Three Waterfalls of Kuroyama

On May 23 of the fourth year of the Keio Era, Heikuro Shibusawa, a member of the old shogunate's army who had been defeated in battle against the new government forces in Hanno, fled towards Kuroyama Village over the Kaoburi pass alone. He encountered a scouting party and fought alone, but he was badly wounded and committed suicide, harakiri, sitting on a rock on the river bank. Heikuro was a cousin, brother-in-law, and adopted son of Shibusawa Eiichi.

What used to be a forested mountain has been reborn through 10 years of hard work as a flower garden dedicated to Mitsuba tsutsuji, or Rhododendron dilatatum. At the beginning of April, about 2500 flowers bloom creating a stunning world of floral beauty!

About 1500 Hydrangea plants, in Japan known as Ajisai, are in bloom along the 3-kilometer long road, and you can enjoy the clean air and the chirping of birds while being surrounded by nature.

At Umesono, you can buy products made from Ogose's local specialties, ume (plum) and yuzu (Japanese citrus). The central location makes it a popular resting place for hikers and other travelers.

This shrine is dedicated to the spirit of Mt. Ontake, the main mountain of the Kiso district. It is said to have great spiritual power and to protect visitors by dispelling bad spirits and bringing good fortune. The shrine garden covers an area of almost 50.000 square meters, including Togo Park located within its precincts. The shrine performs various kinds of "o-harai (a Japanese form of light exorcism)" for groundbreaking ceremonies, house exorcism, car exorcism, and you can also visit for Shichigosan (ceremony celebrating children at the age of 3, 5, and 7) or to make your first shrine visit of the year.