Learn about the Sasama Area

The villages of Sasama are hidden high in a narrow valley of the Southern Alps of Shizuoka Prefecture and are famous for their fields of green tea, clear blue rivers, and the Shinto theatrical folk dances called kagura.  The Ooigawa railway's steam engines and the Kawane Onsen (hot spring) draw many visitors to the area, and Sasama plays host to international ceramic artist events throughout the year.  In Sasama, and in Awabara village in particular, as many of the houses have become vacant, new residents have been welcomed from outside the community creating a fresh energy blending old and new. 

笹間は、南アルプスの峡谷にひっそりと佇む山村です。美しい茶畑と清流、そして神道の伝統芸能「神楽」で、 その名を知られています。大井川鉄道のSLや川根温泉のお湯を求めて、大勢の人々が訪れます。また、この地区で国際陶芸家はさまざまなワークショップを多く行います。笹間地区、特に粟原では空き家が増えているため、移り住んでくれる人を歓迎しています。新旧住民による共同体が、新しい活気を生み出すことを期待しています。  

  • Kagura is a type of SHINTO theatrical dance now performed in several parts of Japan as a folk ritual. Kagura dances in Japan have been traced back over 1000 years and have influenced the development of noh theatre. The tradition is kept alive by performing at regional and local cultural and religious events throughout the year, but most performances are in the fall including the Sasama annual festival held the fourth Saturday in October. Click here to see more about the Sasama kagura dances…

    神楽は神道の伝統芸能の中では最もよく知られており、日本ではこのような無形文化財が祭や民間の儀礼などで奉納されます。神楽の歴史は1000年以上前まで遡ることができ、能楽にも影響しました。笹間神楽は伊勢流神楽との説もあり、伊勢神宮から伝わったとも言われています。「笹間神楽保存会」は神楽の伝統を現代に受け継ぎ、地域のさまざまな神事などで笹間神楽を奉納しています。中でも10月第４日曜日に行われる笹間祭は格別です。村の人々と観光客が一緒に神楽を楽しみます。笹間神楽の演目は、一部ですが、こちらをクリックしてからご覧になれます:

  • With the continuing urbanization of Japan, the human influence in mountain environments is waning. Animals which were once rarely seen are now common visitors to Sasama. While this may be an unwelcome turn of events for some (e.g. vegetable gardeners), it provides a great opportunity to see some of the wildlife of the central mountains of Japan. In Sasama we necessarily share the habitat with a variety of animals ranging from cute to annoying and potentially aggressive. Visitors need to be prepared to encounter a variety of insects such as mosquitoes, horseflies and spiders and take preventative measures when necessary. But most animals in Sasama are much more afraid of us than we are of them.

    Click here for some of the wildlife you may encounter…

    日本では都市化とともに、山奥の人里では自然に対する人間の影響が徐々に減ってきています。以前はほとんど見られなかった動物が、日常的に人里に現れます。作物を作っている人には悩みの種ですが、中部地方の野生動物を見たいと思っている人には、いいチャンスかもしれません。ただ我々人間は、可愛い動物であれ嫌な動物であれ、共に環境をシェアしなければなりません。笹間を訪れる人は蚊や虻や蜘蛛に出くわしたときどうするか、予め考えておいた方がよさそうです。けれども、人間が動物を怖がるよりも動物ははるかに人間を怖がっています。笹間で会える野生動物をいくつか紹介します。

    こちらをクリックして、ラインアップをご覧下さい。。。

  • Nowhere is safe from the effects of climate change but in Sasama, close to nature, we still enjoy the changing seasons that have shaped Japanese culture for centuries. Click here to see a gallery of scenes from Sasama through the seasons…

  • In addition to the wonderful photos of Mido Kazuhiro that are displayed in our Kaisoukan gallery, we also have some scenes from the life of high school student Okamura Masaru which were found, as contact prints, in a box on the estate. Click here to view some of these nostalgic photos…