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「Tales of my Tongari town」

n 2019, we started the project “Team Tongari” in collaboration with Tongari Road Wide-area Cooperation Council and Hokkaido Camera Girls’ Association.
Team Tongari has been working on a project to promote the charms of Urakawa, Samani, Erimo, and Hiroo through photography and words to supplement.
“Team Tongari” was initiated by a group of camera-loving local girls.
23 women living in Tongari Road area have been taking photographs while rediscovering the beauty of their hometowns.
As the next series of “Tongari Cuisine Blog”, “Tales of my Tongari town” is a new series of reports about the team’s recent discoveries of local gems of Tongari Road.

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vol.8　Erimo

A story of how the kelp gets to you

In the town of Erimo, kelp fishing operations are undertaken from July to late September.
The weather plays a very important role in kelp fishing operations.

There are fishermen called “Hatamoto” who decide the kelp harvesting in each territory.
 Hatamoto judges the kelp harvesting of the day based on the weather forecast and their own intuition.
 Once the harvesting is decided for the day, all of the kelp harvesting boats leave the port at once as if they are in a race.

Due to the sun-drying process of the kelp, it is very important to predict the weather for the day, and sometimes sudden rain can still strike.
 In some areas, two-person teams are also being formed.

The kelp is wrapped with an L-shaped hook attached to the end of a 3-meter long stick, and then wrapped around their arms to pull it out. The longest piece of kelp can be more than 10 meters long.

The kelp that has been brought in is transported to the drying area by crane at the port, and with their backs to the wind, the part-time workers, the okamari-san, dry the kelp on the beach.

Even the kids help out in the morning until they leave for school or daycare.

The dried kelp is then collected in bundles, cut and sorted one by one, and shipped to be sold.
 Be sure to try Erimo’s kelp when you visit!

Website（Hokkaido Erimo Town Sightseeing Navi)

Where to buy and taste the Kelp in Erimo
https://www.town.erimo.lg.jp/kankou/buy/qot0ek00000002m2.html

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Photo・Written by

HITOMI.Y （Erimo/Team Tongari）

I was born and raised in Erimo. I have been mainly photographing the fishermen of Erimo, the flora and fauna of Erimo National Park in the Hidaka Mountains, and children’s sports. 
Erimo is home to the emerald green heart lake Toyonikoko, and is the most pointy town on the Tongari Road. 
I would also like to introduce the Erimo’s fresh seafood and other delicacies from the sea and mountains.
 I’m confident in my physical strength, so I’ll use my nimble footwork to share the wonderful moments of Erimo with you.

The location information is also available on Google Map as “Tales of my Tongari town”!

Team Tongari will continue to publish this “Tales of my Tongari town”.
We’ll be updating this regularly from now on, so stay tuned!

▼Hokkaido Camera Girls’ Association Website　https://hokkaido-camera.com/

 

 

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「Tales of my Tongari town」

In 2019, we started the project “Team Tongari” in collaboration with Tongari Road Wide-area Cooperation Council and Hokkaido Camera Girls’ Association.
Team Tongari has been working on a project to promote the charms of Urakawa, Samani, Erimo, and Hiroo through photography and words to supplement.
“Team Tongari” was initiated by a group of camera-loving local girls. 
23 women living in Tongari Road area have been taking photographs while rediscovering the beauty of their hometowns.
As the next series of “Tongari Cuisine Blog”, “Tales of my Tongari town” is a new series of reports about the team’s recent discoveries of local gems of Tongari Road.

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vol.7　Samani

Icefall Ohonai Falls, an ice sculpture created by nature

It was a beautiful, sunny afternoon during the New Year break.
With a cold wind blowing, I went out to witness the special scenery that only appears during this season.

Hidaka Yabakei, where the foot of Mount Apoi at the southern end of the Hidaka Mountains plunges into the Pacific Ocean, there is a group of steep cliffs on a coastline that stretches about 7 km (4.35 miles).

If you take the old national highway that runs along the sea from Route 366, you will be overwhelmed by the view of the 100-meter-high (328 feet high) cliffs that suddenly appear right in front of your eyes.

The house that stands alone at the end of the tunnel is the home of a kelp fisherman named Endate.
 Our destination, “Ohonai Falls” (also known as “Endate Falls”), is located behind this house.

