Oshika 大鹿村
Beautiful village in the Alps
The Oshika village was one of the seven villages listed in the first "The Most Beautiful Villages of Japan" classification, created in 2005. Located in the prefecture of Nagano, the village, nestled in the Southern Alps, is a magnificent setting of traditional Japan, preserved by its relative disconnection from the country's main transportation lines.
A nest in the middle of the mountains
Oshika is a village stretching 28.5 kilometers in the Southern Alps, within a valley that can only be reached from narrow mountain roads. It is lost in the middle of these mountains that this town, crossed by the Koshibu River, hosts a population of around 1,100 people. The scenery will delight the traveler who can choose any season to explore the village, be it the cherry blossoms in spring, the lush nature in summer, the autumn with its red colors, or the magnificent mountain with its coat of winter snow. The landscape is constantly being reinvented.
The village of Ôshika, and behind the Akaishi mountain
Wikipedia
A cultural village
The Oshika village, despite its modesty and remoteness, offers a certain cultural richness for the tourist on the go. Beyond the Geology Museum, lovers of Japanese folklore will be able to learn about local culture and popular traditions at the Rokuben Museum. The machines used in the sericulture industry are exhibited in particular.
Oshika is a village marked by the culture of kabuki, and this since the arrival of the itinerant troupes of the Edo period.
Kabuki performance at Oshika Daiseki Temple
Wikipedia
For more than 300 years, the practice of kabuki has been passed down there from generation to generation. Two performances are organized each year, one during Golden Week and the second during October's third week. The children are also raised in the culture of kabuki, of which they give an annual performance.
Read: Kabuki
The onsen of the Southern Alps
Oshika also includes two spas, or onsen, which provide the opportunity to bathe in the middle of the mountains. The first, Yamashiokan, is not far from houses and has salty mountain water. The second, Koshibu onsen, will require a short climb of 30 to 45 minutes unless you take a shuttle, but once in the water, the visitor will swim with a direct view of the majesty of the mountains in front of him.
See also: Osawayama Onsen
Address, timetable & access
Address
Timetable
About 3 hrs by car from Takayama (155 kilometers).
