Nishiawakura

Nishiawakura (西粟倉村 Nishiawakura-son) is the northeasternmost village in Okayama Prefecture.

Understand
Nishiawakura was established as a shoen, a privately-owned and governed estate, called the Awakura-so (粟倉荘). Nishiawakura was the western estate (nishi means "west"), and at the time there was a Higashiawakura (higashi meaning "east"), as well. Nishiawakura chose to remain its own village while Higashiawakura was incorporated into modern Mimasaka. There are no records of there ever being a united "Awakura".

With 95% of the village being forested, it's unsurprising that Nishiawakura is known for its scenic mountains and forests. Much of the forests (84%) were planted as artificial forests after World War II in order to help rebuild the war-torn country. Cedar and cypress are fast-growing trees that produce good wood for building. Over time, demand decreased as domestic woods became less preferable to imports which devastated the local economy. In 2008, Mori no Gakko (森の学校) was established to revitalize the lumber industry (and by extension the town itself) by selling affordable wooden tiles, called Yukahari Tiles, that is used in flooring. Their wood can also be used to make furniture and other products. Awakura Onsen's Motoyu uses local wood to heat the onsen, as well as using cypress wood to scent the hot spring water. The town is also at the forefront of Sustainable Development in Japan as they work to thin out forests to keep them healthy when they harvest lumber so that the forest can replenish itself. The Mori wo Taberu Project (森を食べるプロジェクト), which translates to the "Forest-eating Project", is another local group with the goal of incorporating local wood into edible products. They introduced Hinoki Beer in September of 2020 as a unique beer that was fermented with bits of cypress, which is said to add a fruity flavor. They also make smoked ham and breads using cypress yeast. Their products can be found at Awakurando and Awakura Onsen's Motoyu.

Tourist information site
The village has a Japanese-only tourism section.

Get in
Nishiawakura is served by the Chizu Express Line via two stations, Nishiawakura Station and Awakura-Onsen Station. Although it is a private railway, they have a deal with JR West, so there are express trains from Okayama and Kamigori that will take you as far as Ohara Station where you can transfer (or take a taxi) to reach Nishiawakura. From Tottori, travel to Chizu where you can transfer. At certain times of the day, it may be faster to go past Nishiawakura to transfer and backtrack (ex: From Tottori/Chizu, taking an Express Train to Ohara Station to transfer rather than waiting for a direct train from Chizu Station).

Get around
From Awakura-Onsen Station, Awakura Onsen can be reached in about 15 minutes on foot. There is no public transportation to the town's numerous hiking areas and all of them are located in the mountains, so visitors arriving by train who plan to do any of these hikes should call a taxi. There are no taxi companies in Nishiawakura however, Ohara Taxi (大原タクシー) in Mimasaka also serves Nishiawakura (086-878-2399). The wait is about 20 minutes to Awakura-Onsen Station.

See




Awakura Onsen
Awakura Onsen (あわくら温泉) is said to have been discovered by a tanuki (raccoon dog). According to legend, a tanuki was shot by a hunter in the mountains. He hobbled down the valley towards the river. A few days went by until he was spotted again walking back up the mountain without injury, as if nothing had happened to him. When the people saw this, they followed the river to the place where they saw the tanuki go and discovered a spring of hot water bubbling up from the ground. This is said to be the origin of Awakura Onsen. That is why you'll see tanuki statues outside Awakura Onsen Station, tanuki on the town's manhole covers, and other tanuki motifs around the onsen area.

The water in Awakura Onsen contains radium. The radium is said to stimulate radium hormesis, which can activate metabolism, boost the immune system, and decrease cancer mortality. The following are places that allow day visitors to soak in the hot spring. Yu~Topia Ogonsen is a day visitor onsen, while the others can also be booked as accommodation.







Buy
ablabo is a locally-made olive oil that can be purchased at Awakurando, the Motoyu, and the Former Kageishi Elementary School.



Eat
The Awakura Deai Burger (あわくらDe愛バーガー), a play on words meaning "Awakura Meeting Burger", is a burger made from fried flying fish from Tottori, Momotaro tomatoes from Okayama, and local spinach and rice flour (used in making the buns), along with a tangy tartar sauce. The "Meeting" (deai) part of the name comes from Nishiawakura's position as the place where Okayama and Tottori meet, which is reflected in the ingredients, which also showcase a meeting of foods from both prefectures. You can try it outside the entrance of Awakurando (see "Buy") for ¥450.



Drink
Hinoki Beer (ヒノキビール) is a locally-made ale which uses actual hinoki (cypress) wood in the fermentation process, which adds a tinge of flavor to the beer. It is created by the Mori wo Taberu Project (森を食べるプロジェクト) whose goal is to incorporate different parts of the forest into consumable products, as the project name suggests. They have a few different kinds of beers. All of which can be purchased at Awakurando and Awakura Onsen's Motoyu for ¥800 a bottle.

Go next

 * Mimasaka
 * Chizu
 * Tottori
 * Sayo
 * Kamigori
 * Himeji
 * Nagi
 * Tsuyama
 * Shoo