Welcome to Stop 19. This is a little park along the side of the Chikuma River. The song in the background is actually called Chikuma River, by a famous Japanese singer named Itsuki Hiroshi. The Chikuma River is the longest river in Japan, and holds a romantic spot in a lot of people’s hearts here, inspiring many a poem and song. (Push the button on the sign in this park to hear the song.)
The name “Chikuma” means a thousand bends, or a thousand curves. If you see it from above, like if you climb up to Arato-jo, the hilltop mountain fortress, you’ll see what that means as the river winds its way through the heart of Togura-Kamiyamada Onsen.
