Deep Aomori you don't know about - The charm of Kotsugaru, a village with a story that lives in its everyday life

Ai Nishimura

Administrator of the blog "My Diary," which began in 2004. A writer who has traveled to all 47 prefectures and loves local culture and history.
Author of Shimane's "Geography, Place Names, and Maps" Mysteries (Jitsugyo no Nihonsha), My Town is the "Number One in Japan" Dictionary (PHP Institute), and Prefectures Explained in Neko Neko Japanese History (Jitsugyo no Nihonsha). Official blogger for Suntory Gourmet Guide, official top user for Retty, and official platinum blogger for Excite.

The "Oni-ko" of the torii gate is a kind demon. Meet a cute demon sitting on the torii gate.

The Onizawa district is located at the foot of Mount Iwaki, also known as the Sacred Mountain of Tsugaru, in Hirosaki City, Aomori Prefecture.
This is a region where demons, which we believe to be frightening, are worshiped as gods, seen as lovable beings, and treated with care.
There is a legend that one day, a demon appeared in Onisawa, built a dam overnight, and flooded the surrounding rice fields with water. Even today, this dam is used as a "reverse dam." There is no doubt that this demon was a very welcome presence in this region, where rice farming is thriving.

The demon is enshrined at "Onijinja Shrine," a guardian deity that has been carefully protected by the local people.
The character for "oni" (demon) on the plaque hanging on the torii gate of Oni Shrine is missing the first stroke, which represents a horn. This is a sign of respect for the demon of Onizawa, who is kindhearted and works for the happiness of everyone, unlike the "frightening demon" we think of. Large iron sickles and other agricultural implements are stored in the main hall. Oni Shrine is treasured and revered by the local people, as a way to convey gratitude to the demon for building the dam and as a shrine that holds the blessings of prosperity for agriculture.

In about 40 shrines in the Tsugaru region, demons are represented as "good demons" that protect the local area, and "Oni-ko" demons sit atop the torii gates.
The demons are powerful but lovable, sitting on the torii gate with expressions that can be a little pitiful or adorable. They are three-dimensional and fitted into the gate, so they are fun to look at from the side as well as the front, and their backs as guardians supporting the gate on their shoulders are also reliable, and they come in a variety of colors and expressions.

Onizawa is dotted with spots associated with demons, such as Onizawa no Kashiwa, a large tree where demons are said to have sat, and Oni no Dohyo, the place where demons wrestled.
The people of Onizawa, who live alongside demons and firmly preserve and pass on the demon faith that has been passed down from their ancestors for generations, do not throw beans on Setsubun, and instead chant, "Good fortune in, demons in."

Demon Shrine (Kijinja/Onijinja)

Hakusanhime Shrine

Ishikawa Hachiman Shrine

"Koginzashi" - a traditional pattern born from ingenuity and craftsmanship in the snow country

Kogin embroidery is a type of sashiko that is passed down in Tsugaru, Aomori. Although its history is unclear, it appears in documents from the 1600s, and is introduced with illustrations in the Okumin Zui, written in 1788 (Tenmei 8).

During the Edo period, when feudal rule was in place, farmers in Tsugaru, a region with heavy snowfall, were only allowed to wear hemp. The farmers could only wear poor quality hemp fabric made with thin threads. By sashiko stitching with cotton threads, hemp kimonos were made stronger and had better heat retention... this was the "Kogin embroidery" born from the wisdom of the snow country.

Kogin embroidery patterns are created by stitching small patterns one by one, and then by combining these small patterns, a larger design is created. Each pattern is unique to each region, and it is possible to tell which woman from which region embroidered it.
The patterns were designed to ward off evil, and were imbued with prayers and wishes, and also served a practical purpose, such as adding thickness to the shoulders where the shoiko was carried.

Old Kogin is embroidered on delicate hemp with fine fibers, so the patterns themselves are very detailed. These embroidered in the Edo and Meiji periods are collectively called "Kosaku Kogin."
The Yumemiru Kogin Museum exhibits old Kogin ware from around the Meiji period.
The late Akiko Ishida's granddaughter, Maiko Ishida, is in charge of displaying and managing over 30 old Kogin pieces collected by her. Maiko, who is also an editor, has produced a book of old Kogin pieces collected by her grandmother, widely introducing the profound world of Kogin. Kogin embroidery fell out of fashion over time, but was reevaluated and revived from the Taisho to Showa periods, and is now enjoyed as a needlework craft. In order to pass on the culture of Kogin embroidery, which was reevaluated and revived over the years, Ishida, as an editor, is sending it out to the world in the form of "publications."
The exhibition also features kogin embroidery and sewn handicrafts made by Akiko, who loved kogin. This is a spot filled with love for her grandmother, and the kogin on display here gives a worldview in which the women who lived in Tsugaru seem to speak to us today through kogin.

