There are many easy ways to access Nagano Prefecture, such as hopping on the Hokuriku Shinkansen bullet train from Tokyo or driving in along one of the many expressways. And there are some more scenic routes, such as the highway or train following the old Nakasendo Trail up the Kiso Valley or a bus or car over the Japanese Alps from Hida-Takayama to Matsumoto. But by far the most adventuresome gateway to Nagano is the Tateyama-Kurobe Alpine Route which takes in the majestic Mt. Tateyama and the massive Kurobe Dam all while riding an exciting variety of transport modes.
温泉へ行く言い訳が欲しい？2024年の春は戸倉上山田で沢山の「訳」がある♪お勧めのイベントを紹介します。Need a reason to head to an onsen this spring? Here are our recommended events for our onsen town Togura Kamiyamada.
~4/12 あんず祭り・森「杏の里」Apricot Blossom Festival
花が遅れて咲いたので祭りは4月12日まで延長。花はおそらく13〜14日の週末まで見頃。The world famous Mori “Apricot Village” blossom festival has been extended to April 12th as the blossoms came late this year.
4/10-20 （予報）戸倉宿キティーパーク桜 Togura-juku Kitty Park Cherry Blossoms
戸倉駅の裏山の斜面が一面桜🌸になります。でかい天狗で有名な戸倉宿キティーパークが戸倉上山田温泉の人気花見スポット。Tengu Park on the hillside behind Togura Station becomes awash in pinkish white cherry blossoms. Enjoy sakura-viewing with the huge Togura Tengu statue.
戸倉駅前のでかい茅葺き屋根で有名な酒蔵で市場が行われます。食べ物やクラフトなどの販売や音楽の演奏、利き酒コーナー、人力車などなど。The massive thatched roof sake brewery in front of Togura Station will be bustling with dozens of food stalls and arts & crafts shops. There will be music, sake sampling, even rickshaw rides.
4/27 イースターエッグフェスティバルin戸倉上山田温泉 Easter Egg Festival in Togura Kamiyamada Onsen
戸倉上山田温泉の春の人気イベント、子供の為のイースターエッグフェスティバルは5年ぶりに再開♪ 今回は開催場所に初めて中央公園になります。春の「生まれ変わる」気持ちを兼ねて楽しむイベント。キッチンカーの出店も。Celebrate spring and re-birth at the Easter Egg Festival. It has been popular with local children for decades and is back post-Covid for the first time in 5 years. It will take place for the first time at Central Park. Food vendors will be there, too!
4/29 亀清旅館のロビーリニューアル演奏by麻友 Kamesei Renewal Concert
当館のロビー改装工事の記念コンサートで千曲市シンガーソングライター「麻友」の演奏を提供します。一新されたロビーで麻友さんの美しい音楽を是非に♪ We remodeled our inn’s lobby and will celebrate with a concert by Chikuma City’s most famous singer-songwriter Mayu. Come and be dazzled by our inn’s new look and by Mayu’s charming music.
4/30 884のロビーコンサート Lobby Concert by 884
戸倉上山田温泉のシンガーソングライターの884君は月一回に「884の日」って事でライブを行ってまして、4月はなんと我が亀清旅館のロビーです。貴重な演奏🎵 Togura Kamiyamada Onsen’s beloved singer-songwriter 884 will perform his monthly special concert here at Kamesei Ryokan’s lobby.
5/03 長野獅子フェス Nagano Shishi Lion Festival
長野市の中心街に周辺のお神楽は68団体が獅子舞を披露します。我が上山田神楽保存会が初参加♪（亀清旅館のタイラーが横笛を吹きます。是非に応援しに来てください！） 68 lion dance troupes will perform in central Nagano City. Kamiyamada’s will participate for the first time. Tyler from Kamesei will be playing the flute!
戸倉上山田温泉でクラシックなラリーカーがまた集まります。観光会館の前の駐車場が展示会場で、荒戸城の山道にてヒルクライム。わくわくな車は沢山が来ます！ Classic rally cars will once again gather here in Togura Kamiyamada Onsen for the hill climb competition up the Arato-Jo Castle mountain road.
詳しく http://nasc.jp/kamiyamada-histrica-gp-2024/
5/25-6-09 坂城町薔薇祭りSakaki Rose Festival
隣の坂城町は千曲川沿いに薔薇園があります。330種類、2300株の美しい薔薇を目と花で楽しめます。Nearby Sakaki has a gorgeous rose garden along the Chikuma River with 330 varieties.
