Oniiwa Park Explained

Oniiwa Park
Native Name:鬼岩公園
Native Name Lang:ja
Location:Mitake and Mizunami, Gifu
Map:Japan Gifu Prefecture
Open:All year
Website:http://www.oniiwaonsen.com/kouenannai.htm

is a park on the border of Mitake, Kani District and Mizunami in Gifu Prefecture, Japan. It is located in Hida-Kisogawa Quasi-National Park. Oniiwa is a Japanese government designated Place of Scenic Beauty and Natural Monument.[1] [2]

Overview

It is located near the source of the Kani River, a tributary of the Kiso River. It has massive granite rocks that have been eroded over a period of millions of years.[3] There are also many rhododendrons and Japanese maples, and it is a famous spot for foliage in autumn. Near the summit, a waterfall will appear a few times a year after heavy rainfall.[4]

Oniiwa Onsen, a sulfur and uranium mineral spring, is nearby.

It was discovered in 2016 that rock climbing wedges had been driven into rocks at Oniiwa Park within Mitake. The Japan Free Climbing Association, as well as meeting with the town of Mitake, Gifu, and the Agency for Cultural Affairs, performed work on March 27, 2018 to remove the wedges or otherwise to repair the places where the wedges could not be removed.[5]

Origin of the name "Oniiwa"

The legend is that there was a demon named who lived in the area, and so it came to be called . Seki no Tarō lived around the year 1200, and terrorized residents and travelers on the Tōsandō with evil deeds. He was killed by soldiers dispatched under the orders of Emperor Go-Shirakawa. Other than Oniiwa, there are places with names connected to the legend like, where the oni lived, or, where the heads of slain oni were buried, as well as,, and others.[6]

Fukuoni Matsuri

A Setsubun festival that has been held since 1986 on the first Sunday in February, around February 3.[7] The legend goes that Seki no Taro was exorcised and resurrected as a good-luck demon. So that the demons will bring good luck, when scattering beans, instead of the normal chant, everyone says .

Goshuin

Planned by the Gifu Community Development Association's . As of November 2019 Oniiwa Park is one of 13 places that have "Golden Goshuin".[8] These are special goshuin decorated with gold that are only available on the last Friday of each month, or "Premium Friday". They are issued at the goshuin booth in Oniiwa Drive-in.[9] [10] It uses a proprietary ink that looks gold from the front and red from the back.

Access

If by train, take a taxi from either Mitake Station on the Meitetsu Hiromi Line or Tokishi Station on the JR Chūō Main Line. A bus operated by is no longer running. If by highway, get off the Chūō Expressway at Toki IC or the Tōkai-Kanjō Expressway at Kani-Mitake IC and then to Route 21.

Footnotes

References

See also

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: 鬼岩 . 国指定文化財等データベース . Agency for Cultural Affairs . 11 February 2020 . ja.
  2. Web site: 鬼岩 文化遺産オンライン . Cultural Heritage Online . Agency for Cultural Affairs . 11 February 2020 . ja.
  3. "巨岩怪石織り成す景勝地" Yomiuri Shimbun 2019-8-22 morning p. 23
  4. "幻の滝出現 鬼岩公園の烏帽子岩山頂付近" Gifu Shimbun 2006-7-23 p. 23
  5. Web site: 岐阜県鬼岩についての報道の件について . Japan Free Climbing Association . 10 February 2020 . ja . 16 June 2016.
  6. Web site: 鬼岩公園 . 瑞浪市観光協会 . 瑞浪市観光協会 . 10 February 2020 . 31 July 2019.
  7. Web site: Yearly Events. Oniiwa Onsen Travel Navigator. Oniiwa Onsen Tourism Association. 2019-12-25.
  8. "『金の御朱印』広がり次々 県内『金運の聖地』13ヶ所に 郡上八幡城で新たに授与" Chunichi Shimbun Morning Edition 2019-11-28 edition page 19
  9. 「刷新し『金の御朱印』 鬼岩観光協が発行 岐阜・金神社にならい 月末の金曜日のみ発行」Chunichi Shimbun Morning Edition 2019-11-29 edition p. 19
  10. "キラキラ鬼岩御朱印 瑞浪市 あすからリニューアル" Gifu Shimbun Morning 2019-11-28 edition