On the shores of Lake Suwa, which was completely frozen, the broken ice was frozen without being washed away by the waves.At around 7:00 a.m. on the 29th, near the mouth of the Funado River in Toyota, Suwa City
On the morning of the 29th, Lake Suwa was completely frozen for two days in a row. Hachitsurugi Shrine (Owada, Suwa City), which is responsible for judgments and Shinto rituals, observed the surface of the lake in the morning and confirmed that thin ice was spreading. It was determined that “as far as the eye can see, the entire surface is frozen.” Many smiles can be seen from the 16 parishioners who gathered, and the expectation for the appearance is increasing.
According to the shrine, the temperature at 6:30 a.m. was minus 9.4 degrees Celsius and the water temperature was 0.5 degrees Celsius. Two days in a row, the temperature dropped to minus 10 degrees Celsius. The valedictorian split the ice on the shore with an ice ax and confirmed the “Ichiya ice”, which grows overnight. Around the estuary of the Funado River in Toyota, the same city where the observation was made, a phenomenon was occurring in which broken ice was not washed away by the waves and was frozen. The valedictorian exclaimed, “Beautiful scenery,” at the beauty of natural formations.
Miyasaka Miyasaka said, “We’ve had many days with severe temperature fluctuations, but I’m happy that the cold days have continued here.”
At the end of the observation, Mr. Miyasaka muttered, “Lake Suwa seems to want to freeze as soon as possible.” The ice has melted during the day, but as long as there is a possibility, I will continue to pray for the appearance of Omiwatari.
Many visitors who came to observe the lake surface of Omiwatari.There was also a parent and child holding the collected ice
■ Most visitors this season
On the morning of the 29th, when expectations for the appearance of Omiwatari increased due to the continued severe cold weather, the largest number of visitors this season gathered from inside and outside the prefecture to observe the surface of the lake.
Make memories by taking pictures with the chief priest Miyasaka and parishioner parishioners at the lakeside, and picking up the ice collected during the observation. Masayuki Nonaka (41), who came from Nagaoka, Niigata City, with his family of four, said with a smile, “It’s been two years since we’ve visited. It was a pity that the miwatari didn’t appear, but I’m satisfied because I was able to experience the harsh cold that is unique to Suwa.” was
Raco Hananoi Hotel (Suwa City) held the Omiwatari Observation Tour every weekend, and the last day was the same day. Due to the cold weather, the number of participants increased and it was crowded. A total of 30 people attended the four sessions. Kazumi Shiratori, president of the museum, said, “It is very popular to experience the faith, history, and traditions of Suwa. I would like to continue to contribute to conveying the charm of winter in Suwa next year and beyond.”
