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Joshin’etsukogen NP, Gunma
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At Tenjindaira’s View Terrace Tenjin, the signature Tanigawadake bread gratin is baked inside a hollowed loaf with twice the usual béchamel sauce—so the cheesy filling is meant to spill over.
A patch of yellow blooms spotted from the ropeway below Tenjindaira turned out to be invasive giant coneflower. Volunteers now dig out its stubborn roots to stop it spreading uphill.
Tenjindaira’s alpine-flower display shifts with the calendar: May brings katakuri and skunk cabbage, July brings Nikko daylilies, and August brings willowherb. Each month has a different cast.
A local account links Tenjindaira’s name to the Tenmangu shrine at higher Tenjin Pass. The shrine honors Sugawara no Michizane, and is said to have given “Tenjin” to the pass, ridge, and open slope.
Tenjindaira’s open bench is a landform, not just a name: a geographic reference describes terrace-like gentle slopes beside a glacially carved valley, tucked beneath the area’s steep ridgelines.
Serpentine bedrock occurs at Tenjindaira. Its unusual chemistry supports vegetation distinct from nearby slopes, so the local geology helps create a different botanical community.
Tenjindaira’s ropeway and ski area date to 1960. The lift brought visitors to this high mountain slope, which had previously been a much more demanding approach for skiers and hikers.
