Hot spring recreation park (Curpark La France)

Gashiwa of Shogen-in Temple

Kashiwa is originally a deciduous broad-leaved tree with an upright trunk and can reach a height of over 20 meters, but this Kashiwa does not stand upright, but instead splits into four trunks at the ground level, each of which creeps along the ground before standing up. It has been popularly known as Gyakugashiwa because it looks as if the roots have turned into branches. This gigantic oak tree with such an unusual shape is rare and valuable, and it was the first oak tree to be designated as a national natural monument. There is a legend that it was planted by Minamoto no Yoriyoshi and his son Yoshiie after the war of the previous nine years.

Shigari Wake Shrine

Nicknamed Akaishi-san since ancient times, he has been widely revered as the guardian deity of industrial prosperity, river and maritime safety, and traffic safety. A large red stone that is said to be the origin of the word Shiwa Town is enshrined in the temple grounds. The approach to the shrine is lined with large cherry trees, and among them is the 700-year-old matchmaking cherry tree, the Minami-no-zakura, which attracts a large number of visitors in the spring.

Yamaya’s skunk cabbage

The skunk cabbage in the Yamaya district in the northeast of Shiwa Town is located at an altitude of 250 meters, so it usually blooms later than in the flatlands, from late April to early May. The Yamaya Skunk Cabbage Festival is held in late May when the skunk cabbage blooms.