This past Saturday we gathered some of the regional ALTs (assistant language teachers) to go on a guided monitoring tour of the Samani 8 Scenic Sights footpath. In order to help prevent the spread of COVID-19 we kept the tour to a small group of 5 ALTs, 2 guides, 1 interpreter, and 2 geopark staff. The purpose of this tour was for our geopark guides to become more familiar with handling foreign visitors, test out potential activities that would appeal to foreign visitors, and to foster teamwork between the guides and the interpreter.

This past week we had some beautiful sunny days, however, the day of the tour ended up being cold and rainy. Not at all what we had hoped for. So instead of walking the footpath in the rain we decided to visit each scenic spot by car.

Our first stop was Mt. Kannon. We parked at the bottom of the hill and walked up to the top. During our walk one of the guides asked us to see how many types of flowers we could find. Mt. Kannon is well known for the variety of spring ephemeral flowers that bloom throughout the season.

Once we reached the top another guide talked about the history and how the mountain was named. The current name of Mt. Kannon comes from the 33 Kannon Buddhist statues that are enshrined there.

We climbed the observation deck and heard the Ainu legend behind the Parent & Child Rocks that sit in the ocean just off the coast. The Parent & Child Rocks are made from magma that seeps through the cracks along plate boundaries then cools and hardens. The hard rock formations were uplifted then eroded by the waves and wind into shapes we see today.

Next, we stopped at Tojuin Temple to learn the history of the temple and how is it connected to the people and the town. This included a short lesson on Buddhism in Japan, as well as some refreshing tea and sweets served by the high priest's wife. Afterward we stopped in front of the Parent-Child Rocks Beach to get a better look at the rocks from the shore before heading to the oyaki shop for a delicious treat. Oyaki is a round pancake-like cake filled with sweet red bean. This shop is well known in Samani as a local favorite.

The tour ended at Cape Enrumu. This land-tied island is made from the same hardened magma as the Parent & Child Rocks. We first went to the backside of the cape to get a good look at the rocky cliffside and the surrounding harbor. We then went to the top and learned how the formation of Samani town is closely tied to the natural harbor created by Cape Enrumu.

It's a shame the weather did not cooperate, but in the end, everyone said they really enjoyed the tour.