This story continues from Part 6: “Japanese Edelweiss.”)

Compared with other Japanese Edelweiss species — such as Miyama-usuyukisou found in the mountains along the Sea of Japan —
this flower is clearly larger both in flower-head size and plant height.

“The Serpentine Magic”

Mt. Hayachine is composed of serpentine rock, a rare metamorphic rock formed from peridotite.

Because of this unusual geology, many plants grow here that are absent or rare on ordinary mountains.The phrase “Serpentine Magic” is my own invention,
describing the unique floral landscapes seen on serpentine mountains such as Mt. Hayachine.

Miyama-azumagiku

This alpine daisy seems particularly well suited to serpentine rock.
Even outside Mt. Hayachine, it often appears on serpentine mountains — for example, in parts of Mt. Shirouma.

(9) The Yellow Garden of Yakeishi

Many alpine plants bear yellow flowers.
Here I would like to introduce two representatives: Miyama-kinpouge and Shinano-kinbai.

Allow me to share an old memory.

On July 8, 2017, I climbed Mt. Yakeishi (1,548m) in Iwate Prefecture.
Usually I approach the mountain from the Iwate side via Nakanuma, but on that day I entered from Higashi-Naruse Village in Akita Prefecture.For most of the climb, the trail passed through dense beech forest with little visibility.
But as I neared Yakeishi Marsh around the eighth station, the landscape suddenly opened into this astonishing scene.

A Sea of Buttercups

I privately named this place “The Yellow Garden of Yakeishi.”

Why did such a vast yellow garden appear here?

Until about twenty-five years ago, this area was used as summer pasture for cattle.

The cattle grazed on the surrounding vegetation, but like humans, they had preferences.
Plants that were poisonous, bitter, or thorny were avoided.

Since Miyama-kinpouge is poisonous, it was left untouched and gradually spread across the meadow.

(10) Messengers from the North

Where did Japan’s alpine flowers come from?

Some species originated in Japan and neighboring East Asia before adapting to life in the mountains.
But many others arrived from the far north.

These northern plants likely spread southward from Siberia and the Kamchatka Peninsula, crossing Sakhalin and the Kuril Islands before reaching Hokkaido.

Some even have relatives growing as far away as Alaska.

During colder ages, these northern species expanded southward into central Honshu.
Yet some stopped halfway and remained in Tohoku.

In other words, these are flowers absent from the Japanese Alps and central Honshu, but still found in both Hokkaido and northeastern Japan.The number of such species turned out to be smaller than I expected,
yet each of them possesses a striking beauty.

Ezo-tsutsuji

This flower is brilliantly colored and immediately catches the eye.

In Tohoku, it grows from Hachimantai to Mt. Iwate, Mt. Akita-Komagatake, and the Waga Mountains.
Curiously, however, it reaches its greatest abundance near the southern edge of its range — on Mt. Akita-Komagatake.

There, among rocky slopes, it forms unique alpine scenery together with Miyama-daikonsou, whose flowers are yellow.In Hokkaido, by contrast, the plants I saw on Mt. Daisetsuzan were extremely low-growing, almost as though the flowers alone were blooming directly from the ground.

Iwabukuro

The second flower is Iwabukuro.

In Tohoku, it grows on the Hakkoda Mountains, Mt. Iwate, Mt. Akita-Komagatake, and Mt. Chokai.
Like Ezo-tsutsuji, it becomes especially abundant near the southern limit of its range — on Mt. Chokai.

Touge-buki

The third is Touge-buki
(Ligularia hodgsonii var. hodgsonii).

It resembles Maruba-dakebuki, commonly seen in the mountains of Honshu,
but is slightly smaller and easily distinguished by the bracts surrounding the flower head.

In Tohoku, it occurs in alpine regions north of Mt. Gassan in Yamagata Prefecture.
Yet on the Oga Peninsula in Akita and in Aomori, it also appears in low mountains and even near the coast.

— Nature Notes by Mouzuika (Yuukou Saito) —

(1) Komakusa — The Queen of the Wasteland

The mountains of northeastern Japan are not especially high, and yet, for some reason, they are blessed with an extraordinary richness of alpine flora.

Let us begin with Komakusa.

The title “Queen of Alpine Flowers” seems inseparable from the harsh and desolate landscapes where this plant grows.
Its habitat stretches across northeastern Asia — from the Kuril Islands, Sakhalin, and the Kamchatka Peninsula to Hokkaido and central Japan.

In the Tohoku region, Komakusa is found only in a few isolated locations: Mt. Iwate, Mt. Akita-Komagatake, and the Zao Mountains.
(If Mt. Hiuchigatake in Oze is included, there are four.)

