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Nirasaki. “Leek point.” The name of this city in the
north-western region of Yamanashi Prefecture was enough to intrigue
me, and so I set off to find out what it was all about. As it happens,
there’s a good enough reason for this appellation, though
it has nothing to do with growing leeks! Nirasaki is located
between
two rivers, Kamanashi-gawa to the west, and Shio-kawa to the
east. These rivers meet to the south of the city, and as seen
from above,
carve the point of land upon which the city rests into the shape
of the long thin leaf of a Japanese leek, or chive. The sheer
sides of the unusual extended wall of rock known as the Shichi-Ri
Iwa which
runs 28km from Nagano Prefecture and terminates in Nirasaki,
cleaving the city centre in two, are testimony to the erosive
power of these
two rivers in the past.
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Where you may be disappointed if visiting Nirasaki looking to find
leeks, the abundance of green nature and fruits of the land - rice
in particular - will restore your spirits. In spring, the cherry
and peach blossom can be found blooming even amidst the paddy fields,
complementing the snow-capped peaks of the mountains which stretch
across the skyline in all directions.
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When the Grapevine stopped by to visit in late May, the rich
greenery of the tree-carpeted hills and young rice saplings was
a refreshing and wholesome sight. The nearby Mount Amari is famed
for its beautiful azaleas, which bloom red in mid-May. For a
city of over 32,000 people, Nirasaki has a wealth of unspoiled
nature at its very doorstep.
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The city is also steeped
in history, with the roots of the renowned Takeda family reaching
back to Nirasaki.
It is home to the Takeda Hachimangu shrine, founded by the grandfather
of ancient Yamanashi’s ruler Takeda Shingen. The shrine
bears the 4-diamond standard of the Takeda family, a design echoed
in the emblem of the modern city. The path of this influential
family came full circle when the son of Takeda Shingen, Katsuyori,
retreated from the invading Tokugawa army to Nirasaki and occupied
Shimpu Castle upon the steep-sided Shichi-Ri Iwa, only to be
pursued further, finally forced to set fire to his own stronghold
and flee. He committed suicide a mere 8 days later, bringing
the Takeda family’s powerful reign to an end.
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Whilst the area has a long and varied history, the city of Nirasaki
itself is preparing to greet its 50th anniversary in the coming
year, 2004. Designated Nirasaki City in Showa 29 (1954), the
city has grown in size to incorporate several surrounding villages
over the years, and the recent wave of village, town and city
mergers may not leave Nirasaki untouched. Plans for celebratory
golden anniversary events are currently on the drawing board,
and increased focus on providing care for the elderly and a high
standard and broad field of education for the children of the
city will be a priority as Nirasaki looks to the future.
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Although remaining a
modest rural city, Nirasaki’s
national and international links are not to be underestimated.
As the statue outside Nirasaki Station and the footballs edging
the driveway of the City Hall testify, football is an important
sporting feature of the city with no little history, and the
Soccer Festival held each summer brings the best teams, male
and female, of all age groups from across Japan together in competition.
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The city’s links with California’s
Fairfield City, U.S. and Jiamusi City in China date from 1971
and 1984 respectively,
and the high school exchange programme with Fairfield has helped
to encourage international awareness in Nirasaki over the years.
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Like the kestrel, which enjoys Nirasaki’s
rich habitat and represents love and courage to the citizens
who have adopted it as a symbol of their city, may the people
here hold on to their valuable history, nature, and future potential
as Nirasaki hovers on the boundary between ancient and modern
Japan.
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Copyright(C) 2004 The Osano Memorial
Foundation. All rights reserved. |