After asking for permission, I carefully walked down the slippery stairs beside the house to look up at Ohonai Falls, which had become an icefall earlier than usual this year.

The clear water constantly flowing down from the V-shaped rocks forms thin icicles, which are layered on top of each other to create this spectacular winter scenery of Ohonai Falls, an ice sculpture created by nature that can only be seen during the long and harsh cold season.

When you listen closely, you can hear the small chirps of birds, usually drowned out by the roar of the fall, and the sound of water trickling quietly beneath the frozen surface.

If the season is on track as usual, we will be able to enjoy the winter scenery of Ohonai Falls until around February.

When visiting, please be respectful of the residents and be kind enough not to interrupt their lives.

Address

Ohonai Falls (also known as Endate Falls)
Location: Horoman District, Samani Town

Website

Hidaka Kanko Navi https://hokkaido-hidaka-kankonavi.com/database/samani/1963/

 

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Photo・Written by

Sachi Ohmiya　（Samani/Team Tongari）

It has been 5 years since I migrated to Hokkaido from Kanto after graduating college.

My recent favorite thing is to take pictures of my 1 year old daughter who loves to play in the big nature of Hokkaido. She also loves Oyakoiwa Fureai Beach in Samani.

The location information is also available on Google Map as “Tales of my Tongari town”!

Team Tongari will continue to publish this “Tales of my Tongari town”.
We’ll be updating this regularly from now on, so stay tuned!

▼Hokkaido Camera Girls’ Association Website　https://hokkaido-camera.com/

 

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「Tales of my Tongari town」

In 2019, we started the project “Team Tongari” in collaboration with Tongari Road Wide-area Cooperation Council and Hokkaido Camera Girls’ Association.
Team Tongari has been working on a project to promote the charms of Urakawa, Samani, Erimo, and Hiroo through photography and words to supplement.
“Team Tongari” was initiated by a group of camera-loving local girls. 
23 women living in Tongari Road area have been taking photographs while rediscovering the beauty of their hometowns.
As the next series of “Tongari Cuisine Blog”, “Tales of my Tongari town” is a new series of reports about the team’s recent discoveries of local gems of Tongari Road.

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vol.6　Urakawa

Urakawa town’s mascot “Uraran & Kawatan”

The Urakawa Town’s signature products are, of course, “horses,” “summer strawberries,” and “Hidaka kelp”.
The mascots that symbolize Urakawa Town are “Uraran and Kawatan”.
As a horse producing town, their theme is horses.

The girl holding her favorite strawberry is “Uraran”.
She is wearing hair ornaments featuring cherry blossoms from the Nishicha Cherry Tree.

The boy holding a large salmon is “Kawatan”.
The salmon is “Ginsei,” a premium brand of salmon, and his mane and tail are made of Hidaka kelp, a specialty of the region.

The two are busy searching for the charms of Urakawa Town and tasting its delicious food.
 We can’ t meet them all the time…but! They do come to visit when there are events such as the Cherry Blossom Festival (May), the Shinzan Festival (July), and the Port Festival (August).

They are extremely popular among children, and when they make an appearance, there is always a line of people waiting to have pictures taken with them! They love to be in photographs too, so if you see them, don’t hesitate to take a picture with them!

These busy-bees (or busy-horses?) are even willing to travel to Sapporo and other events outside of Urakawa to promote the town’s attractions, so they may surprise you somewhere else too! Look out!

 

Information

■Facebook “Hokkaido Urakawa Town Navi-Channel” ＠uraran.kawatan
⇒https://www.facebook.com/uraran.kawatan
■ Urakawa Town HP
⇒https://www.town.urakawa.hokkaido.jp/chousei/urakawa-character.html

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Photo・Written by

Uda　Saori（Urakawa/Team Tongari）

Born and raised in Urakawa.
I started photography through work and am still a beginner, but now I am growing to love it!
I am learning to take photos that are unique and only found in Urakawa. I love Japan’s local mascots!

The location information is also available on Google Map as “Tales of my Tongari town”!

Team Tongari will continue to publish this “Tales of my Tongari town”.
We’ll be updating this regularly from now on, so stay tuned!

▼Hokkaido Camera Girls’ Association Website　https://hokkaido-camera.com/