Every year the Samani Junior High 1^st year students participate in the "Samani Origins Tour" where the students travel around town by bus and observe various locations and businesses. Afterward, the students are split into groups who decide on a particular theme and create a poster presentation based on their research. The poster session is held every December during the school's general assembly.

The theme of this year's tour was to learn about the history of Samani and to realize the relationship between the formation of the history and the topography of the area. The tour took participants to a stone quarry behind Samani Junior High School, the Samani Tourist Information Center, the mouth of the Horoman-gawa River, the peridotite quarry, and a strawberry greenhouse. At each location, the students listened to the guides and staff in charge, asked questions, took pictures, and summarized the information.

We set off on the tour after listening to an explanation about a new program, "SDGs Initiatives in Samani." Many were wondering what the history and topography of Samani and its industries would be like from an SDG perspective.

From the former Samani Station
The Tourist Association office is here and we learned about their ongoing efforts.


The new Hidakaso flower hand towels were on sale.

At the mouth of Horoman-gawa River

After explaining the history of the Samani Mountain Path and how difficult it was to travel, we asked the students to get close to the cliffs of the old national road to see just how steep the terrain is.

Horoman-kyo Gorge as seen from Izumi Bridge on the road to the peridotite quarry.

Many rarely visit here but it has some beautiful fall colors.

Inside the strawberry greenhouse

The students asked questions about management and operations.

On October 8, I accompanied third-year Tohoku University students who had come to Samani on a geological field trip to visit a small mountain of peridotite and the former plate boundary.

Horoman area as viewed from a small mountain of peridotite

Autumnal plants were in full bloom!


Hidaka-misebaya or Apoi-misebaya?


Yakushisou


Hosobatouki and Yakushisou


I also saw some yukimushi (snow bugs) flying around in the morning. This is a sign that winter is on its way.

Recently, when the sun sets around 4:30 PM, Mt. Apoi turns reddish-gold instead of its usual forest green. The shadowed part at the mountain's base is from the hill where Hotel Apoi Sanso sits. It's very beautiful!

Mt. Apoi Geopark Visitor Center

From Hotel Apoi Sanso

I went to Horoman-kyo Gorge on September 30^th to clean the bio-toilet and noticed that the leaves were starting to change color.


Horoman-kyo River


Inari Shrine


Japanese Sumac

Japanese Bush Cranberry

Japanese Bittersweet


Perilla

Akinokirinso?

"Journey of Earth Time," a traveling Geopark exhibit opened at Gallery 21 in the Samani Community Center on September 6^th and will stay open until September 26. Additionally, on September 19^th, a Apoi College lecture on "Hokkaido Journey and Geotour" will be held, and we hope you will attend both events.

The exhibit was also on display at the Samani Public Library, but the layout in Gallery 21 is a little different.

Some posters created by the Samani Elementary School 5^th graders are also on display and explain various aspects of the Geopark. Please help us out by filling out the survey as well!