Tuesday 12 December 2017

Autumn Scenery in Yamanashi Prefecture: Part 2

EMU JR Central 373 series, special express "Ichikawa-Misato" travels on the Minobu line

Following my previous post, I am going to show you another gorgeous autumn spot in Yamanashi prefecture.

Lake Shibire is located in the central part of Yamanashi Prefecture, about 100 km west of Tokyo. This small lake is surrounded by steep circular mountains, which are estimated as the outer ring of a volcanic caldera. The lake surface is 880 meters above sea level. The season of autumn leaves of Lake Shibire is very beautiful. We could see red, yellow and brown colored leaves that made a nice contrast with the blue sky. Specifically, I like to see an image of the scenery reflected on the lake surface.

To visit this mysterious lake, the nearest railway station is Kai-Iwama on the JR Central Minobu Line. On November 5th, a special express, "Ichikawa-Miasato" was operated between Hamamatsu and Kai-Iwama stations to transport sightseers to this resort area. "Ichikawa-Misato" is the name of the town, where Lake Shibire is located. The train commissioned for the special express, "Ichikawa-Misato" was the EMU JR Central 373 series, which is usually operated as a regular limited express, "Fujikawa".

For your information, Ichikawa-Misato is also known by its name seal-making. As you may know, name seal is a kind of stamp-printing used instead of signatures in Japan. For instance, contracts are often stamped with a name seal instead of being signed. Recently, name seal has become a popular souvenir for tourists from abroad.

Autumn in Yamanashi Prefecture is fun-filled.

Autumn scenery of Lake Shibire near Kai-Iwama Station on the JR Central Minobu Line