Hanataen

This is the village shrine of Ōsawa. It is said to be the Katori Shrine from Saishiro which was transferred here. The establishment is mentioned as Ōei era (1394 to 1428) in the “Meisaichō”. Given that the vicinity belonged to Shimo-usa-no-kuni in medieval times, the Shimo-usa-no-kuni Ichi-no-miya Katori Jingū was made into the village’s shrine in hopes of the Buddha honoring his presence in the village. Despite the shrine being built in Sagishiro, with the maintenance of the Ōushū Kaidō, it was built on the current ground around the Kan’ei era (1624 to 1644). According to the date of construction, the current main shrine was rebuilt in 1866. Around one side of the main shrine, a sign of the dyer’s operation is engraved. It is the work of Takejiro Hasegawa who resides in Mount Asama San’ya-machi and is the city’s designated cultural property.

At the Hanayo Glass Studio of Tamami Sudo, a glass blowing artist who has done exhibitions at numerous famous department stores, you can try your hand at glass blowing and sandblasting (reservations required). The studio is popular, both for the thorough instructions that make it enjoyable for anyone, as well as the fact that you make a memento that you can bring with you home. You can also enjoy the stunning works of Tamami Sudo that are on display in the studio.

Cherry trees that have sprouted from the seeds of the Jindai cherry tree in Hokuto City, Yamanashi Prefecture, which traveled in space with astronaut Koichi Wakata in 2008, were planted in Seki Park on the 6th of April 2019, through the Kibou (Hope) Cherry Blossom Project, which aims to plant cherry trees in municipalities affected by the Great East Japan Earthquake. In Yoshikawa City, the planting of the trees came about as a result of (1) children communicating with astronaut Kanai Yoshishige in space, (2) dispatching staff to Iitate Village in Fukushima Prefecture, which was evacuated after the Great East Japan Earthquake, and (3) passing on the damage caused by Typhoon Kathleen about 70 years ago to future generations. The Sakura Festival is held every March at Seki Park.

In 1187, the Yoshikawa clan reestablished the indigenous deity of Suwa shrine as the guardian deity of the Yoshikawa Shrine. The precincts of the shrine also include a Yasaka Shrine, Furumine Shrine, Inari Shrine, Matsuo Shrine, Yoshikawa Tenmangu Shrine, Suijingu Eight Great Dragons, and Shikatou Daimyojin. The old Shimotsuma Highway runs behind the shrine, and the large bay and camphor trees in the front and back parts of the precincts tell us that this is a shrine with a long history. Every year in July, the Yasaka Festival, which has a history of about 400 years, is held. The highlight is the "mikoshi," portable shrines that are carried and thrown high above the heads of the bearers.

A well-established Japanese sweets shop in Yoshikawa City that has been in business for 60 years. It was relocated to the backside of Yoshikawa Shrine and reopened in 2019. The famous "Namazu Manju" made with homemade red bean paste, which is rare nowadays, is a perfect souvenir. We also recommend the "Namazu Monaka," which allows you to compare the lean and coarse red bean paste and the freshly made dumplings you can enjoy in the store.