Snow scenery and JR Tadami Line in Aizu, Dec. 19-20, 2016 （会津の雪景色と 只見線 ２０１６年１２月１９-２０日）
Winter weather pattern brought some amount of snow in Aizu Region during the last few days. But yesterday snow stopped and it turned to warm weather. I decided to visit Aizu for a couple of days to see snow scenery. I traveled from Aizuwakamatsu Station on JR Tadami Line and after about 2-hour ride I got off at Aizumizunuma Station in Kaneyama Town. I started to walk along National Route 252 towards Aizunakagawa Station which was 6km away. On the way I watched JR Tadami Line train which runs along the Tadami River through snow-covered landscape. Although snow was not heavy enough to cover the whole mountainside in white, the scenery gave me a year-end winter atmosphere. A photo above shows a view near Oshi village of Kaneyama Town. (Location: viewpoint #1 in the map.)
数日間、冬型の天候で会津に雪が大分降りましたが、そのあと雪も止み暖かくなりました。雪景色を見に、会津に２日程出かけました。まず、会津若松から只見線に２時間程乗り、会津水沼駅（金山町）で降りました。そこから、国道２５２号に沿い、６ｋｍ先の会津中川駅に向けて歩きました。途中、只見川に沿って走る只見線が、雪の山間を走る姿を見ました。雪は、真っ白になる程には降っていませんが、それでも年の瀬の雰囲気は出ています。写真は、金山町の大志（おおし）集落近くの光景です。（地図の、ビューポイント＃１）
Photos above show other views from near Aizumizunuma Station, where Tadami Line train travels through a bridge over the Tadami River. (Location: viewpoint #2 in the map.)
写真は、会津水沼駅近くで、只見線が只見川の第四鉄橋を渡るところです。（地図の、ビューポイント＃２）
Along the National Route 252 between Aizumizunuma and Aizunakagawa Station, there were some scenic places such as shown above including Ueda Dam or Ueda Hydroelectric Power Station.
会津水沼と会津川口間の国道２５２号沿いは、上田ダム（水力発電所）など景色の良いところが点在します。（写真）
There is an excellent hot spring, which is called Hayato Onsen, down the river just across the border with adjacent Mishima Town. Tsurunoyu is a major hot spring facility which is about 10-minute walk from JR Hayato Station. It has a day use service as well as a simple accommodation without meals. Photos above show a view of the main building, a separate building for stay without meals, and one (small type) of hot spring baths. The sodium-chloride hot spring water wells out at 52 degrees Celsius. The bath is very natural without heating, nothing added, with source spring water just pouring into the bath unlimitedly.
只見川を少し下ったところ、境界を越えて三島町に入ったところに、早戸温泉という良い温泉があります。ＪＲ早戸駅から、徒歩１０分で、つるの湯という温泉施設があり、日帰り温泉や素泊まり（湯治宿）もできます。写真は、その建屋と、離れの宿泊棟（湯治棟）、そして小さな湯船の例です。（この他に只見川に面した大浴場があります。）泉質は、ナトリウム－塩化物泉で、５２℃で湧き出ます。加熱無し、加水無し、循環無しの純粋な掛け流しです。
Photo above shows a bakery in front of Aizunakagawa Station. It has a variety of bread for lunch where I used to stop and buy some every time I come here. The breads were actually baked in Aizuwakamatsu City where the family members work.
写真は、会津中川駅前にあるパン屋です。色々な種類があり、ここに来るときは立寄って、昼などに買っていきます。パンは、家族がやっている会津若松市内の工房で焼いています。
The exact route and locations are shown in the map below. The map can be scaled up and down with a click and scroll.
ルートと場所は、下の地図を参照ください。地図は、クリックとスクロールで、拡大・縮小が可能です。
