At the top of Mt. Yakedake
夏の長野の楽しみ方のお勧めを書く様に長野県観光課に頼まれました。台風の損害でJR中央線は名古屋と松本の間で1ヵ所切れている為に、観光客の皆さんは信州から離れるかとの心配があるそうです。東京や日本海方面からの電車は普通に走っているし、道路は全部は大丈夫なので、この夏こそは是非に信州へ遊びにおいで！その際、私からのお勧めの楽しみ方Top 10をお伝えします:
１．登山
信州は「日本の屋根」と呼ばれていて、その雄大な山々を登れば、その大自然の良さが分かります。
最近に私が登っているのは浅間山と上高地からの焼岳。両方は5～6時間ぐらいで日帰りで登れます。
その際、山は甘く考えると危険です。しっかりした装備をお願いします。
２．ロープウェイで高山の聖地へ
信州の山のもうちょっと楽な楽しみ方はケーブルカーやリフトに乗って、２０００ｍの世界へ登ること。特にお勧めなのは：
＊駒ヶ根ロープウェイで千畳敷カール
＊八方尾根のリフトで八方池
＊黒部ダムアルペンルート
３．川遊び
日本の夏は暑い！雪解けの川水で遊べばいっきにクール！川は危険と言うイメージがあるが長野で川遊びが出来るところはあります。例えば、
＊駒ヶ根の「水と緑アウトドア体験広場」
＊戸隠キャンプ場 （さかさ川）
４．キャンプ
旅館の経営者として信州にお越しになる皆様に宿に泊まって頂きたいところですが、信州のキャンプ場があまりにも魅力的で、紹介してしまいます。特に気に入りなのは:
＊戸隠山の麓、奥社と森林公園の側にある戸隠キャンプ場
＊野尻湖のそばの湖楽園
５．高原ドライブ
車があれば、信州の気持ち良い山道が待っています。ビーナスラインや志賀高原・白根山・浅間山の火山ルートと言う有名なコースもあるが、楽しい裏の道も沢山あります。麻績ICからの道祖神コースはその一つ。
６．温泉巡り
信州は日帰り温泉の数として日本一です。野天風呂や山奥の秘湯、ミルキー色の硫黄泉や真赤の鉄の湯など、エキゾチックな温泉が沢山あります。その中で私の一番好きなのは切明温泉。川の中から自然に湧いてきている。川石を動かせながら自分の御風呂を掘る！
７．果実や高原野菜
信州の夏は杏から始め、プラムや桃、ブルーベリー、そして後半は葡萄と夏りんご。そして、川上村や菅平などでレタスと夏の野菜が盛んでいます。しゃきしゃきな新鮮な野菜とジューシーな果実を是非！
８．花火
諏訪湖の8月15日の花火大会は日本の中でも有名な方ですが、それぞれの地域は花火のイベントを行っています。この戸倉上山田温泉では8月7日に千曲川花火大会があるので、お勧めです。
９．祭り！
戸倉上山田温泉の夏祭りは当然、一番です（すみません、バイアスがあるかもしれません）が、善光寺の盆踊り上田市海野町の七夕など、数えれないぐらいな祭りがあります。
１０．温泉街で浴衣と下駄でぶらぶら
これは実は一番のお勧めです。渋温泉や別所温泉など、浴衣と下駄に会う温泉街が沢山あります。この戸倉上山田温泉では射的屋さんは3軒もありますので、夕食後は温泉街をプッチ散策して、楽しい思い出を作りましょう。
As summer vacation starts, Nagano Prefecture is gearing up for its biggest tourist season. However, a recent typhoon wiped out one of the bridges on the JR Chuo Line from Nagoya. Worried about a possible drop in the number of visitors, Nagano's Tourism Dept. contacted me to reassure everyone that train access from Tokyo and the Sea of Japan sides as well as all road access is perfectly normal. In addition, here are my suggestions for the best ways to enjoy Nagano's summer:
1. Mountain Climbing
Nagano is known as "The Roof of Japan" with all of its majestic mountains. And climbing them is the best way to appreciate their massive scale. Just be sure to treat the mountains with respect, and prepare accordingly for changes in weather, etc. Too of the mountains I recently climbed are
*Mt. Yakedake from Kamikochi
*Mt. Asama from Tengu Onsen / Asama Sansou.
