Japan is viewed as a place of the high tech and modern. When imagining daily life in Japan, bullet trains, robots, and skyscrapers spring to mind. Visiting Sakaemura, next to Nozawa, was like taking a step back in time to the Japan of a hundred years or so ago. Being spread out over such a huge area of moutains and valleys, things like convenience stores, vending machines and cell phone reception are but dreams of the future for the children of Sakaemura.
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Sakaemura is stunningly beautiful. Whereas most of rural Japan is blighted by hillsides blasted away to protect from landslips, power lines and concrete, Sakaemura is relatively untouched. Their really are not all that many people living in Sakaemura, and the ‘town’ area is nothing more than a few shops. In the mountains you can find the odd restaurant and souvenir shop, as Sakaemura gets a few tourists, especially in Autumn when the leaves change.
Sakaemura gets an incredible amount of snow in winter. Morimiyanohara station holds the Japan record for highest snow levels at a whopping 7.85 metres. Due to the high levels of snow, houses are built tall and thin so that they don’t get buried. There is even a part of Sakaemura where so much snow falls that the roads are unable to be cleared during the winter. People living in that area are evacuated to apartments in a different part of the village for winter.
Sakaemura has plenty of onsens, perhaps the most unique is Kiriake Onsen. Once you arrive in the carpark of Kiriake Onsen grab a spade (you can borrow one for free) and head down to the river. an onsen trickles out from the riverside into the river, so you can dig your own hole in the river bed and take a bath when it fills up with hot water. This place is really spectacular.
Sakaemura is a long way out of the way and you definitely need a car to make your visit worthwhile. It’s a great place to go for a drive and just explore in the mountains. Please note that a lot of roads are closed in winter and driving conditions are difficult on the ones that stay open.