Winter Drive in Japan – Snow and Legendary Hot Springs [4K] Funagata to Okura-mura | Yamagata 2021

Let’s go for a ride! We hope to show you not only the tourist destinations but also the places only the locals visit.

Subscribe to get updates from TOKYO SMITH:
Facebook:
Instagram:
Patreon:
Twitter:

As always, thank you for coming along. Now, sit back, relax and enjoy the view!

Map:

Funagata (舟形町, Funagata-machi) is a town located in Yamagata Prefecture, Japan. As of 1 January 2020, the town has an estimated population of 5,101, and a population density of 43 persons per km².
Funagata is located in mountainous north-central eastern Yamagata Prefecture. The Mogami River runs through the town. The area is known for extremely heavy snowfall in winter.
(Wikipedia)

Ōkura (大蔵村, Ōkura-mura) is a village in Yamagata Prefecture, Japan.
The main industry is agriculture (tomato and buckwheat), sake production, and seasonal tourism to its hot spring resorts. Kokeshi dolls are a noted local handicraft.
(Wikipedia)

Hijiori Onsen
Buried in the mountainous hinterlands of Okura-mura, Hijiori Onsen hot spring resort resides in the heart of a volcanic caldera, from which mineral rich waters feed the innumerable bathhouses and onsen ryokan throughout this tiny hamlet. Known mainly to locals for its legendary and often-thought miraculous healing waters, a rare few travelers outside of Japan ever set foot inside the village.

A journey to Hijiori Onsen brings about a sense of having wandered into a village lost to time and the forests that surround it. Aside from modern amenities, Hijiori Onsen retains much of its 17th century Edo Period rustic elegance. The same twenty-six founding families operate all the ryokan and shops in town, and that sense of community handed down through the generations still permeates daily life here.

Yamagata Prefecture (山形県, Yamagata-ken) is a prefecture of Japan located in the Tōhoku region of Honshu.

The climate of Yamagata Prefecture is characterized by long, hot, and humid summers and long, snowy winters. Both spring and autumn are short, the former often cold, the latter often warm, but both quite dry and sunny. Yamagata Prefecture, along with northern parts of Miyagi and Iwate are the transition areas from humid subtropical climate (Koppen Cfa/Cwa) to humid continental within the Japan mainland. Winter temperatures rarely fall below −10 °C (14 °F) in populated areas; they frequently rise above 30 °C (86 °F) in July and August. Precipitation falls all year round and the remnants of one or perhaps two typhoons usually pass through between August and October. The winters see heavy snowfall especially at higher elevations, though the Japan Sea coast (Sakata) is milder and has more rain. Snowfall for Shinjō is typical of populated mountainous areas, snowfall for Yamagata City typical of the valleys. The central mountains around Gassan may see as much as 3,000 centimetres (98.43 ft) of snow in a season with depths up to 8 metres (26 ft) at higher elevations.

Yamagata Prefecture is the largest producer of cherries and pears in Japan. A large quantity of other kinds of fruits such as grapes, apples, peaches, melons, persimmons and watermelons are also produced.
(Wikipedia)

Narita International Airport Access Navigation

Haneda Airport Information

Camera: GoPro HERO9 Black

Filmed in January 2021

#TokyoSmith #japan #drive

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Drive with me! Japan travel guide 2021
4K driving videos by Tokyo Smith [Slow TV]

– Scenic drive
– No music
– No talking