Hata, Nagano

It is said that Nyakutakuji Temple was founded by Gyoki (668-749) a Buddhist priest between 749 and 758, in the Nara period. During the Edo period, Nyakutakuji Temple was given ten koku of territory (koku is a denomination of land) by the feudal lord of Matsumoto, so its perimeter was about 13 kilometers and it established five branch temples. The temple prospered until the late Edo Period, and the famous author, Jippensha Ikku, stopped there. The temple prospered and was considered the "Nikkō of the Hida District".

A small sub-temple, Tamura Temple, was built in the Muromachi period and enshrined the famous conquest of the Ezo by shōgun Sakanoue no Tamuramaro.

During the Meiji Era however, the Japanese government passed policies which popularized Shinto (the native Japanese religion of nature worship) and boycotted Buddhism. Thus the Nyakutakuji Temple was destroyed in 1871, leaving only the small sub-temples. Later, people tried to rebuild the temple, but they failed because of lack of support. Some of the buildings that remained were transferred to different locations, and now all that remains is a stone fence. Among the Nyakutakuji Temple Ruins, there is a Japanese cedar called Shinobu-suji. Local legend says that this tree can hear a couple's secret wish for marriage.

Saikoji Temple, one of the sub-temples of Nakutakuji Temple, held two Deva Kings, or guardians of the temple. They were made during the Kamakura Period. Now, the statues are located next to Kami-Hata Shrine, though they are not attached to the shrine itself, for the Deva Kings are of Buddhist origin while the shrine is Shinto. The statues were sculpted by Myokai, a monk of Zenkoji Temple. After completing the statues, Myokai inscribed his name on them. It was rare for a sculptor of Buddhist images to do this. The statues are 256 cm tall and made from Japanese cypress.

During the Edo Period, the Japanese government destroyed many temples all over Japan in order to promote the national religion of Shinto. The government destroyed Saikoji Temple, but the Deva Kings were hidden and so escaped destruction.

The watermelons of Hata have been rated the best in Japan due to their sweetness, size, and juiciness by Japan Agricultural Cooperatives. Highly prized, the watermelons are the subject of three different town festivals and are shipped throughout Japan during late July/early August each year where they command a high price. The local climate and regional soil make Hata an ideal place to grow watermelons.

In 1935, people began to grow watermelons in Shimohara (a region of Hata). By 1950, Shimohara watermelons already had a great reputation in Matsumoto and were famous in the surrounding areas. Around 1960 the most common variety of watermelon was "Kyokuto." In the mid-1960s, trucks became widespread and farmers could bring their watermelons directly to vegetable and fruit markets.

In 1981, Hata Town received 300 million yen in subsidies from the government to build a watermelon distribution center. From then on, all union members began to mark their watermelons with the brand Shimohara.

Now farmers in the town, without going through the cooperatives to market, use direct sales, but sales are limited to facilities operating in cooperation with "Shimohara Watermelon." Watermelon farmers in Shimohara learned their cultivation techniques from farmers in the Namiyanagi Region(now a part of Matsumoto City), which was famous for watermelon production.

The Deva Kings' Festival

Children crawl between the legs of a Deva King statue for health on the third Saturday and Sunday of April. According to legend, a child who goes between the Deva King's legs was cured of measles. The festival honors that event. Some children cry due to the carved image of the Deva King. Parents usually help out by encouraging their children.

Dogtooth Violets Festival (かたくり祭り)

The Dogtooth Violet Festival is held in the middle of April at Kami-Gaito in the west of Hata. Dogtooth violets are wild flowers which grow in the northern Japanese mountains. They bloom early in April. The flower has six beautiful violet petals. On the leaves, there are unique purple spots. From the roots, people used to make a kind of white starch called "Katakuriko." But nowadays, the starch is made from potatoes instead. Years before the dogtooth violet garden was a mulberry field. The landowners have since protected the wild flowers in the field. Since 1997, the neighborhood has made a sidewalk and taken care of the area. Now, the garden has about 20 kinds of wild flowers and about 30,000 flowers in total. During the festival, which lasts for two weeks, there is a 200 yen entrance fee to the garden.

Weeping Cherry Blossoms

Anyou-ji Temple, located across from the Moriguchi Station on the Kamikōchi train line, is famous for its beautiful cherry trees in spring. Upon the temple grounds there are two dozen weeping cherry trees, two of which are between 300 and 500 years old. During the cherry blossom season, visitors can pay a small fee to enter the temple and enjoy a cup of tea while enjoying the view. But of course, simply walking around the temple grounds is also quite a fulfilling experience. The temple itself belongs to the Jodo Shinshu Honganji sect.

Hata Summer Festival (波田さいさい祭)

Hata Sai Sai-Sai is the town's summer festival and most of the town's people participate in it. The festival is held the last Saturday of July every year. It is a harvest festival for Hata's delicious watermelon. The festival is famous for the watermelon that is handed out free of charge.

During the daytime there is a flea market and children's games and sports. The local International Club also hosts a booth for international exchange. In the evening there are food stalls, various live performances by the brass band club from Hata Elementary School, Japanese taiko drumming, ocarina club, and the young men's music club.

At 8:00 PM, there is a wonderful fireworks display. Fireworks designed in the shape of watermelons and apples can only be seen here in Hata. So this summer, take a straw mat and go to see the fireworks. You will be able to spend a wonderful time while looking up into the summer sky.

Fall Harvest Festivals (秋祭り)

In September, three shrines in Hata (San-Shrine, Suwa-Shrine, and Hata-Shrine) have their fall festivals. Festive floats that are decorated with lanterns are paraded through the streets to each shrine.

Winter Story

From December to January, the Hata Chamber of Commerce and Industry along with volunteers from the people of Hata decorate the area around Hata Station with a Christmas tree made from plastic bottles and Christmas lights.