(2) Returning for the Violets

There is a mountain in Tohoku remarkably rich in violets: Mt. Akita-Komagatake.

Among the flowers of this mountain, Komakusa is by far the most famous.
I had climbed this mountain many times since my youth to see it, yet strangely, I had almost no memory of its violets.

I first became aware of these violets about twenty-five years ago.

In Masashi Igari’s field guide Yama-Kei Handy Guide 6: Japanese Violets,
there was a breathtaking photograph of Takane-sumire blooming across an entire mountainside.

Why had I never noticed them before?

Simply because I always climbed Akita-Komagatake after July.
By then, the flowers of Takane-sumire had nearly finished blooming.

In June 2015, shortly after I resumed mountain climbing,
I returned to Akita-Komagatake specifically to see these flowers.

(3) Seas of Hakusan Ichige

When people think of alpine flowers, what comes to mind first?

For me, it is Hakusan Ichige.

This flower often forms vast colonies — true alpine flower fields —
and because it blooms early in the climbing season, perhaps it leaves such a strong impression.

Several flowers bloom together at the tip of a single stem, usually two to five, sometimes even more.

So at the very least, it is not “one flower” (ichige),
and because they bloom in such abundance, I jokingly call it Takusan Ichige —
“the flower that comes in great numbers.”

In the mountains of central Japan, this species is quite common.
But what about Tohoku?

In fact, its distribution here is surprisingly limited.

Along the Sea of Japan side, it can be found from Mt. Chokai and Mt. Gassan southward to the Asahi and Iide ranges.
But in the Ou Mountains, it survives only in three isolated locations: Mt. Ugo-Asahidake, Mt. Yakeishi, and Mt. Fusōzan at the southern end of the Zao range.

Curiously, it is absent even from Mt. Hayachine, one of the richest mountains for alpine plants on the Pacific side of Tohoku.

(4) Endless Fields of Nikko Kisuge

Nikko Kisuge may be the largest-flowered plant among Japan’s alpine flora.

Its vivid orange-yellow blossoms stand out brilliantly,
and because it often grows in great colonies, it creates magnificent alpine landscapes.

Nationally, famous viewing spots include Kirifuri Highlands in Nikko, Oze, and Kirigamine in Shinshu.
But in Tohoku, this flower can also be found not only in alpine regions, but in low mountains, wetlands, and even along the coast.

Here I introduce the particularly large colonies found on Mt. Chokai and Hachimantai.

Great Colonies on Mt. Chokai

On the western side of Mt. Chokai, along the Nagasaka Trail ridge, lies a vast colony of these flowers.

A One-Day Flower

This flower belongs to the daylily family, and is therefore often called a “day lily.”

It seems almost wasteful that such magnificent flowers last for only a single day.

Wondering if that was truly the case, I observed a cultivated hybrid daylily (Hemerocallis) growing in my own garden.
To my surprise, many blooms remained open for nearly two days rather than one.

So perhaps they should be called “two-day lilies.”In any case, producing such large flowers one after another during the heat of summer must consume enormous energy.
It is no wonder that after a particularly abundant flowering season, the plant may spend the next two years rebuilding its strength.

(5) Hinazakra — Children of the Snow

Hinazakra (Primula nipponica) is a species of primrose commonly seen in the alpine regions of Tohoku.

These flowers often bloom in colonies on gentle slopes or wet flatlands left behind after snowfields retreat.

Perhaps because of its tiny white flowers,
whenever I encounter Hinazakra, I sometimes feel as though the snow that had finally melted has quietly returned once again.

Distribution of Alpine Primroses in Tohoku

At the beginning, I mentioned that Hinazakra is commonly seen in the alpine mountains of Tohoku.
Yet in reality, its distribution is remarkably limited — almost entirely confined to the six prefectures of northeastern Japan.

Along the Ou Mountains, it ranges from the Hakkoda Mountains in the north to Mt. Nishi-Azuma in the south.
On the Sea of Japan side, it stretches from Mt. Chokai to the Asahi Range.

Curiously, it does not occur in the Iide Mountains, which extend into Niigata Prefecture.
(There, it is replaced by Hakusan Kozakura.)

Nor is it found on Mt. Hayachine on the Pacific side,
where another species, Himekozakura, takes its place.

Episode 10：　 Nunobashi Kanjo-e
A Bridge-Crossing Ritual for the Salvation of Women

Hello everyone,
I am Takano, Director of the Tateyama Museum in Toyama Prefecture.