We also visited the Sato Yoko Kogin Exhibition Hall, the studio and exhibition space of Sato Yoko, a leading figure in Kogin embroidery who not only creates but also researches the art and continues to carry it on into the present day.
In the exhibition hall, a part of the old Kogin collection inherited from folklorist Chuzaburo Tanaka is on display, and Mr. Sato, who has been walking alongside Kogin for a long time, will personally explain in easy-to-understand terms the cultural aspects and history of Kogin, which was born out of the lifestyle of the Tsugaru people.

Sato says, "There is no method to Kogin; each person's Kogin style is unique to the way they stitch the needle."

The world of Kogin, which was originally made of indigo-dyed hemp and white cotton thread, entered the Showa era, and new ways of enjoying it, incorporating colorful and modern motifs, were born one after another. In the midst of this, Sato's original thick 12-strand thread was invented and is now on sale. This thread is popular because the pattern stands out three-dimensionally and can be stitched without gaps, creating a clear contrast with the fabric.

I'm sure that once you learn about the world of Kogin, you'll want to give it a try!
In times like these, head to Shimaya, a craft store with a wide selection of Kogin fabrics and threads.
This experience lasts about an hour. You can enjoy the fun of using needles and thread at your fingertips to make Kogin! You can also make cute pieces to take home. You will also be given an explanation of the history and patterns of Kogin, so it will be a worthwhile experience. If your creative desire is sparked, you can purchase Kogin fabric and embroidery thread on the spot. There are many different types, and you can also consult with them about the tools and materials that are best suited to you.

"Kogin is only useful when you use it."
As Yoko Sato says, Tsugaru handicrafts, which give us the joy of making and using, may just add color to our lives.

Yumemiru Koginkan (reservations required for tours and experiences)

Yoko Sato Kogin Exhibition Hall (reservations required for tours and experiences)

Shimaya (Reservation required for experience)

The inner sanctum of Tsugaru, famous hot spring areas "Nukuyu Onsen" and "Owani Onsen"

Aomori Prefecture is a prefecture that is packed with famous hot springs and hidden hot springs, some of which are countless in the country.
Looking back into history, the practice of "touji" (hot spring therapy) was popular, with people going to hot springs to relax during the farming off-season or to enjoy a vacation. Even today, you can see unique townscapes and inns that evoke those times.

One of these is Nukuyu Onsen in Kuroishi City, where you can still see the town's layout from the time when hot spring therapy was popular.
Touji is a cultural activity that was popular from the Meiji period to the early Showa period, where farmers and miners would stay at hot springs for long periods to enjoy hot spring therapy. Everyone brought their own food and stayed at hot spring inns, cooking their own meals. The people who gathered together helped each other even though they were complete strangers, and sometimes shared side dishes to have fun together.
The "guest houses" are lined up around the public bath in the center of Nukuyu Onsen. The guest houses are self-catering accommodations for those taking a hot spring cure. The guest houses do not have indoor baths, so guests must use the public bath.
In the past, the public bath in the center of the town had a roof that was lower than the guesthouses, and performances were held on top of the roof, which could be viewed from the guesthouses. This is a common sight in other hot spring areas that is gradually disappearing. Nukuyu Onsen is a rare hot spring town that still retains this style.

Owani Onsenkyo is located at the terminus of the Konan Railway Owani Line, a local line that runs through the typical Aomori scenery surrounded by apple orchards.
In the hot spring town, there is a hot spring inn called "Yamani Senyukan," which has an atmospheric bathhouse with a majolica tile bathtub and stained glass light streaming in. Founded in 1872, this charming building is 130 years old, and you can spend a quiet night in the hot spring water that flows straight from the source. The first floor of the inn was once used as a hot spring treatment room, and it is a historic inn where the famous Dazai Osamu also stayed with his family.
The hot spring town is full of unique and nostalgic shops, such as "Yagihashi Mochiten," which sells rice dumplings made with brown sugar that have long been loved by locals, and "Mamiya Senbeiten," which sells peanut rice crackers that are carefully baked one by one in a baking mold. Ramen made with "Owani Onsen bean sprouts," a traditional local vegetable grown in the steam from the hot springs, is a piping hot menu topped with plenty of thin, crunchy bean sprouts.
Why not take a trip back in time to explore vestiges of the past through nostalgic scenery, delicious food, and relaxing experiences?

