My idyllic place - after reading "Double Trouble"

There is a place, which is called, "Takabocchi" tableland in Shiojiri.

You can take Road 20 from the center of Shiojiri by car, and make turn to the East. After making turn, the road is going to be narrow and winding. The road to get Takabocchi tableland is not so far, but as the road is wild, you may feel nervous, and may think the road is finishing.

After 10 to 15 minutes, the view will be clear, and it's the Takabocchi tableland.

In summer time, you can see pastured cattle. When you walk to the South, you can see Suwako lake in your below view and Fuji mountain if you are lucky. When you walk to the North, you can see North Alps mountains. The bank of clouds is near you and move fast. The contrast of white clouds and blue sky is brilliant. The temperature is cooler than city area, and wind is fresh. In August, there is horse race. It's not so big festival, but you can hear foot sound of horses, and can see the exciting race so close.

I like the place because the color is beautiful, and clear air refreshes me. However, I don't think I want to live there because winter is too hard to live. The road is closed during winter, so I don't really know how hard it is, but it must be cold and heavy snow. Although it's hard in winter, I definitly recommend there to refresh your mind in summer.

Posted for Yumi

The place where I live - Hata

I live in Hata, which is next to Matsumoto. It has a population of about 15,000 people. These days, many people come to Hata because it’s close to Matsumoto and Shiojiri, and land is cheaper than in the cities.

There are elementary, junior and high schools. There is also a hospital, a station, a library, a gymnastic hall and so on in Hata. I think that public services are satisfactory. “ACT HALL” is especially very good. A lot of concerts are held there every year.

There are a lot of fields around Hata, which is especially famous for watermelon.

They’re extremely sweet, more than other town’s, so many people come to buy them in the summer. My family buys at least ten then.

The weather is nice. Best of all, I like the summer so much. However, I don’t like the winter season because it’s very cold. Usually, temperatures are lower than Matsumoto by about 1-3 degrees. If you like the cold, you should choose Hata.

Hata is in the countryside, so there are not many shops. Nevertheless, it’s home, sweet home. Home is home, though it has never been too homely….

The place where I live - Shiojiri

I live in Shiojiri, which is a city almost in the center of Japan. It has a population of 60,000 people and it’s a small city in Japan.

It’s a beautiful city enclosed by high mountains and a lot of nature. There is an old road that is called “Nakasendou”, and there are old towns that are called “shukubamachi”. People walk on this old road, and see historic sites.

The weather here is different from cities on the coast of Japan. The city is located about 600m above sea level , and enclosed by high mountains. The winter is very cold and snowy. The summer isn’t so hot. It is comfortable compared with other towns. A lot of people visit seeking cool air in summer.

Shiojiri is famous for wine. There are a lot of vineyards around my house. These are used to make wine. There are some wine tasting events that I enjoy drinking wine, and a lot of people visit them.

I think the best thing about Shiojiri is winter sports. There are a lot of good ski areas, and the access is also good. There are a lot of good Onsen. After I do sports, I can rest my tired body in an Onsen.

The place where I live - Yamagata

I live in Yamagata, which is a small village neighboring southwest Matsumoto city. It has a population of about 8000 people.

There are mountains and houses to the west of the village, and a farming area spreads to the east. There is good nature in this village, and I can look at mountains and the Matsumoto Plain around here on fine, clear days. Autumn colors of mountains and yam farms are also very beautiful.

The weather in Yamagata is similar to Matsumoto's. Yamagata is located a little higher above sea level than Matsumoto city, so the temperature is a little lower than Matsumoto.

Agriculture is the most active industry in this village. There are plenty of farms which produce many kinds of vegetables and fruits, - yams, apples, water melons, soba, and so on. Good things for a lot of people is good farm products, and a beautiful view.

I think the best things about Yamagata village are the comfortable climate and the peace and quiet, and the good location near Matsumoto or Shiojiri city, and the helpfulness of local people. I think this is why the population increased recently.

Junji

Where I live - Shiojiri

I live in Shiojiri, which is a city in a basin in the middle of Japan. It has a population of 60,000 people and it’s a small city in Japan.
There are many lettuce farms. The lettuces are always produced in the end of August and the beginning of September. They are very fresh and really delicious, but aren't cheap.
The whether of here is comfortable, because there aren't many rainy days. Many football teams that the students belong enjoy a match under the sunshine every weekend.
Shiojiri is famous for lacquered ware in Japan. The lacquer is very bright and glossy. The medals for Nagano winter Olympic games ware lacquered in this city.
I think the best thing about Shiojiri is the beautiful scenery of mountain range.
I enjoy the color that the mountain changes beautifully when the season changes.
I like these mountains and this city very much.

My home town - Shiojiri

I live in Shiojiri city, which is in the center of Nagano prefecture. It has a population of 70,000 people and it's the 8th biggest city in Nagano prefecture. (I found this information at http://uub.jp/cpf/nagano.html  )
There's a beautiful view of mountain chain called Japanese Alps. The height of those is about 3,000 metres. If you want to know more information about Japanese Alps, please visit web site, http://www.pref.nagano.jp/xkyouiku/sance/inpak/ya1/ya1_index.html  .
The winter is very cold. It's usually under subzero in the morning. It needs careful driving, because the road freezes!
Wine is famous, but I can't drink alcohol, so I don't know good point of Shiojiri's wine.
The best thing about Shiojiri is atmosphere. I like living here, because I feel the time goes slow (except work...).