I went to see how the cold-weather horses of Shiriyazaki, Aomori, spend their summers
At Cape Shiriya, located on the northeastern tip of Honshu in the Shimokita Peninsula, there live horses called ' Kandachime, ' a natural monument designated by Aomori Prefecture. The name comes from the Matagi (traditional matagi hunter) term 'Kandachi,' which means to stand still in the snow, but we went to see how they spend their time in the summer, not the winter.
If you go to see the Kantachiuma, please do not let pets, especially dogs, get close to the horses. Also, if you have the opportunity to get close to the horses, do not get behind them. Also, please do not feed them.
Tourist Attractions - Higashidōri Village
Kantachiuma and its habitat | Aomori Prefectural Government website
https://www.pref.aomori.lg.jp/soshiki/kyoiku/e-bunka/kentennen_32.html
Shiriyazaki - Sightseeing in the Shimokita Peninsula | Shimokita Navi
https://simokita.org/sight/siriya/
Shiriyazaki Area | Shimokita Geopark | Official Website
https://shimokita-geopark.com/area/shiriyazaki/
Cape Shiriya is located in Higashidōri Village, Aomori Prefecture. In the past, the Shimokita Kotsu bus route 'Shiriya Line' ran from Mutsu Bus Terminal through the entrance to Cape Shiriya to the village of Shiriya, and even went to the Shiriya Lighthouse in the summer, but it will be discontinued at the end of March 2023.
For this reason, I decided to follow the 'Shiriyazaki Tourist Model Course' created by Higashitōri Village and use Higashitōri Village's reservation-only Shiriya Line taxi service.
For users of Higashidōri Village reservation-based taxi service Shiriya Line: 'Suggested sightseeing itinerary for Shiriyazaki'
(PDF file) http://www.vill.higashidoori.lg.jp/files/100865693.pdf
To use this service, please contact Shiriya Kanko (telephone number: 0175-28-5554), the company in charge of operations, by 3:00 p.m. the day before your trip and provide the following information: representative name, number of passengers, telephone number, desired flight, boarding and disembarking location, and whether or not you have a return reservation.
A reservation-based taxi service will be on trial operation - Higashidōri Village
On the day of the trip, we first went to Shimokita Station on the JR Ominato Line.
From Shimokita Station, take a Shimokita Kotsu bus to Mutsu city center.
In addition to the city line, buses bound for Ohata and Sai also pass through Mutsu. Many buses do not pass through Mutsu, so it is necessary to check before boarding.
It takes about 10 minutes from Shimokita Station to Mutsu.
Until the end of May 2022, there was a 'Mutsu Bus Terminal,' but it was
Satochomutsu Matsukiya will also
I took a reservation-only taxi from Higashidōri Village to the Shiriyazaki Visitor House, the closest to Shiriyazaki, from Satochō. It took about 40 minutes.
From the visitor house, it is a short walk of 2km to the lighthouse.
There is a gate at the entrance to Cape Shiriyazaki, and cars and motorbikes can enter between 7:00 and 16:45 from May to November.
There is a sidewalk on the left hand side of the road.
There is a grazing area behind the visitor's house with an information board, but we were unable to see them at this time. The word 'Kandachi' in the name of the Kandachi horse is a matagi term and refers to the appearance of a chamois or other animal standing still in the cold. The name 'Kandachi horse' is said to have been used in the New Year of 1970, when Tsutomu Iwasa, the principal of Shiriya Elementary School, read it as 'The Kandachi horse bravely neighs in the morning clouds, Is it a storm on Chikushigahara?'
I took some photos of the walk from the entrance to the lighthouse. On the way there is an area where Kantachi horses are grazing.
Towards the end of the journey, when you see the lighthouse, you will see a building on your right hand side. This is a public toilet.
There is a large parking lot next to the public toilets, and at the back of the parking lot is a grazing area for Kantachi horses.
The cold-water horses were standing in a group.
One of its characteristics is its sturdy physique.
Their coat colors vary from a light bay-like color to almost black, and even some that are pure white like a white horse.
The parking lot is a little far from the paved area, and the grazing area is surrounded by ropes, giving the impression that it is managed to keep people away. From what I've heard in various places, measures have been taken to keep horses away from people after a series of accidents, such as people getting kicked from behind or horses becoming violent when startled by pet dogs. It's very unfortunate.
The lighthouse is about a 5-minute walk from the public toilets. Built in 1876 (Meiji 9), it is the tallest brick lighthouse in Japan.
You can go up by paying a 300 yen donation.
Here's what it looks like when you actually climb up. It takes about 2 minutes to climb up without taking a break.
I climbed up Shiriyazaki Lighthouse - YouTube
Once you reach the top and go outside, you can look back on the path to the lighthouse.
The building you can see in the foreground is the shop across from the lighthouse. The colorful clusters beyond that are the Kantachi horses. You can see that they are grazing away from both the road and the shop.
From the lighthouse you can see the Pacific Ocean and the Tsugaru Strait.
We descend next to the lighthouse's giant light.
It is quite narrow, so large people or those carrying a lot of luggage should be careful.
I decided to take a break at the shop I had seen from above. They sell souvenirs and also serve meals.
There are many photos of the Kantachiuma on display, so it would be nice to take your time looking at them while you eat your meal. It is easy to see how horses used to come and graze around the shop and the lighthouse.
I ordered a pork bowl (large size, 1,000 yen) made with Aomori Healthy Pork.
It was a mountain of it.
On the way home, I saw the cold-water horses. They were a little scattered.
We returned along the same route in about 30 minutes and found the Kantachi horse, which had not been there on the way there, in the pasture just before the visitor house.
I took a taxi back from the visitor house and returned to Satocho. The journey from Satocho to the return takes 3 hours and 40 minutes. The last taxi departing from Shiriyazaki Visitor House is at 3pm.
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