Fall here in our onsen town Togura Kamiyamada means a bumper crop of fun events such as grape, miso, sake brewery and other marches, music concerts, moon viewing, cycling, not one but two Halloween parties, and more! Here are some of our recommendations:
ぶどうなどの秋の幸のマルシェ Local grapes and other fresh produce and other local specialties (10/14 tba)
高村味噌の秋まつり Takamura Miso Fall Festival (10/21 9:00-17:00 亀清旅館から車で7分）
ジャズのロビーコンサート 歌手のteaさんが我が亀清旅館のロビーで。前座はシンガーソングライターの麻友さん Lobby Concert by jazz singer “tea” here at Kamesei Ryokan. Opening Act: Singer-songwriter Mayu. (10/23 18:30~)
The Jigokudani Wild Monkey Park and the world-famous Snow Monkeys are an easy 25-minute train and 45-minute bus ride (plus a 30-minute walk through a beautiful cedar forest) from Kamesei Ryokan and our onsen town Togura-Kamiyamada.
Here is a convenient train and bus schedule for Summer / Fall 2023. There was a baby rush this past spring, so a plethora of adorable baby snow monkeys are waiting your visit.
While there are group tours available from Nagano Station, many of our guests use Nagaden's express bus as per the above schedule, and enjoy the freedom to travel at the times they like. And by buying the Snow Monkey Pass at the Nagano Dentetsu subway ticket counter below Nagano Station's Zenkoji Exit, besides saving money you can avoid the hassle of figuring out what/ how/ when to pay for transportation to and from the trailhead.
One last word of advice -- make sure to recharge your camera's battery before going as you will be taking lots of pictures!
For Summer 2023, take advantage of some regional discounts for special pricing on staying here at Kamesei Ryokan. Shinshu-Wari for June, and Chikuma-Wari for July and August.
Chikuma City's "Chikuma-Wari" discount is good for 3000 yen off per person per weeknight, 1500 yen off for weekend/holiday. The discount takes effect from 01-July to 31-August, 2023. The offer is limited in number and we really want guests to try our new Deluxe Rooms with private shower and private outdoor onsen bath, so we will offer the Chikuma-Wari discount for guests reserving those Deluxe rooms via our website only (just write "Chikuma-Wari" in the comment section).
Nagano Prefecture's version of Zenkoku-wari runs through 30-June, 2023. You get up to 3000 yen off as well as coupons to use anywhere in Nagano. You must be a resident of Japan to qualify. As with the above-mentioned Chikuma-Wari, we have a limited number available so will accept Zenkoku-wari for reservations for our Deluxe Rooms only. Reservations can be made through our website -- mention "Zenkoku-wari" in the comment section.
この夏はご褒美で亀清旅館の露天風呂付き客室で是非にごゆっくりと過ごしてください。この得の割引でお財布にも優しいです。Give yourself a break this summer and indulge yourself with a stay at one of Kamesei Ryokan's Deluxe Rooms. And give your wallet a break at the same time!
TV Asahi's Super J Channel occasionally broadcasts a mini-documentary about Kamesei Ryokan. The latest will be shown on 30-May, 2023, the first in 3 years. During that time the Corona pandemic hit, and we have had a major development within our family -- tune in to find out the latest developments in the Kamesei story!
Here at Kamesei Ryokan, we have proudly decorated our inn with patchwork and quilt wall hangings made by Judi Lynch, the mother of our proprietor Tyler Lynch. For 4 weeks starting May 16th we will hold an exhibition of works by Judi Lynch in our large banquet room. The 30 pieces range from small wall hangings to queen-size quilts, many featuring designs inspired by Japan an incorporating vintage kimono material.
期間 Dates: 5/16 ~ 6/12
時間 Time: AM 9:00-11:00 PM 15:00-17:30
場所 Place: 亀清旅館の2階の大広間 Kamesei Ryokan's 2nd Floor Banquet Hall
料金 Price: 無料 Free *希望者にお茶とシアトルクッキーセット300円 Tea and Seattle Cookie Set available for 300 yen
お問い合わせ Contact Tel 026-275-1032 亀清旅館 Kamesei Ryokan
百名山である2,354mの四阿山と花百名山である2,207mの根子岳は菅平牧場から約7時間の登山ループで繋がれている。Mt. Azumaya (one of Japan’s 100 Famous Mountains) and Neko-dake (a Top 100 Wildflower Mountain) can both be climbed via a 7-hour loop hike from the Sugadaira Pasture.
