Okuizumo
Okuizumo - A Millennium-spanning Sustainability
Long ago, the mountains in this area were abundant with high-quality iron sand, which was used to make swords for samurai. Steelmaking required a large amount of wood, but the forests here which supplied that wood were protected, as they were continuously replanted in a 30-year cycle. And when the mountains ended their role as a source of iron sand, the land wasn’t neglected. The paths used to transport the iron sand became waterways, and the land was turned into farmland. These days, the steelmaking techniques have been passed down, but there is no mining of iron sand anymore, and this area has become a beautiful farming village where rice fields surrounded by forests stretch out before you. Now the people that live here feel that their way of life exists precisely because previous generations took such good care of the land. Wouldn’t you like to take part in that way of life, up here in the mountains?
Explore the Origins Of Japanese Culture
- ★RECOMMENDEDHistorical Sights
Okuizumo Tatara and Sword Museum
- ★RECOMMENDEDTradition
Japanese sword forging demonstration
- ★RECOMMENDEDCultural Experience
Buckwheat noodles (soba) making workshop
- ★RECOMMENDEDCultural Experience
Abacus making experience
- ★RECOMMENDEDCultural Experience
Tofu making experience