What’s Ecotourism?
 The term “ecotourism” is used to describe a type of tourism in which
you learn about the natural environment, historical, or cultural sites
while taking the responsibility to protect the sites from degradation.
Urabandai Ecotourism Association’s Activities
Ecotourism College
The association has implemented the formation of this college with the following
words to guide us: “learning expressing protection Urabandai”. Inviting
local groups or people to act as guest speakers, we learn about Urabandai
and tackle such issues as: “What is the heart of Urabandai”, “what does
it mean to perform acts in the spirit of service”, and “What is environmental
preservation?” In addition, we invite guests from other regions and host
guide training workshops to strengthen the skills of our guides.
Implementation of Monitoring
Once a month we walk the Goshiki Ponds Trekking Route to observe the changes
in nature and make a regular survey of the actual effects of use on the
trail.
Cutleaf Coneflower Extermination (Foreign Plant and Animal Extermination)
The cutleaf coneflower has made its way into Urabandai and is having
a negative effect. Especially as the Goshiki Ponds are in a national
park and part of a specially protected area, we do what we can to help
extermination efforts.
Mamorikitsune
 Urabandai is a woodworkers’ haunt. The wooden dishes, ladles, and other tools
of these artisans are the same used as the base in making lacquerware.
Mamorikitsune is a charm used to protect people, especially children,
which these artisans make. But in recent years as the decline of woodworking
incrases, people have forgotten about them. Giving consideration to the
fond memories of the locals of mamorikitsune as a toy, and in order to
help re-inspire the awareness of the spirit of loving nature, and wholesome
family-living, it was revived.
Urabandai Ecotourism Association
Urabandai Site Station
Onogawa-hara 1092-65
Hibara, Kita Shiobara-mura, Yama-gun
Fukushima-ken, 969-2701
(TEL) 0241-23-7860 (FAX) 050-7541-2411
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