Since the Heian period, sacred Mt. Tateyama has been known as a holy mountain associated with the salvation of women. During the Edo period, a religious ceremony called the “Nunobashi Kanjo-e” (Cloth Bridge Consecration Rite) was held on the middle day of the autumn equinox. It was a ritual intended to save women from suffering in the afterlife. In this article, let us explore this unique ceremony together.

(1) The Wishes of Women in the Edo Period

During the Edo period, men entered the mountains of Tateyama, believed to represent “the other world” or the afterlife. Through Zenjo-tohai — an ascetic pilgrimage in which worshippers climbed the mountain while engaging in spiritual training and prayer — they symbolically experienced death once in their lifetime. By enduring these hardships, it was believed that their sins would be purified and that rebirth in Paradise after death would be assured.

Women, however, were forbidden from entering the sacred mountain areas because of the custom known as nyonin kinsei, the prohibition against women entering certain sacred spaces.

At that time, women were said to bear the burden of the “Five Obstacles and Three Obedience,” a Buddhist concept that taught women were destined to fall into hell after death and could not easily attain rebirth in Paradise. What women feared most was the “Blood Pond Hell,” a cold pond of blood believed to be the destination of sinful women. Many women longed to escape the suffering of this hell and achieve salvation in the next world.The religious communities of Ashikuraji and Iwakuraji at Tateyama taught that Tateyama was a sacred mountain capable of saving women. They encouraged women to obtain copies of the Ketsubon-kyo (The Blood Bowl Sutra) and protective amulets believed to cleanse the impurity associated with blood. They also promoted memorial services conducted at the “Blood Pond” near Jigokudani (Hell Valley), where sutra offerings were made. Through these practices, Tateyama became an important center of faith for women.

(2) What Was the Nunobashi Kanjo-e Ceremony?

During the Edo period, female pilgrims gathered at Ashikuraji in Tateyama on the middle day of the autumn equinox in late September.

First, the women dressed in white burial robes and underwent a confession ritual at the Enma-do Hall, dedicated to Enma, the judge of the dead. Next, wearing sedge hats and blindfolded, they were guided by religious leaders across the “Nunobashi” — the Cloth Bridge covered with white cloth and regarded as the boundary between this world and the next.

Crossing the bridge symbolized entering the world after death. After reaching the opposite side, the women entered the Ubado Hall, where they participated in a Tendai Buddhist rite known as the “Shika Hoyo.” There, they received a sacred talisman called a “Kechimyaku,” believed to possess spiritual power.

The women then crossed the bridge once again to return to this world. By doing so, they were believed to secure rebirth in Paradise after death. Scholars interpret this ritual as a symbolic ceremony of death and rebirth.

It is not entirely clear when this ritual first began. However, an old document called Ichizan Kyuki Hikae records that in August 1614, Hoshun-in (Matsu, the wife of Maeda Toshiie) and Gyokusen-in (Eei, the wife of Maeda Toshinaga) visited the Ubado Hall of Ashikura Chuguji Temple. On that occasion, cloth was spread over the bridge and a ceremony called the “Taibu no Gishiki” was performed. This is believed to have been the origin of the Nunobashi Kanjo-e.

In 1590, Maeda Toshiie, the first lord of the Kaga Domain, repaired the bridge, and in 1606, Maeda Toshinaga rebuilt it. In 1624, Maeda Toshitsune donated decorative bridge ornaments called giboshi as part of memorial rites conducted during his lifetime.

These contributions by the Maeda family and their wives likely elevated the prestige of the Nunobashi Kanjo-e ceremony.

(3) A Revived Ceremony of “Healing” in Modern Times

At the beginning of the Meiji period, the Ubado Hall was dismantled, the bridge gradually deteriorated, and the Nunobashi Kanjo-e ceremony ceased to be performed.

However, in 1996, during the National Cultural Festival held in Toyama Prefecture, the ceremony was revived. Enma-do Hall, a newly reconstructed Nunobashi Bridge (rebuilt in the 1960s), and the Tateyama Museum’s Yobo-kan Hall — serving in place of the original Ubado Hall — became the setting for the restored ritual.

Since 2011, the ceremony has generally been held once every three years by the Nunobashi Kanjo-e Executive Committee.

In 2011, the ritual was registered as a “Project Future Heritage” by the National Federation of UNESCO Associations in Japan. In 2014, the Executive Committee received the 36th Suntory Prize for Regional Cultural Activities.

Today, the Nunobashi Kanjo-e has gained new appeal as a cultural and spiritual event, and is widely appreciated as one of Toyama Prefecture’s representative modern “healing” traditions.

Next time, I will introduce the “Tateyama Faith Ritual Implements,” an Important Tangible Folk Cultural Property designated by the Japanese Government.I hope you will continue to enjoy this series.

