Article

07446 ／しょうわむら

Fukushima Prefecture 大沼郡

Showa Village

Ramie for fine cloth takes three years.

Karamushi ramie production

Photo by Qwert1234 (CC BY-SA 4.0)

01 ／ Field burning

Karamushi burning is timed to the middle day ofthe fourth lunar month, to burn off early shoots.

The village says karamushi burning is done around the middle day of the fourth lunar month, which falls on May 21, the day of Shoman. Burning the shoots that emerged first and stimulating the roots makes them all sprout together. It also kills pests, and the ash serves as fertilizer.

Timed to the middle day of the 4th lunar month
May 21, the day of Shoman
Done from the second year on

02 ／ Wetland

Yanohara Wetland is a prefectural nature conservation area.Both high-moor and low-moor wetlands can be seen.

The prefecture's list names Yanohara Wetland in Showa Village a nature conservation area designated on June 22, 1976, protecting the wetland and its plants. The tourism association says two wetlands, a high moor and a low moor, lie at about 660 m above sea level, and that abundant groundwater is a feature.

Prefectural nature conservation area
Designated June 22, 1976
About 660 m above sea level

03 ／ Roadside deity

Near the entrance to Sagura stands a paired Dosojincarved with a male and a female deity.

The tourism association says the Dosojin near the entrance to Sagura hamlet is carved with a male and a female deity, and the same page lists a Koshin stone that is a tangible cultural property of the village. According to the association, the hamlet's temple was founded in 1616 and is the seventh on a 33-temple Kannon pilgrimage of Aizu.

Male and female deities carved
Koshin stone is a village cultural property
Hamlet temple founded in 1616

Showa Village from the sky

Now and 1974–78. Tap a photo to zoom in.

Now1974–78

Wide (about 6 km across)

Close (about 1.5 km across)

Now (shot May–September 2022)Shot 1974–78

Source: Geospatial Information Authority of Japan (GSI) GSI Tiles（全国最新写真（シームレス）／国土画像情報（第一期：1974〜1978年撮影））

Open in GSI Maps (now)Open in GSI Maps (1974–78)

Living here

There is no railway station in the village.

about 1,000 people
Rural district town

The village directs visitors from Aizu-Tajima Station to the Showa Village-Minamiaizu Town community bus, which it describes as running year-round. In the timetable for the period starting April 1, 2026, the bus leaving Tajima Station at 13:00 reaches the Kominkan-mae stop at 13:48, a 48-minute ride.

People living here: 1,246people
Area: 209.46km²
Households: 626households
Rent (average for rentals): —
Healthcare: 0 hospitals ／ 2 clinics

Area and habitable land at the same scalee-Stat B1101 / B1103

Children waiting for childcare: —1 nurseries and similar
Home purchase subsidy: —
Average annual temperature: —

These 3 items are waiting on a nationwide data source. We do not fill them with estimates.

Shape

Borders 7 municipalities.

Showa Village in Japan37.335°N 139.611°E

Territory of Showa Village

Boundaries: National Land Numerical Information (Administrative Area Data), MLIT. Processed by Machigatari.Lakes: National Land Numerical Information (Lake Data), MLIT. Processed by Machigatari. Prepared with the approval of the Director-General of the Geospatial Information Authority of Japan, using its Digital Map 25000 (Spatial Data Framework) and Digital Map 25000 (Place Names and Public Facilities). (承認番号平27情使、第585号)

North to south

20.9km

Minamiaizu Town, Tadami Town, Aizumisato Town, Kaneyama Town, Yanaizu Town, Shimogo Town, Mishima Town

Travel times per leg are not published by the municipality, so they are not shown.

Showa Village isthis kind of town.

01Karamushi (ramie) production and fiber extraction became a national selected conservation technique in 1991, and the Agency for Cultural Affairs says fiber from Showa Village has been used for Echigo jofu and Ojiya chijimi cloth
02Karamushi burning is done around the middle day of the fourth lunar month (May 21, the day of Shoman) to burn off early shoots and make the plants sprout together
03Yanohara Wetland is a prefectural nature conservation area, and near the entrance to Sagura stands a Dosojin carved with a male and a female deity

If something caught your eye, ask the town itself.

Showa Village official site ↗Wikipedia ↗

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