A tour was held where participants walked through Shinyu and Matsurube, at the foot of Mt. Sukawa (Mt. Kurikoma), wearing traditional Japanese snowshoes called “wa-kanjiki.”
Enjoying the winter scenery while experiencing the feel of fresh snow underfoot with kanjiki! Here’s what it was like.
《Traditional Snowshoe Snowy Shinyu Walking Tour》
Held January 31, 2021
Travel planning and operation: Maruku
[Traditional Snowshoes] Snowy Shinyu Walking Tour — An Experience Report!
This is Shinyu Cottage, the starting point of the snowshoe tour.
With snowfall the day before, quite a lot of snow had piled up.
A briefing on the tour was held inside the cottage.
Besides the traditional wa-kanjiki we’d be wearing this time, there’s also a Western-style type called snowshoes, and both are said to have originated from use in hunting.
Nowadays, both types are commonly used for snow activities.
That day, the soft, freshly fallen snow meant that the more buoyant snowshoes were easier to walk in, so with someone in snowshoes leading the way, everyone else walked wearing traditional wa-kanjiki.
We put on our kanjiki while receiving instructions.
They can come loose while walking, so the key when tying them is to pull firmly to the side.
Time to start walking in kanjiki! We’d walk a course of about 2 hours and return.
The snow underfoot was unstable, but the feeling of walking while pressing down into the soft, fluffy snow was very pleasant.
There was wind that day, and the light, freshly fallen snow swirled around often.
When the sunlight broke through, we were treated to a beautiful winter landscape.
A curve mirror was right at our feet! A real sense of just how much snow there was.
After this, we enjoyed lunch and a bath at Shinyu Onsen, bringing the tour to a close.
Known as the “healing bath” companion to Sukawa Onsen, Shinyu Onsen is a gentle, alkaline hot spring that’s kind to the skin.
It has an open-air bath overlooking a beech forest and mountain stream.
Enjoy Snowy Scenery with Kanjiki! Access to Shinyu and Nearby Spots
Shinyu Onsen, the cottages, and the campground are all next to each other, about a 30-minute drive from BELLINO HOTEL ICHINOSEKI.
★Matsurube Onsen Kamikura (about a 3-minute drive from Shinyu Onsen)
★Matsurube Snowland (about a 4-minute drive from Shinyu Onsen)
★You might see views like this too! The Spectacular Scenery of Shinyu and Matsurube
