About the Ozenosato Katashina
Springwater Group
The Ozenosato Katashina Springwater Group was designated as one of the 100 Exquisite and Well-Conserved Waters of the Heisei Period in 2008 by the Ministry of the Environment
in recognition of its high water quality and the activities carried out by village people for many years, such as cleaning, tree planting, the conservation of mountains and forests, and other environmental activities.
The Ozenosato Katashina Springwater Group includes all spring waters in Katashina Village.
How the Springwater Group was formed
Rain and snow that have fallen on over 2000-meter mountains surrounding Oze and Katashina Village, such as Mt. Shibutsu, Mt. Hotaka, and Mt. Shirane, gradually penetrate into the ground and are filtered in nature over a long period of time. The Springwater Group is the waters that have gushed out from underground in different parts of the village. The spring water sources are located at four places in the village. The village people have long used the waters for domestic and agricultural purposes.
Rain and snow that have fallen on over 2000-meter mountains surrounding Oze and Katashina Village, such as Mt. Shibutsu, Mt. Hotaka, and Mt. Shirane, gradually penetrate into the ground and are filtered in nature over a long period of time. The Springwater Group is the waters that have gushed out from underground in different parts of the village. The spring water sources are located at four places in the village. The village people have long used the waters for domestic and agricultural purposes.
Water that pleases every palate
Some of the tourists who visited Katashina Village for hiking, summer sports, skiing, and snowboarding have noticed early that water in the village tastes so good. Generally speaking, the flavor of the waters that are said to be tasty or make dishes taste better is proven by water quality testing as well as sensory evaluations. The waters of the Katashina Springwater Group fulfill the criteria for tasty water: The hardness of these waters lies within the range of 11 to 55 and their pH levels range from 7.3 to 8.2. Even those who are not water gourmets can recognize the good taste of these waters.
Some of the tourists who visited Katashina Village for hiking, summer sports, skiing, and snowboarding have noticed early that water in the village tastes so good. Generally speaking, the flavor of the waters that are said to be tasty or make dishes taste better is proven by water quality testing as well as sensory evaluations. The waters of the Katashina Springwater Group fulfill the criteria for tasty water: The hardness of these waters lies within the range of 11 to 55 and their pH levels range from 7.3 to 8.2. Even those who are not water gourmets can recognize the good taste of these waters.
In an effort to provide easy
access to the tasty spring water
Village People's Project
Upon the designation as one of the 100 Exquisite and Well-Conserved Waters of the Heisei Period, Katashina Village decided to offer these tasty waters to visitors. However, since the sources of some spring waters are located deep in the mountain forests that are protected under the natural environment protection policy, people are not allowed to enter the forests. Therefore, in cooperation with people in communities that have a source of spring water, we started a village people's project, through which we built water withdrawal facilities at ten places in the village to provide tasty water to people who want to have fresh spring water. Each facility draws water from the nearest water source.
Upon the designation as one of the 100 Exquisite and Well-Conserved Waters of the Heisei Period, Katashina Village decided to offer these tasty waters to visitors. However, since the sources of some spring waters are located deep in the mountain forests that are protected under the natural environment protection policy, people are not allowed to enter the forests. Therefore, in cooperation with people in communities that have a source of spring water, we started a village people's project, through which we built water withdrawal facilities at ten places in the village to provide tasty water to people who want to have fresh spring water. Each facility draws water from the nearest water source.
Exquisite and Well-Conserved Water Map
Running water in Katashina Village is drawn from the spring water sources in the mountains. Since those spring waters have been proven to be really clean by various tests, they require no purification treatment and are supplied as safe water after being slightly chlorinated. The tap water in this village is almost as pure as natural water.
Stone Monument of Yu the Great
God of Flood Control
A three-meter stone monument is standing alone in the riverbed to the left of the Konaka Bridge. This monument commemorates Yu the Great of China (about 4000 years ago) who overcame flood damage caused by the Yellow River and contributed greatly to the control and utilization of the river.
In this area, there used to be frequent floods in the Katashina River, causing great damage to village houses and fields. In the hope of controlling the Katashina River, community people, including Yoichiro Hoshino, built this monument in 1874. This is a very valuable monument because there are only a dozen such stone monuments in Japan. The monument in Katashina Village is particularly precious since it is inscribed in the seal script. If you stand in front of the monument, you will sense the significance of the wish of community people for water control against a background of river sounds. The stone monument of Yu the Great has kept receiving community people's eager wish for water control and utilization for 136 years and is still keeping an eye on the flow of the Katashina River.