◎ For readers who would like to learn more about the Nunobashi Kanjo-e, the Tateyama Museum recommends its illustrated guidebook “Nunobashi Kanjo-e” (200 yen including tax). For purchasing information, please contact the Tateyama Museum at +81-76-481-1216.

Ōno’s 50-Year Journey to Protect Its Water Cycle

Episode 6　- A Model for Mountain Asia (Future)
Future Developments

In collaboration with the Research Institute for Humanity and Nature (RIHN), Ono City has developed the “Water School” by renovating a traditional Japanese house.
This facility has been established as a comprehensive hub dedicated to the conservation, transmission, and sustainable use of water and spring water culture, serving as a center for learning and information dissemination related to water.

The first floor functions as a learning space, where research results from universities and exhibits on groundwater are displayed. It is also used for research presentations and information exchange meetings, as well as a place where tourists and school excursion groups visiting the city can freely learn about water.

The second floor houses research rooms. These are intended to serve as a fieldwork base for researchers from universities and research institutions studying water, providing space for simple testing and storage of research materials.

By encouraging wide use of this facility by researchers, Ono City aims to make effective use of its valuable regional resource—water—by promoting academic research, exhibitions, and public outreach activities, thereby contributing to regional revitalization.The facility officially opened on March 22, 2020 (World Water Day).

Groundwater in Ono Nurtures Food Culture

Ono’s abundant groundwater sustains and enriches its local food culture.

“Mizu no Megumin” (Spirit of Water)–

Ōno’s 50-Year Journey to Protect Its Water Cycle

“Yui”　Episode 5 – From Ōno to the World (International Contribution)

We protect our groundwater—so that we may share water with the world.

The “Carrying Water Project” — Giving Back to Water

Thanks to sustained efforts over the years, the condition of Ōno’s groundwater has begun to show signs of recovery.
However, among local residents, there still remains a deeply rooted perception that groundwater is something that naturally exists and can be taken for granted.

In response, the city launched the Carrying Water Project (CWP), grounded in the philosophy of “giving back to water.”
The initiative aims to encourage citizens to rediscover their sense of gratitude and pride in water, and to communicate these values and actions to the world. In doing so, the project seeks to enhance Ōno’s brand identity while contributing to regional revitalization—by increasing exchange populations and addressing long-term population decline.

Through donations from citizens and businesses, CWP supports communities in regions that lack access to safe water, while also promoting place-based branding centered on Ōno’s abundant water resources.
By sharing the story of Ōno’s rich water environment not only within Japan but globally, the project provides an opportunity for local residents to reaffirm the blessings of water they enjoy daily. This, in turn, is expected to foster human capital, enhance the competitiveness of local products and industries, stimulate the regional economy, and ultimately contribute to countermeasures against population decline over the medium to long term.As part of its support for water-stressed regions, the City of Ōno formed a partnership with the Japan Committee for UNICEF.
From 2017 to 2019, the project supported initiatives in the Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste, helping local children gain access to clean and safe water.

Based on the spirit of Yui—mutual cooperation—the project also seeks to raise awareness among Ōno’s citizens of global water challenges, particularly in Timor-Leste, one of the most water-stressed environments in Asia.
Through citizen-led donations and engagement, residents are encouraged to share an appreciation for water, thereby rediscovering the value of what they routinely use and strengthening their confidence and pride in their local community.

The City of Ōno’s direct involvement in the project concluded in 2020, and its philosophy has since been inherited by a General Incorporated Association.

Foreign-born Leaders Revitalizing Japan’s Rural Mountain Communities

Episode 6: From Local Revitalization to Transnational Collaboration

Expanding Mountain Livelihoods Beyond Borders

Currently, Dhalma is focusing on a project that introduces Japanese agricultural technology and investment into rural communities in Nepal, with the goal of exporting locally produced agricultural products to Japan and potentially to European markets.

“To support this initiative, we established a local subsidiary of Happy Farm in Nepal and organized a producers’ cooperative in rural communities,” he explains.

This initiative originally emerged from discussions on how best to support post-earthquake recovery in affected areas such as Lisank village.

“The region has always been a purely agricultural community, where traditional farming mainly focused on subsistence production for household consumption. As a result, many young people chose to migrate in search of cash income, leaving their home villages with aging populations and declining vitality.

In order for these communities to recover and sustain themselves, it is essential to introduce new forms of agriculture that can generate stable income. Only then will younger generations consider remaining in their villages and continuing agricultural practices.”

