Lesson 125

1 TOOHOKU
off the beaten tourist tracks, TOOHOKU remains today one of the unexplored areas, in the tourist sense, of all japan.
It is well worth your while to tour through this relatively less industrialized region of Japan as it still retains some of the old traditions of Japan which are fast disappearing in the big cities. Here, a foreign visitor will find japan as he had dreamed of before leaving his country. TOOHOKU offers some of the most impressive sceneries, fine hot spring resorts and vacation land, making it one of the most attractive and popular targets of the domestic tourists.
Among the more important sites in this area, Sendai and neighboring Matsushima are the obvious leaders. Matsushima, one of the three classical sightseeing objectives of Japanese tourists (the others are Miyajima Island and Amanohashidate near Kyoto), is a group of pine-covered islands, often of unusual shapes, dotting the bay near Sendai. Seen at any season of the year, Matsushima is a visual delight and a heaven for camera fans who like scenic shots. Others are TOWADA-HACHIMANTAI National Park and BANDAI-ASAHI National park.

2 TOWADA-HACHIMANTAI National Park
Towada-Hachimantai National park covering 205,964 acres, consists of mountain and lake districts, extending into AOMORI, AKITA, and IWATE Prefectures. Among the manifold attractions of the national park are Lake Towada, the largest mountain lake in Japan. Lake Towada is often compared with the famous Crater Lake in America, and though it lacks the grandeur of the American lake, it is considered far superior in scenic charm. The remoteness of the lake may be a deterrent to visitors, but this is amply compensated for by the travel facilities available. The best time to make a trip to Towada is from May to October.

BANDAI-ASAHI National park
This national park which covers a total area of 7,800 square miles was created on September 5, 1950. it is divided into 4 sections, the lake district centering around Lake Inawashiro, the Bandai-Azuma mountains, Mt. Iide, and the Asahi-Gassan mountains.
Lake Inawashiro, the fourth largest in japan, is situated on a highland 1,700 feet above sea level and is 34 miles in circumference. A motorboat trip around the lake takes about 3 hours.
Mt. Bandai is the name of a group of several peaks. It is also known as Aizu-Fuji for its resemblance to Mt. Fuji. The group lies approximately 3 to 4 miles north of Lake Inawashiro, and an unsurpassed view of the surrounding country is obtained from the summit. Many lakes were formed on the northern slope of the mountain at the time of the eruption in 1888, when the two peaks of the group blew up.
Mt, Azuma is the general name for the cluster of peaks rising to the west of Fukushima. The peaks are classed as active volcanoes, although there has been no eruption since 1900 when 82 sulphur diggers were killed. The crater of Azuma-Fuji, one of the peaks, measures 1,640 ft. in diameter.
Asahi mountains are located on the northwest of Yonezawa, on the borders of Yamagata and Niigata Prefectures. From their grand aspect they are also called the TOOHOKU Alps. The highest peak is called Oo-Asahi (major Asahi) and is 6,171 feet in altitude. The mountains are for the most part of granite formation, with several streams rushing down their slopes, cutting deep ravines and scenic gorges. They also abound with alpine plants and wild animals such as monkeys, bears, and antelope. Some 110 species of alpine plants are found on the mountains.

Guide for Free Conversation and Exercises

1 Topics;

a Talk about the following topics in Japanese.

(1) The northwest region in general.

(2) The industry in this region.

(3) The scenic places in this region.

(4) Home industry and famous products.

(5) The fishing industry.

2 Exercises;

a 次の 文章を 日本語に 訳してください。

(1) Oou region occupies the northern part of Honshuu.

(2) Transportation facilities are bad, and there are many places that are still backward in civilization even today.

(3) The breeding of horses flourishes all over this region.

Homework

1 Study the Narration thoroughly and memorize the vocabulary,

2 Read the Guide for Free Conversation and do the exercises given.

3 Learn to read and write new Kanji.

4 Read the Cultural Notes.