🐦 Through the Water Capital and Basho’s Haven: An 8km Ptarmigan in Ogaki 🐦
Ogaki City in Gifu Prefecture, celebrated as the “Water Capital” for its abundant natural springs, is a historic destination that thrived as a prominent castle town. Notably, Ogaki Castle served as the western army’s headquarters during the fateful Battle of Sekigahara, and the city is famous as the final destination of haiku master Matsuo Basho’s journey in The Narrow Road to the Deep North. This 8km GPS art course invites you to sketch a Ptarmigan, starting east of the castle in Kuruwamachi and Uoyamachi, and looping along scenic waterways.
The urban route heads south along the Shinki River, turns west near the Tokaido Shinkansen tracks, and winds north along the historic Suimon River. Along the way, you will discover the Ogaki City Basho’s Oku no Hosomichi Haiku Journey Museum and the sacred Kasuga Shrine. The trail also passes the Ogaki City Folk Museum, which displays the legacy of the local domain, and the solemn Nōhi Gokoku Shrine, before leading you into the beautiful grounds of Ogaki Park to view the striking keep of Ogaki Castle.
This flat 8km loop offers a refreshing riverside trek filled with historic charm. When the digital silhouette appears on your map, you will have experienced the serene beauty and samurai legacy of the Water Capital with every step.
RESTAURANTS
DETAIL (EXTERNAL LINK)
A PIONEER IN GPS ART.
1st work was authorized by Guinness World Records as “the Largest GPS Drawing”.
He is the only Japanese person to be featured in a Google documentary as an innovator. He is fascinated by the idea of drawing with GPS and has published more than 2,500 works.
