Oh, the Japanese

Thanks to Simon who emailed me this article- so funny, so typical, so Japanese. As he recounted in his email, we were in Miyajima admiring what looked like a lovely natural creek bed, only to discover on the interpretive sign that it had been landscaped. When you're in urban Japan for too long you forget what real nature looks like. Apparently you forget to appreciate it as well.

'Japan's most beautiful valley' faces crisis due to unkempt trees
A current view of Shosenkyo, spoiled by unkempt trees.

The tourist association of Shosenkyo, a scenic spot in Yamanashi Prefecture that promotes itself as "Japan's most beautiful valley," has been receiving many complaints from visitors due to unkempt trees spoiling the view.

With a sense of crisis mounting about the situation, the association began in autumn last year to urge the government that owns the logging rights for trees in the valley to cut them down, and finally applied for permission for logging itself in the middle of this month.

According to the association, the valley was designated as part of Chichibu Tama Kai National Park in 1950 and was noted in 1953 as one of Japan's special places of scenic beauty. Between those years, Shosenkyo was selected as the most beautiful spot in the valley division of the "100 Best Tourist Spots in Japan" that the Mainichi Shimbun accepted from the public, over other famous valleys including Takachihokyo in Miyazaki Prefecture and Kurobe Kyokoku in Toyama Prefecture.
Today, over 50 years have passed since Shosenkyo was designated as a national park and a special place of scenic beauty. The valley's tourist association has been swamped with complaints from visitors about the number of unkempt trees spoiling the view including that of Kakuenpo, a huge, symbolic rock in the valley. In consideration of the situation, the association learned of the decision to cut down the trees growing along the most scenic 300-meter part of a four-kilometer trail in the valley.

The Ministry of the Environment, which conducted a field survey in the valley for the first time in late April, is apparently positive about logging, saying that it will be done in consideration of natural environmental concerns. If the association's application for logging is permitted, trees will be cut there for the first time since the valley's designation as a national park.

"We would like to cut down the trees with nature in mind," said Takehiko Suzuki, chairperson of the Shosenkyo Tourism Association.