Aikawa: Nature, Cultural Heritage and the Miyagase Dam

Aikawa lies in northern Kanagawa Prefecture. Its landscape is shaped by the Nakatsu River and the Tanzawa mountain range. When planning a trip, you can choose from a variety of experiences: riverside paths, viewpoints, excursions around the Miyagase Dam, crafts and traditional customs.

Scenery and Viewpoints

In the western part of Hachisuka Ikoi no Mori Forest Park, a hilltop viewpoint offers sweeping views over Aikawa. From a viewpoint on Mount Hachisuka, you can see Yokohama Landmark Tower and Tokyo Skytree on clear days. Long-distance views therefore depend on the weather. The rice fields of Minowa (箕輪) in Aikawa can also be viewed from a hilltop.

In Aikawa Prefectural Park, 40 varieties of azalea, comprising around 44,000 plants in total, bloom on the “Flower Slope” in spring. The park is directly below the Miyagase Dam and offers forest walks, places to play and opportunities to experience nature. Check the park’s current operating conditions before your visit. This can help you decide whether to focus your outings on views of the landscape, a walk in the forest or seasonal blooms.

Trails and Excursions at the Miyagase Dam

On the Miyagase Dam walking trail, the 156-meter-high dam comes into view after hikers cross Shin-Ishikoya Bridge. One route to the dam starts at the Hanhara terminus and continues via Ishigoya Dam to the Miyagase Dam and the Water and Energy Museum. From Hinata Bridge, an old riverside path also leads to Ishigoya Dam in about a 30-minute walk.

A visit to the Miyagase Dam can include a sightseeing boat cruise on the lake and the Water and Energy Museum. The boat connects the Miyagase lakeshore, the dam grounds and Toriibara. If you plan to take the boat, check the schedule in advance. The equipment used to build the dam now operates as a cable car between the top of the dam and its base; contact the operator for current operating details.

Another way to explore the area is aboard “Ai-chan-gō,” an Italian-style road train. It connects the Aikawa Prefectural Park Visitor Center with the area below the Miyagase Dam. The one-way trip is one kilometer long and takes about seven minutes.

Crafts, Farms and Local Cuisine

At the Craft Village in Aikawa Prefectural Park, you can try traditional crafts hands-on: weaving, indigo dyeing, paper-making, pottery, and woodworking and bamboo crafts. Check what is currently on offer before you travel. Hattori Farm keeps Holstein dairy cows, sheep and horses, among other animals. Activities described there include milking cows, horseback riding and making butter; check what is currently available before visiting.

At Hattori Farm, the CASALINGA ice cream shop serves gelato made exclusively from the farm’s milk. Metzgeri sells, among other things, handmade sausages made by staff who trained in Germany. LAKE SIDE CAFE serves Miyagase Dam Drain Curry, which is designed to depict the dam releasing water. As food offerings may change, it is advisable to check the current selection before your visit.

Culture and History

In the entrance area of the Aikawa Local History Museum stands a larger-than-life replica fossil of an elephant that lived in Aikawa three million years ago. For visitor information, check the museum’s current visitor guidelines.

Yamajū-tei was built in 1883 as the residence of a prosperous farmer. After partial restoration, the house opened to the public in 1989; in January 2009, it was registered as a tangible cultural property of Japan. Check the current visitor information before visiting.

Customs also shape the cultural calendar. The Mimase Lion Dance is performed during the festival at Yasaka Shrine, a subsidiary shrine of Suwa Shrine. According to tradition, it is performed to pray for protection from drought and epidemics; it is said to have begun in the middle of the Edo period and is usually held in July. At the annual festival of Hachisuka Shrine, a fire-walking ritual is held every year on March 28, with prayers for a year free of illness and misfortune.

For the broader travel overview: Aiko District.