Totsukawa

Totsukawa (十津川村) is a geographically large village in the Yoshino District of Nara, Japan. It is the largest village in Nara in terms of area, and the fifth largest village in Japan. As of February 2024, the village has an estimated population of 2,845 and a density of 4.2 persons per km2. The total area is 672.35 km2.

Etymology
The name of the Totsukawa River 遠津川 (totsukawa), which the village is named after was originally composed of the kanji 遠 (to), meaning distant, 津 (tsu), meaning harbor (or port), 川 (kawa), meaning river, as the river was, and especially for the time its name is first said to appear (c. 1142 AD), far away from any ports. Because the village built along the river is also distant from the capital, 都 (to), it was given the name 十津川村 (totsukawa-mura), as a play-on-words meaning village of the river distant from any ports or the capital. The word used for the first kanji in the current name, 十 (to), and the original name for the river, 遠 (to), as well as the word for capital, 都 (to), all contain a reading of to.

End of Kamakura and Muromachi period
In 1333, Emperor Go-Daigo overthrew the Kamakura Shogunate and thus began the Kenmu Restoration. However, many samurai, including Ashikaga Takauji were dissatisfied with the new policies, and so a struggle ensued between them and the emperor. As a result of the struggle, the emperor fled to Yamato Province, which composed much of present-day Nara Prefecture and included Totsukawa within. There he established the Southern Court. Totsukawa was deeply intertwined with the southern court, and Prince Morinaga once sought refuge there. Old documents written by the second emperor of the court, Gomurakami and Morinaga's son, Prince Okura are still kept and preserved within the village, and contain directives to the people of the village to assist the southern court. The people were said to be skilled martial artists and hunters, which is attributed to their recognition by multiple successive emperors within southern court.

Edo period
In 1585, Toyotomi Hidenaga, half-brother of Toyotomi Hideyoshi was appointed governor of Yamato Province, Kii Province and Izumi Province, and made lord of Kōriyama Castle. Two years later, in 1587, Hidenaga commenced a comprehensive land survey of Totsukawa, as expected of someone in his role. Kobori Masatsugu. appointed survey commissioner, executed the survey at Hidenaga's request. Following the survey, Totsukawa was subject to mura uke seido where each village would pay taxes as a unit.

Meiji Restoration to World War II
In 1869, one year after the beginning of the Meiji Restoration following the fall of the Tokugawa Shogunate, during significant changes in Japan, Totsukawa was incorporated into Nara Prefecture. In 1871, the people of the village were recognized for their service during the end of the shogunate and during the Boshin War, some were even granted the title of samurai.

In 1873, the land tax law was changed, and Totsukawa became taxes as well, instituting a plethora of changes to follow.

In 1889, a major flood happened in Totsukawa, causing widespread destruction. In result, many citizens moved to Hokkaido and developed a new village there. The first and then governor of Nara, Saisho Atsushi, issued a notice giving his respects and condolences, as well as informing them of disaster relief in the form of ¥2000 in gold from Emperor Meiji. The residents opted to name the new settlement “Shintotsukawa”, literally “New Totsukawa".

Climate
Totsukawa has a humid subtropical climate (Köppen climate classification Cfa), which is hot and humid in the summer (above 30 °C) and is somewhat cold in the winter with temperatures dropping to around freezing (0 °C)

Demographics
Per Japanese census data, the population of Totsukawa in 2020 is 3,061 people. Totsukawa has been conducting censuses since 1920.

Tanize Suspension Bridge
The Tanize Suspension Bridge (谷瀬の吊り橋) is a suspension bridge known for the Yuredaiko, an annual drum festival on the bridge held on August 4 of every year. It is one of Japan's longest steel-wire suspension bridges, and is located in the Tanize/Uenoji area in northern Totsukawa. It was built in 1954 and is 54 m high and 297 m long. Each family in the village donated ¥2,000-3,000 towards the construction. The money collected from the villagers totaled approximately ¥8000000 in donations.

Yaen gondolas
There are gondolas called yaen gondolas in Totsukawa village. Yaen are small gondolas hung from ropes above a river and move from shore to shore of the river, moving forward by pulling on a rope inside of the gondola. The name yaen comes from the Japanese word for wild monkey, and were named as such because a person using one has the appearance of a wild monkey climbing a vine. They were historically used for transportation across the river by the villagers, as it would only take the average person around 10 minutes to move the entire route. They are no longer used as a means of transportation, and are now only used as a novelty.

Sasa-no-taki waterfall
Sasa-no-taki (笹の滝) is a waterfall located on the outskirts of Totsukawa, and is ranked by Kodansha as one of the 100 Best Waterfalls in Japan. It is about 32 m tall and 13 km away from Takikawa gorge, and has an altitude of 500 m with multiple hiking trails leading up to the waterfall. The area directly under the waterfall, however, has its access restricted due to the safety hazard imposed by the risk of falling rocks.

Tamaki Shrine
Tamaki Shrine (玉置神社) is a Shinto shrine located at the top of Mt. Tamaki (玉置山). It was built by Emperor Sujin in 37 BC and is surrounded by several large cedar trees. Tamaki Shrine is registered as a landmark with the UNESCO World Heritage Center as one of the "Sacred Sites and Pilgrimage Routes in the Kii Mountain Range."

Totsukawa Onsen
Totsukawa Onsen (十津川温泉) is an onsen hot spring located in the middle of Totsukawa village. Around the hot spring, there are multiple bathhouses, also known colloquially as onsen, which utilize the hot spring. Tosenji Onsen (湯泉地温泉) is the oldest bathhouse in the village, dating back to 1581. The bathhouses pipe the water from the hot spring into their facilities without recycling, heating or prior treatment.

Hatenashi mountain range
Hatenashi mountain range (果無山脈) is about 1200 m in height. This mountain range is located on the boundary between Nara and Wakayama Prefecture and stretches about 30 km. The place where Hatenashi mountain range meets Kohechi at Kumano-Kodo route is called Hatenashi pass. This pass is 1070 m high. The Kumano-Kodo pilgrimage routes are designated as a World Heritage Site.

Transportation
Totsukawa is served by National Routes 168 and 425. The nearest major train station is Hashimoto Station in Wakayama Prefecture.

Sister cities

 * Yatsushiro, Kumamoto
 * Miyoshi, Tokushima