Visitor Center Report

Happy New Year to all!
Here at Sounkyo, the New Year brought heavy snow, with some days having extremely severe weather that plunged temperatures down below -20°C. However, over the past week the weather has been comparatively mild.
The first sunrise of the New Year started off in clouds, but gradually the sun shone through and gave us a beautiful sunrise to admire.
We hope this year, finally, we will be able to enjoy milder weather.
The photographs show Bombycilla garrulus and Bombycilla japonica.
From the start of the New Year, the number of birds has swollen to over 100. Perhaps because they have become used to our presence, they do not fly away when people approach and continue pecking at the Sorbus commixta berries.
Even people who are normally uninterested in birds have stopped by, surprised by their large number, and asked, “What is that?”
The result becomes an impromptu bird-watchers’ gathering, with participants so enthralled that they forget to take the photographs they’d come to shoot.
It’s always extremely pleasing to see people take even a little interest in these things.
Although cold days continue, we hope you too will come out to experience the beauty of nature.
And we look forward to enjoying your kind support throughout the coming year.
Photos: Bombycilla garrulus (yellow tails) and Bombycilla japonica (red tails) Jan. 7

While this may be a little early, we wish to thank everyone for their support during the past year.
This year, the Sounkyo Visitor Center welcomed a great many visitors and its courses and website attracted scores of people. For this, we thank you all.
All of us on the staff look forward to making the center even more user-friendly in the year to come.
We will also step up our efforts to help visitors experience the magnificence of nature in every way possible.
A snowstorm has been blowing since early this morning.
And the weather forecast predicts nothing but snow for the coming week.
Sounkyo is finally approaching the yearly average in terms of accumulated snow depth, and now we are hoping for milder weather in the coming season.
We very much look forward to seeing you again next year. We warmly await your return!
And, most importantly, we you wish a happy and prosperous New Year.
*In ordinary years, the center is closed from December 31 to January 5 for the end-of-year/New Year holidays. However, because the center is closed on Mondays during the winter, it will be closed for a slightly longer period this year, from December 30 to January 6. We apologize for the inconvenience to all who hoped to visit the center during this time.
Photo: Sounkyo Gorge in a blizzard Dec. 29

Around two o’clock this afternoon, I saw a rare phenomenon.
On occasion, a mountain’s shadow can be projected onto clouds and haze in the air above, giving the appearance that there are layers above the mountain. On this day, the sun was sinking behind Mt. Kurodake and projected its shadow onto thin clouds above it.
I watched the show from beginning to end. Initially, a shadow in the shape of a cap cloud materialized. Next, a three-layered shadow appeared. And then suddenly a beautiful two-layered shadow formed.
The entire spectacle lasted about 30 minutes. Then the shapes gradually collapsed and disappeared as the clouds moved on.
It was a rare phenomenon that can only be seen from certain locations and under certain weather conditions.
Photos: Mt. Kurodake with a triple-layer appearance (left) and double-layer appearance (right)
Dec. 27

Ryusei-no-Taki Fall and Ginga-no-Taki Fall are popular sightseeing attractions in Sounkyo.
Ryusei-no-Taki still has water flowing over it, but Ginga-no-Taki has already frozen.
Although the two falls are situated side-by-side now, Ginga-no-Taki existed even before the appearance of Ryusei-no-Taki.
A major cause behind the formation of Ryusei-no-Taki was an eruption near Mikurasawa, on the eastern side of Mt. Hokkaidake. Beginning between 10,000 and 20,000 years ago, the eruption caused lava to bury a separate valley that once existed next to Ginga-no-Taki. Later, new valleys formed on both ends of the lava, and rain and snowmelt became streams that flowed into the valleys.
Over many years, the lava was eroded and the current Ryusei-no-Taki came to be.
The source waters for Ginga-no-Taki come from the Metakinosawa and Takinosawa streams that originate some 4 km from Mt. Aka, while those for Ryusei-no-Taki come from the Eboshidakenosawa and Odakinosawa streams that originate roughly 9 km from Mt. Hakuun.
Ginga-no-Taki has a height of 120 meters and Ryusei-no-Taki a height of 90 meters. While most impressive when flowing, the falls also present a rather mysterious appearance when frozen.
Photos: Ryusei-no-Taki (left) and Ginga-no-Taki (right) Dec. 26

This morning, the low temperature outside the center at Sounkyo was -14°C, making it the coldest morning of the winter. It’s still -10°C even at this hour.
On such cold mornings, crystals like those shown in the photo form on the windows.
The crystals grow larger when there is a greater temperature difference between the two sides of the glass. Although we call them shimo kessho (frost crystals), their true name is madoshimo (window frost).
The feather-like crystals that appear in parts of the photo are also called shimoshida, or “frost ferns.”
This name comes from their resemblance to fern leaves. However, when we see them on windows from the inside, we know it’s going to be a very cold day.
Photo: Window frost Dec. 22