[Nutou Onsen]

Iizuka Ryokan

Nukuyu Onsen Public Baths (The famous Tsuru no Yu Nukuyu Onsen)

[Owani Onsen]

Yamani Senyukan

Mamiya Senbei Shop

Yagihashi Mochi Confectionery Shop

Yamazaki Restaurant

A stroll through the Oishi Bugakuryu gardens that have enriched the hearts and wallets of the people of Tsugaru

The Tsugaru region has a unique school of gardening that has developed in this region alone.
The Oishi Bugakuryu Garden is centered around the Onoe district of Hirakawa City in the Tsugaru region, and spreads to Kuroishi City and Hirosaki City as well, using styles and techniques unique to the Tsugaru region.

It is not clear where or how this style of garden was born. It is characterized by the dynamic arrangement of natural stones that have been cut into pieces, all of which are so large that they can be called megaliths.
To use large stones, they had to be transported by hand using horses and cattle. The reason for constructing such a large-scale garden was that the merchants wanted to provide work for their tenant farmers. By having them work for many years, they were able to stabilize the lives of the poor tenant farmers by paying them a wage during that time.

There are distinctive features in the way the stones are used, including stepping stones in one to three directions leading from the veranda of the tatami room to the garden, a prayer stone placed in the center, and stone lanterns (yado) made from natural stones. Generally, prayer stones are used to stand on and pray to distant shrines, but in the Oishi Bugaku school, standing on these stones is not permitted and they are used as a place to place offerings, and the garden has set rules for its etiquette.

Kinsei Garden in Kuroishi City is the garden of politician and businessman Kato Ubei. It was named after his wish that "money would be distributed to all people and the world would become a peaceful place." It took 10 years to create the garden. The main building is also a place of great attention, with gold leaf sliding doors, gorgeous transoms, and intricately designed nail covers that are sure to please.

The Kiyoto Shoin Garden in Hirakawa City is a garden of the Kiyoto family, who settled in the present-day area during the Kamakura Period. The Kiyoto family is currently in its 27th generation, and the house with the shoin is 150 years old and still in use today.
According to documents handed down by the Seito family, the garden was created in 1619 and was originally built around a zelkova tree that was the bodhi tree of Karaito Gozen, a concubine of Hojo Tokiyori of Kamakura. It is said to be the prototype and forerunner of the Oishi Bugaku-style gardens.

The Seito family's villa, Seibien, is located right next to the Seito Shoin Garden. The same gardener as the Kinsei Garden was invited to create the garden, and it is highly regarded as a masterpiece of the Oishi Takegaku school. At the time of Seibien's construction, there was a succession of poor harvests, so it is said that farmers who were extremely impoverished were gathered together and the garden was built over a period of nine years as a deliberate attempt to train garden technicians.
The garden, which has an artificial hill with varying elevations, is planted mainly with coniferous trees that are strong in snowy regions, and a magnificent pine tree is placed as the symbolic tree.
You can enjoy the contrast between the masculine Oishi Bugaku style garden and the elegant Japanese-Western style building. The garden is a stroll-style garden, and the Western-style building seen from the garden is also very beautiful.

Tsugaru is home to many famous gardens that remain to this day, thanks to the spirit of cooperation between famous families such as the Kato and Kiyotoshi families. Thanks to the efforts of our predecessors, the area has become a place where landscaping is still thriving today. The Oishi Bugaku style is not only used in large gardens, but is also popular in ordinary homes, and its spirit is still passed down as "gardens for the common people."
A relaxing stroll through the gardens is the perfect way to end a trip that deeply appreciates the life and traditional culture of "Kotsugaru," a village where the spirit of the past lives on to this day. The symbol of wealth that blossomed in this small farming village gave us a real sense of Tsugaru's pride.

Kinsei Garden

Kiyoto Shoin Garden

Seibien

Kotsugaru: A village where stories come alive
https://kotsugaru.com/