(February 23, 2019)CuSIT Winter Chichibu Tour
A trip to Okuchichibu, exploring terrain created by nature. We will rediscover the charms of Chichibu from a variety of perspectives with "water" as the keyword, such as the Arakawa River, the Iwadatami Rocks, river rafting, spring water, udon noodles, dams, and icicles.
A tour of the water in Okuchichibu
A unique winter learning tour
This tour takes you to Okuchichibu in Saitama Prefecture, where you will explore terrain created by nature and learn about the relationship between water and our daily lives from various perspectives, including the natural environment, culture, and history. In Nagatoro, you can enjoy the dynamic rock formations and the majestic Arakawa River from a boat with kotatsu heaters, and try your hand at making udon noodles for lunch. In Chichibu, you will visit Urayama Dam and Fudoson, where spring water nurtured by Mt. Buko wells up. The climax of the tour is a visit to the illuminated Ashigakubo icicles. You can experience the mystery of nature.
Planners and Participants
Yuta Yanatori (Environmental Education) / Marina Kameoka (Fine Arts) / Miyu Nakashiro (Environmental Education) / Aiko Hayashi (Environmental Education) / Tomoyasu Yoshitomi (Professor)
Impressions
I was surprised to see so much nature in an area only about an hour away from the university. You can enjoy the waterside as a leisure activity, such as a kotatsu boat in the winter and water sports in the summer. In winter, there are three major icicle spots in Chichibu. The Urayama Dam is relatively easy to access and has a museum, making it an easy facility to visit. I got the impression that Chichibu offers the waterside as a tourist attraction in this way. Even if you live in the center of Tokyo, you can enjoy the beautiful waterside on a day trip. (M.N)
The tour was not just a sightseeing trip, but also a learning experience about the natural environment of the Nagatoro riverside and the role of the dams we visited, as well as a sightseeing experience such as making udon noodles and observing icicles at Ashigakubo. I was able to learn a wide range of information about the region and its history and technology while having fun. I felt that if more people became interested in nature and the waterside through WaSIT activities, and learned that they are closely related to our daily lives, we would be able to make more progress than before in living and working in an environmentally friendly way. (M.K)
