Kamiichi, miasto w Japonii
Kamiichi is a town in the Nakaniikawa district of Toyama Prefecture, sitting at the foot of the Tateyama mountain range in western Japan. The built-up area is flat and open, with rice fields and small rivers running alongside modest residential streets and local shops.
The settlement became an official administrative town during the Meiji-era reforms of the late 19th century. Before that, its position near a river crossing had already made it a natural meeting point for traders coming down from the mountains.
The name Kamiichi means "upper market" in Japanese, pointing to a time when goods were exchanged here between mountain communities and the lowlands. Visitors walking through the center can still see small shops and stalls that carry on this trading habit in a modest way.
The town center is easy to cover on foot since most shops and facilities are close together. Renting a bicycle is a good option if you want to explore the surrounding rice fields and riverbanks at a relaxed pace.
Kamiichi sits at the starting point of the Tateyama Kurobe Alpine Route, one of Japan's most traveled mountain crossings, which begins right at the local train station. Many visitors pass through without realizing the town itself marks the entry to a journey that crosses the Northern Alps from one side to the other.
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