Ohkouzu Diversion Channel – Cherry Blossom Road　大河津分水

12^th April, 2022

Ohkouzu Diversion Channel Museum

Today is a tribute to civil engineering, as we visit Ohkouzu Diversion channel Museum. The museum was commemorating the 100^th. anniversary of a the massive civil engineering project. This was to cut a new course, or an alternative course, for the Shinanogawa river in order to prevent the severe flooding to which it was prone.

This was obviously a mammoth project, and it is clear that work, major work, is still in progress one hundred years later. If you have a passing interest in major engineering projects, it is worth a look. If not perhaps give it a miss. I found it interesting for the sheer scale of the undertaking and the audacity of the Meiji Era engineers.

Ohkouzu Diversion Cherry Blossom

There are cherry blossoms here too. The site is chosen as one of 100 famous cherry blossom viewing spots in Japan. There are about 3000 cherry trees along the river. But the ongoing nature of the project and the recent work of the park landscape mean the place is not really picturesque just extensive. Due to its fame many people had come to view the trees. There are, I think, far better places to view pink blossom.

Michi no Eki Farmus Kijimadaira

Leaving Ohkouzu, we head south into the mountains. As we start to climb the temperature drops dramatically. We lose perhaps 12 degrees in the space of an hour. There are great patches of snow on the mountainsides and the river a raging torrent of snow melt.

We end the day at Michi no eki Farmus Kijimadaira. This is a large, absolutely deserted place. Arriving round the back we thought it abandoned but on checking the front there was a light burning. We were then pleasantly surprised by the clean, spacious, modern toilets. No one but us staying here tonight.