Last weekend, I went with Mishima Kita's and Oyama's ALTs to Ito. We spent the night at K's House, which is a really nice hostel.
If you're going to Ito, I would recommend staying at this place. There is an onsen inside and the atmosphere is really nice. Also, there is a river behind the hostel, and our room overlooked the river.
After relaxing at the onsen, the next day we went to Mt. Omuro. We took a bus from Ito station to the mountain. Mt. Omuro is a dormant volcano. It has a crater that is 300m in diameter and 70m deep that is located at the summit. The mountain is 580 meters above sea level. Every year on the 2nd Sunday of February, a famous event called Yamayaki (burning the mountain) is performed. However this year, it was one week late due to snow. The tall grass covering Mt. Omuro is set on fire, and all the grass covering the mountain is burned. This tradition has been passed down since the Kamakura Era, and is carried out so that new grass can grow quickly. It is symbolic of spring's nearness. Before the lighting, a group of men played taiko drums. I wonder what happens to the animals living on the mountain. I heard that foxes live on the mountain. I wonder if they are ok during the burning.
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