An opportunity arose when a health food company based in Toyama inquired about the possibility of cultivating perilla in Nepal as a raw material for dietary supplements. While low production costs were a key consideration, the fact that agricultural land in many parts of Nepal had not been exposed to extensive use of chemical fertilizers or pesticides was also seen as an advantage.

“It’s ironic that what we once considered a disadvantage — not being able to afford chemical inputs — is now seen as a strength,” Dhalma says with a smile.

However, producing several tons of perilla annually that meet the quality standards required by Japanese companies remains a significant challenge for Nepalese farmers.

In response, Dhalma mobilized nearly 400 farming families in and around Lisank village to form a producers’ cooperative. At the same time, a local company responsible for purchasing, processing, and exporting agricultural products to Japan was established near Kathmandu under the leadership of his brother.

Construction machinery was introduced from Japan to improve farm land, accompanied by technical training for local farmers.

In 2020, the first shipment of perilla was successfully exported to Japan.

“We are not yet at the stage of making substantial profits, but we have reached a point where the project can continue,” Dhalma notes. “There are challenges, such as requests from Japanese companies to lower purchase prices. On the other hand, we were recently approached by a European company interested in purchasing our perilla products.”

Dhalma is also involved in a more advanced project supported by Japan’s Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry. The initiative involves establishing a plant in selected regions of Nepal to process organic waste into fertilizer, which will then be used to cultivate agricultural products for export to Japan.

Several municipalities in Nepal responded to the government’s call for participation, and training sessions have been conducted in Japan. The first region to introduce the plant has now been selected.

Dhalma serves not only as a coordinator connecting stakeholders in both Japan and Nepal but also contributes to the planning process, drawing on his experience as an agricultural entrepreneur to determine which crops should be produced, how they should be processed, and how they can be exported.

“We are currently considering root vegetables that can withstand longer transport times,” he explains. “For example, burdock can be shipped directly to Japan using refrigerated containers. Daikon, on the other hand, cannot be exported fresh, but it can be processed locally into dried strips before shipment. We have already developed prototype products.”

Such products are currently imported into Japan from countries such as China, but Dhalma believes that Nepalese producers can compete in terms of both quality and cost.While this concludes the current series, Dhalma’s ongoing initiatives to connect mountain communities across national borders are likely to continue evolving, linking mountain communities across borders in new ways.

Related Topics

• Transnational Mountain Economies
• Agricultural Value Chains in Rural Regions
• Technology Transfer in Developing Communities
• Sustainable Livelihoods in Mountain Areas
• International Cooperation in Rural Development

Learn More

This episode highlights how technology transfer, cooperative organization, and cross-border collaboration can contribute to the development of sustainable agricultural value chains in rural mountain regions.

Related initiatives can be found in:
• Transnational Rural Development Programs
• Sustainable Mountain Livelihoods
• Community-based Agricultural Export Models

Policy Implications

This series illustrates how local initiatives can evolve into transnational collaborations that address shared challenges in mountain regions.Such approaches may offer valuable insights for policymakers seeking sustainable solutions to labor shortages, agricultural succession, and rural development in aging societies.

Ōno’s 50-Year Journey to Protect Its Water Cycle

Episode 4 – Science Reveals the Invisible River

How Isotope Research Helped Visualize Ono’s Water Cycle

In 2012, the City of Ono had an opportunity to hear a lecture by Professor Nakano of the Research Institute for Humanity and Nature (RIHN), titled “Collecting a Thousand Waters: What We Learned from Sampling a Thousand Points.”
Inspired by this work, the city requested that a similar investigation be conducted in Ono.

A collaborative research initiative was launched involving RIHN, Kagawa University, Doshisha University, and local elementary schools in Ono.
Using data collected from approximately 8,000 wells across the city, a comprehensive groundwater temperature survey was carried out.The purpose of this survey was to determine whether rising air temperatures due to recent global warming have affected the temperature of Ono’s groundwater.

Students in the 4th to 6th grades of local elementary schools participated by simultaneously measuring the temperature of groundwater used in their households on designated survey days.
This approach not only enabled continuous monitoring of groundwater temperature changes across the city, but also fostered environmental awareness among children from an early age.

In addition to RIHN, Ono has collaborated with other academic and research institutions.
Since 2013, the University of Tsukuba has been conducting water cycle analysis in the Ono Basin using stable isotope techniques.

Furthermore, the National Institute for Land and Infrastructure Management under the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism analyzed the groundwater flow of the Ono Basin over a two-year period (2013–2014) using a hydrological circulation model.

Through these collaborative scientific efforts, Ono has increasingly attracted attention in recent years as a valuable research field for understanding groundwater-based water circulation systems.