Home to some of Obuse’s oldest communities, this quiet area offers calming rural scenery. Saisho-ji, a temple with a history dating back 500 years, stands on the threshold to the northern area about ten minutes on foot from Obuse Station. The ceiling of the temple’s main hall is painted with a gracefully flying pale pink phoenix that soothes the hearts of those who see it.

At the northernmost point of this area are the broad Entoku rice paddies. During early summer, the mirror-like surface of the water-filled paddies reflects the sky and the mountains and the green of freshly planted seedlings. In the autumn, the beautiful pastoral landscape is carpeted with gold as the ears of rice mature