菅平から見る根子岳（左）と四阿山 Nekodake (left) and Mt. Azumaya from Sugadaira
We’d climbed both peaks individually before but on 20-April we managed to do the 2.5km course to Nekodake after summiting Mt. Azumaya for an enjoyable loop hike. The 360-degree view from the top of Azumaya was particularly impressive, and the trail offers a great variety of scenery, from bamboo grass with birch trees to pine forests. Nekodake’s course runs along a cow pasture at the bottom for expansive views of the Sugadaira Highlands and ski areas.
牧場の駐車場から北アルプスの眺め まだ冬季だったから簡易トイレ敷かなかったけど、4月21日は公式の開山だそうで、それから常設トイレと売店が開くそうです。 View of the Northern Japanese Alps from the Sugadaira Pasture parking lot. The regular toilet and gift shop probably open with the official start of the climbing season on 21-April, but there was a porta-potty.
Mt. Azumaya trailhead
前半は笹と白樺 The trail starts through "sasa" (bamboo grass) and birch trees.
中間の高台から見る四阿山 View of Mt. Azumaya from a high point midway up the mountain
菅平高原を見下ろす 背景に北アルプス Looking down over Sugadaira Highlands with the Northern Japanese Alps in the distance
登山道は面白い地質を通る。時に赤っぽい石、時に青っぽい、他の場所に黒い土。火山の影響かな? この石は赤と青のハイブリッド。 Interesting geology along the path. Some areas with reddish rocks and dirt, some with blue rocks, and others with dark black earth. We could sense the ancient volcanic activity. This rock was a hybrid of red and blue.
4月20日の時点で所々に雪が残っていて、アイゼンは必要だった。 As of April 20th, there was still snow in several places. We definitely made us of our crampons.
四阿山の頂上付近の木の階段 Wooden stairs near Mt. Azumaya's summit
四阿山の頂上にある宮。真田地区の山家神社の説明版によると、戦国時代に四阿山が修験道の聖地だったのでその神社が登山口だったそうです。 Shrine at the top of Mt. Azumaya. According to a sign at Yamaga Shrine down back at the Sanada District, Mt. Azuyama was a pilgrimage destination back in the Warring States era, with Yamaga Shrine as the trailhead.
Mt. Azumaya's summit (2,354 meters elevation)
四阿山の北側の下り。アイゼンに感謝！ Descending Mt. Azuyama's north side. Thank goodness for crampons!
道が雪で隠れて、足跡も少なく、ピンクリボン探しでした。 The path was covered in snow, and footprints were hard to find, so we had to rely on the pink trail markers.
二つの山の間の笹平（標高2,040m） これから根子岳の頂上へ The bamboo grass flat between the two peaks (elevation 2,040m). From here we started the ascent to the top of Mt. Nekodake.
笹平を見下ろして、背景は四阿山 Overlooking the bamboo grass flat, with Mt. Azumaya in the background
根子岳の頂上付近の岩場。ドキドキする道。 Boulders near the summit of Mt. Nekodake. The path is not for the faint of heart.
根子岳の頂上 Mt. Nekodake summit 2,207m
根子岳の頂上から牧場へ降りる道 Descent from Mt. Nekodake's summit back to the pasture trailhead
途中に牧場の上で展望台の東屋がある Gazebo at the viewpoint at the top of the pasture.
左は牧場、右は白樺の林 Pasture to the left, birch woods to the right.
下りてからのお勧めのソフトアイス; 菅清園 Best spot for post-climb soft-serve ice cream: Kanseien in Sugadaira's central village
今回の立ち寄り湯; 十福の湯 外の広い石風呂と周りの庭園（枝垂れ桜も山桜も満開だった!）で体の充電が出来た。 Our post-climb bath this time was Juppuku no Yu. With it's outdoor bath made of majestic rocks and glorious garden (the weeping cherry trees and wild cherry trees on the nearby hillside were in full bloom), we rejuvenated our sore bodies.
There aren't too many places where you can climb two mountains from one starting point, so being able to summit both Mt. Azumaya and Mt. Nekodake from the Sugadaira Pasture trailhead is pretty special. It takes a long time (I suggest planning on 7 hours to be safe) but you get twice the summitting satisfaction. We went Pasture - Mt. Azumaya - Mt. Nekodake - Pasture (i.e. reverse-clockwise). However, in the summer, the path from the bamboo grass flat up to Nekodake doesn't have any tree shade whereas the ascent to Azumaya would be through a pine forest (thus relatively cooler) so I suggest circling clockwise.
