Beetle Nature Garden at Kodomonokuni Kids Village – Mushi-Mushi Land, a theme park built in the deep mountains of Tamura that includes amusement rides and insect observatories. For nature-loving children it is a beetle-shaped dome studio named the “Beetle-Watching Natural Park,” the first of its kind in Japan. You will find beetle kit, grubs, instruction books, bedding material and other necessary items. The theme park also has a BBQ house, bungalows and accommodation facilities.
Mushi Mushi means “Bug Bug” in Japanese. That’s what this mini-amusement-park is all about — bugs! Huge fun together riding all the kiddy rides and checking out the the HUGE beetles. Kids here keep these things as pets.
The roller chute which uses the natural topography and the slider to slide down the slope at once provide a big fun to small children. This land is called the Kingdom of Nature as it offers pony riding to enjoy nature leisurely, field athletic for exercise or trail way to fully enjoy flowers in every season.
Mount Kamakuradake
This is a symbolic mountain of Tokiwa which stands at the attitude of 967.1m with rough granite rocks exposed at the top, offering enjoyable scenes throughout the year, with azalea in spring and colored leaves in autumn.
Isozaki Shrine
At the foot of Mount Ohtakine, at the scenic spot deep in the mountain and in the midst of a hill stands the beautiful shrine which is made out of the limestone wall and is said to be constructed by an architect from Hida region in one night Under the floor is the lime cave and at the bottom of the cliff, a small shrine for Joen Yakushi god stands.
Kabuto-Mushi (Beetie) Dome
In the first “Kabuto-Mushi Dome” in Japan, you can minutely inspect the ecology of beetles in nature, as the natural forest is covered with net. You can also enter Kabuto Yashiki (Beetle museum) freely.
Kabuto Yashiki (Beetle museum)
Kabuto Yashiki is a beetle (coleopteron) museum. 250 kinds of beetles and 2000 specimens of the world that we seldom watch (Dynastes hercules or Hercules beetle, Stag beetle, etc.) are exhibited there.
Sky Palace TOKIWA
This accommodation facility includes large Japanese/western style guest rooms and restaurant serving seasonal delicacies and observation bathroom. You can enjoy the luxurious gift of clear and fresh air and fragrant flowers from the nature.
Location: Yamane Denjo 160, Tokiwa-machi (Tokiwa town), Tamura-shi (Tamura City), Fukushima-ken (Fukushima Prefecture) 963-4601 Japan [Latitude: 37.470711000000001, Longitude: 140.661237] TEL: 0247-77-2070
Website: http://www.mushimushiland.com/palace/index.html
Summer Festival
This festival which is held on the first Sunday in August include sumo wrestling match, tree climbing race, Kabuton and Kaburin janken match and bingo for a whole family members to enjoy.
Tokiwa Bon Festival Dance
The traditional Tokiwa Bon Festival Dance is the seasonal event at the end of summer in the town. Many people pay respect to the spirits of their ancestors, perform Tokiwa Bon Festival Dance around a tower with the sound of music and drum spreading around the town until late at night.
3 Lion Dance of Komatsu
The lion dance started in the 3rd year of Meitoku (in 1932), while Akamatsu Echizennokami governed Tokiwa and dedicated the lion dance in the festival of renovated Komatsu shrine. The dance is offered by boys of 8 to 11 years old as leaders in the festival which takes place in every March and October for the purpose of chasing evil spirits away and praying for rich harvest.
Address and Contact:
Tokiwa Department of Administration Industrial Section Location: Tokiwa Aza Machiura 1, Tokiwa-machi (Tokiwa town), Tamura-shi (Tamura City), Fukushima-ken (Fukushima Prefecture) 963-4701 Japan [Latitude: 37.437503999999997, Longitude: 140.64410799999999] Tel: (0247)77-2371 Fax: 0247-77-2115
Email: to-s…@city.tamura.lg.jp
Tokiwa-machi (Tokiwa town) Official Website:
http://www.city.tamura.lg.jp/ta_tokiwa/to_kankou/ta_to_kankou.jsp
http://abu-chu.jp/viewpoint/tokiwa.html
Note: On March 1, 2005 Takine was merged with the towns of Funehiki, Ōgoe, and Tokiwa, and the village of Miyakoji, all from Tamura District, to form the new city of Tamura. The area covered by the former village has been reclassified as a borough (町 “-machi” is often translated “town,” but the word “borough,” like 町 “-machi,” can mean either a division of a city or a town independent of any larger city: see the article on “Borough” for comparable usages) within the City of Tamura.
