Brian Dukie
Teacher, 27 (American)
Shosenkyo Gorge is well known for its pretty surroundings, and it's a unique place to see waterfalls, crystals and temples. You can try a lot of local food, like hōtō (udon noodles and vegetables in miso soup), there too.
Satoshi Odagiri
Student, 17 (Japanese)
The area here is very famous for grapes, especially in cities like Katsunuma, where you can pick grapes yourself or try locally produced wine. Also, there is a lot of history in Yamanashi, and Takeda Shingen is a famous figure.
Mie Tsuchiya
Computer trade firm, 33 (Japanese)
"Kōtsū rule" is the phrase for traffic or driving rules, and Koshu is Yamanashi's old name. So "Koshu rule" is a sarcastic way to describe the drivers here — selfish and mean, not letting people get in lane, for example.
Sho Kanda
Welder, 35 (Chinese)
Yamanashi has the two highest mountains of Japan: Mount Fuji and Yatsugatake. Despite the name of the prefecture ("Yamanashi" could be read as "no mountains"), the whole region is surrounded by mountains and valleys.
Eriko Hikawa
Housewife, 28 (Japanese)
Yamanashi is very famous for its peaches. Even though the peaches are soft by the time they get delivered to outside prefectures, only in Yamanashi can you eat them while they are still hard, and we like it that way.
Mark Major
Bar owner, 43 (Australian)
Ojirogawa — it's the prettiest river I've ever seen. It's a bit of a valley, so you need to go between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. or the sun's gone down, which makes it very cold.
Living outside Tokyo and interested in gathering views in your neighborhood? E-mail community.co.jp