2. Ride a Ropeway to Alpine Heaven
An easier way to experience Nagano's 2000-meter plus high alpine world is to ride one of the many ropeways, ski lifts, or other forms of transport operating in the summer. A few suggestions:
*Komadake Ropeway from Komagane to the Senjoki Cirque
*Happoone ski lift to Happo Pond
*Kurobe Dam Alpine Route
3. Play in a River
Japan's summer is hot! One great way to cool off is to jump in a river fed by refreshingly cold snow melt. Most rivers are thought of as being too dangerous to play in, but here in Nagano there are lots of options. A couple examples are:
*"Mizu to Midori Outdoor Experience Pavilion" in Komagane
*Togakushi Campground (Sakasa River)
4. Camping
Being an innkeeper, I should try to promote staying at ryokans. However, I personally love camping and Nagano has too many great camping spots to ignore. Here a some our family likes the most:
*Korakuen Campground on the shores of Lake Nojiri
*Togakushi Campground at the base of Mt. Togakushi and within a short walk to the famed cedar trees lining the path to Togakushi's Inner Shrine.
5. Scenic Drives
If you have a car, Nagano has some famous scenic drives such as Utsukushi-ga-hara's Venus Line and the Vocano Route between Mt. Asama and Shiga Kogen / Mt. Shirane. There are also an innumerable amount of windy countryside roads to be enjoyed. One is the road from Omi IC on the Nagano Expwy to see the Dosojin roadside gods.
6. Onsen Hopping
Nagano has the most day-use onsens of any prefecture in Japan. From onsens featuring expansive views to ones hidden away in a remote mountain location, and from onsen waters that are a sulphery milky white to some that are a deep shade of orange-red from the iron content, Nagano has the most amazing variety of onsens. My personal favorite is:
*Kiriake Onsen in the Akiyama district behind Shiga Kogen in northeastern Nagano. The mineral water bubbles up naturally in a river bed where you move rocks around to make your own bath.
7. Fresh Juicy Fruits and Crispy Vegetables
Summer in Nagano starts with the apricot season then transitions to plums, peaches and blueberries before shifting to grapes and summer apples. Kawakami Village and the Sugadaira plateau help make Nagano Japan's largest source of summer lettuce. You'll never find fresher, crispier summer vegetables or juicier fruit anywhere!
8. Firework Displays
Suwa Lake's massive annual fireworks display takes place every year on August 15th. It headlines a series of pyrotechnic demonstrations held all summer long throughout the prefecture. Here in onsen town Togura-Kamiyamada where I live, ours is held on August 7th above the Chikuma River.
9. Festivals!
Togura Kamiyamada Onsen's Summer Festival is, of course, the best in the world (Sorry -- I'm a bit biased), but every community in the prefecture celebrates one (or more!) festival throughout the summer. Just a couple examples are the Bon-Odori dance at Zenkoji (August 13-15th) and the Tanabata Festival at Ueda City's Unnomachi district around August 7th.
10. Going for a stroll wearing a Yukata robe
This is actually my top recommendation on how to enjoy Nagano's summer. Shibu Onsen, Bessho Onsen and other hot spring resort towns are perfect for taking a walk while wearing a yukata robe. Most ryokans provide wooden geta to wear on your feat making the iconic clip-clop sound (in Japanese, "kara-koro"). Here in Togura-Kamiyamada Onsen, there is a foot bath and even "shateki" cork gun target shooting parlors to enjoy as you explore the town in your yukata and geta.
Come and enjoy Nagano Prefecture this summer!
焼岳登山Climbing Mt. Yakedake
駒ヶ岳ロープウェイKomagatake Ropeway
八方池Happo Pond
切明温泉Kiriake Onsen
Zenkoji Temple in Nagano City features a wooden pillar called an "Eko-Bashira" standing in front of the Main Hall. The 4-sided pillar has writing on each side. A closer inspection will show that the top 5 characters are actually sanskrit.
