The more you hear about Numata Town, and the more you visit, the more you'll discover its deep and fascinating charms.
From forests that cover 70% of the town's area and a history that includes a former coal mine, to an environment where fireflies are protected through the efforts of residents, the culture of the Yotaka Andon Festival, and initiatives that use the heavy snowfall for air conditioning and agriculture...

Combining these rich attractions of Numata with new ideas, a project to create a "Nature School" where both children and adults can play in the forest all year round has begun.

Creating a "Nature School" in Numata Town

The activities held so far are enough to make you want to boast about Numata, including the "Stone Camp," where you can learn about and experience the town's history, and the "Craft Camp" for adults to enjoy woodworking crafts!
Numata Town Whole Nature Experience Project [Numata, Hokkaido] Facebook

Stone Camp: Visiting and experiencing the Yoshizumi Coal Mine (from the Numata Town Whole Nature Experience Project [Numata, Hokkaido] Facebook)

Interacting with horses (from the Numata Town Whole Nature Experience Project [Numata, Hokkaido] Facebook)

Craft Camp workshop (from the Numata Town Whole Nature Experience Project [Numata, Hokkaido] Facebook)

Additionally, a workshop was recently held where town officials and residents came together to brainstorm ideas they want to realize at the "Nature School," resulting in a very exciting vision.

Future vision for the Nature School (from the Numata Town Whole Nature Experience Project [Numata, Hokkaido] Facebook)

Here are a few wonderful future possibilities that may be realized.

Playing in the Forests of Numata

Itaya Maple Sap Tapping Experience

Our guide in the winter forest today is Mr. Kato from Onuma Nagareyama Farm.
He is usually involved in various forest-related activities, ranging from making maple syrup, harvesting mushrooms and wild vegetables, and making firewood, to sometimes even being a Segway instructor.

Today's activity is "tapping Itaya maple sap." We immediately head into the forest to find an Itaya maple tree.

Numata is one of Hokkaido's snowiest regions, and in early March, it's still winter.
Far from new buds sprouting, the snow is 1.5 to 2 meters deep.

In summer, you can identify the tree by its leaf shape, but with so few clues now, won't it be difficult to find an "Itaya maple"?

Mr. Kato, a forest expert, teaches us.

The Itaya maple has a distinctive branching pattern. Two branches emerge from the same point, and the tips of the branches are thicker compared to other trees.
Another characteristic is that many lichens grow on the tree trunk.

The tip of an Itaya maple branch

Lichens on the trunk of an Itaya maple

Once we find an Itaya maple, we immediately start tapping the sap.

First, we drill a hole about 1 cm in diameter and 6 cm deep into the trunk. We insert a tool called a "spile" for sap collection, and the sap starts to drip out. We place a special bucket underneath, cover it to keep debris out, and then we just wait!

Drilling a hole in the trunk of an Itaya maple tree

Insert a special tool called a 'spile' into the hole and tap it in with a hammer

Hang a bucket to collect the dripping sap

Cover it to keep debris out and just wait

The best time to collect maple sap is limited to this period when the snow begins to melt, so we were fortunate to witness this precious opportunity.

The collected sap is the raw material for maple syrup. I thought, "It must be sweet," but when I drank it, the sweetness was only faint, with a scent of the forest. At this point, the sugar content is only about 1%.
The standard for maple syrup is a sugar content of 66% or more... which means that from 2 liters of Itaya maple sap, you can only make about 30 mL of maple syrup! I learned for the first time what a precious gift from the forest this is.

Yukimachi Sauna Experience

Today, Mr. Haruyama, a Numata town official, is introducing us to the "Yukimachi Sauna."
While he usually plans and implements various town initiatives and is dedicated to preserving the JR Rumoi Main Line, Mr. Haruyama also holds the titles of "Sauna and Spa Professional" and "Finnish Sauna Ambassador," making him a sauna specialist.

I thought we might be heading to Horoshin Onsen, but instead, we were led to a "tent sauna" set up outdoors.

Mr. Haruyama, Numata Town official and Sauna & Spa Professional

As I've mentioned, Numata is one of Hokkaido's snowiest regions, and in early March, it's still winter.
They dig into the 1.5 to 2 meters of snow to set up a special tent and a sauna stove born in the frigid lands of Russia.

The sauna stones placed on top of the stove are basalt from Numata. Mr. Haruyama says they have high heat retention and are well-suited for saunas.

Using basalt from Numata as sauna stones

The "löyly," where water is poured on the sauna stones to raise the perceived temperature, creates the perfect temperature and humidity thanks to the sauna professional, along with the most satisfying sounds of crackling and sizzling.

Pouring water on the sauna stones with a ladle handmade by Mr. Haruyama

Once your pulse quickens, the next step is a cold bath... or, in this case, a dive into the snow! This is the unique charm of Numata's Yukimachi Sauna.
After that, it's time for an open-air bath. The luxury of sitting in an infinity chair while gazing at the forest and sky... I felt like I could stay there forever.

Sharing the sauna with Mr. Haruyama, I learned about how to properly relax, the benefits of saunas, authentic Finnish sauna customs, and recommended saunas in Japan. It made me enjoy the sauna experience many, many times more than before.

Become a 'Forest Play Supporter' to Fully Enjoy Numata's Forests

The experiences in Numata and the future vision for the Nature School are all incredibly exciting.
Even though the Domingo editorial team doesn't live in Numata, our stay sparked a strong desire to get involved in creating the Nature School and to play in Numata's forests!

Perhaps many of you reading this article also feel like you want to visit Numata or get involved in this grand project.

For people like you, there is a system called "Forest Play Supporters."

When you become a Forest Play Supporter (or "Mori-Sapo" for short), you'll receive emails with information about workshops and events related to the Nature School.
You can participate in the ones that interest you, and you can also propose your own ideas for activities!

There are also online streaming events that you can join from afar.
No matter where you live, if you're even a little bit interested, please join us as a Mori-Sapo!
By the way, the Domingo editorial team has already signed up!