Momiji no Sato ("Red Maple Country")

In spring 2006 our village decided to plant Red Maple trees all along the small river that runs through our area and supplies cold water from under Mount Fuji for all of our rice fields and gardens. The community gathered at the "Komisen" (Community Center) and drew numbers for which location to plant in and which 2 meter tall sapling to plant. This was a big event that brought the Mayor of Gotemba and other dignitaries for the ground breaking. Every household planted one tree with a family name plate on each tree. We are responsible for taking care of these trees. We planted a total of 135 trees that day! This created a 1km long area along the river that is commonly used as a walking and running trail. Last year the adjacent village added on another 100+ trees connected to our area and now almost 2km of the trail is lined with Momiji. This row of trees is about 110 meters to the south of our house. This year they are starting to fill in and will really make a nice view from our kitchen and master bedroom! Momiji (Red Maple Trees) line the river edge (along the white guard rail)