The train arrives and departs from a small station on the Oito Line, which runs from Itoigawa to Matsumoto via Hakuba. The powerful sound of the diesel engine echoes through the mountains, contrasting sharply with its cute appearance.
Spring is just around the corner in Japan. Take a drive to Sasakura Onsen, a hidden hot spring spot in Itoigawa City, Niigata Prefecture. The snow-capped mountains are beautiful.
Itoigawa is famous as the “Jade Town,” and now it’s making headlines for the first discovery of Lapis Lazuli in Japan. This is a record of the quiet streets of this historic geological treasure.
