User:Kamimoku International Village

Kamimoku International Village, also referred to as "Gaijin Mura" (a Japanese name translated as "Foreigner's Village") is an international community located in the beautiful mountain area of Gunma, Japan; about one hour train ride from Tokyo. The Village is part of the Minakami county.

The Village was founded in the 1960s by a few Americans who lived in Tokyo. One day when they traveled into this area, they immediately fell in love with it. They started to build houses on the mountain. Now it has grown into an international community with residents from Japan, U.S., Canada, Hong Kong, China, Singapore, Australia, New Zealand, U.K., France, Holland, Norway and other countries. It has created a very unique community in the middle of the beautiful Japanese countryside.

The Village has become a holiday destination for relaxation, onsen (hot springs) resorts, hiking, golfing, swimming, white water rafting, kayaking, fishing, gliding, biking, skiing, snowboarding, horseback riding, apple picking, and many other recreational activities all year round.

There are more than 20 ski resorts within 50 minute drive from the Village. The closest one is only 10 minutes away. Some of the popular ski resorts are Norn, Okutone, Houdaigi, Tenjindaira, Kawaba, Kagura, Naeba, Yuzawa. Some have night ski and open till midnight.

Kamimoku is well known for its apples in Japan. They are believed to be juicier and sweeter. There are many apple orchards in Kamimoku. When it is the apple picking season, many apple farmers open their orchards for visitors to pick apples.

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ References:

1. "Marvelous Minakami: the great year-round escape" by Jeff Kingston; published by The Japan Times, 2011 http://www.japantimes.co.jp/text/fv20110710a1.html

2. "Rural Retreat" by Maria Bromley; published by Touch Magazine, 2011                                                                                                        http://livinglifeontheedge-ofatectonicplate.com/2011/11/30/gaijin-ghetto-in-the-mountains-of-minakami/