Every year from mid- to late September, 50,000 red spider lilies brightly color the temple grounds and plum orchards, making it a spectacular spot symbolizing the arrival of autumn. The best time to see them is generally short, lasting about a week. The bell towers and guardian deity statues scattered around make for a beautiful landscape that is popular with photographers. This is a perfect place for those who want to enjoy a relaxing autumn day while gazing at the sea of fiery red spider lilies.
The people in the Bena area, located to the east of Matsukawa Town, are working to develop the area so that people can enjoy the rich natural environment and beautiful scenery overlooking the Central Japan Alps, with the motto of Turning the Entire Village into a Park. Recognized as Shinshu Hometown View Hill, the area is dotted with scenic spots on high ground and walking paths where you can encounter rare plants and flowers. Recommended for those who want to be immersed in the nostalgic scenery of satoyama (the area where the villages meet the mountains).
Enjoy the unique experience of savoring seven authentic French dishes while the sunlight gently filters through the trees. Surrounded by fruit tree branches and overlooking the Southern and Central Japan Alps, the experience begins with a guided walk through the farm and a toast with locally produced cider. All ingredients are locally sourced. Reservations are required. We are open only from April to November. You could enjoy your lunch from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. and your dinner starts 30 minutes before sunset. Please make a reservation at least 10 days in advance.
Mount Omuro, with its distinctive silhouette resembling an inverted bowl, can be reached by a lift that offers a refreshing aerial stroll to the summit. Visitors can enjoy a spectacular view of Mount Fuji, the Izu Seven Islands, and the Sagami Bay while walking around the approximately 1km crater rim. On clear days, the spot for taking photos with Mount Fuji in the background is especially popular! Inside the crater, there is the Omuroyama Sengen Shrine, dedicated to the gods of safe childbirth and matchmaking, as well as facilities for archery. Every year on the second Sunday of February, the traditional “Yamayaki” event is held, where the entire mountain is set ablaze, attracting many tourists.
“Obuchi Sasaba” is a tea plantation located at the southern foot of Mount Fuji in the Obuchi district of Fuji City, Shizuoka Prefecture. This place is secluded, surrounded by forests and free from nearby houses, utility poles, and other man-made structures. It maintains its traditional landscape, and photographs of the scenery are used in various places such as the Shizuoka Prefectural Governor’s Office, Fuji Shizuoka Airport, and JR Central’s promotions for Shizuoka Prefecture, making it a scenic spot that represents the iconic Mount Fuji and tea fields of Japan. As depicted in one of the Thirty-six Views of Mount Fuji by the famous ukiyo-e artist Katsushika Hokusai, titled “Suruga Katakura Tea Gardens and Fuji,” the southern foot of Mount Fuji has been a region famous for tea cultivation since the Edo period. Although Hokusai did not reach Sasaba, the scenery here remains virtually unchanged from that time.
Kurogi Grand Wisteria, with an age exceeding 600 years, is designated as a natural monument of Japan. Located at the Susanoo Shrine, the wisteria features an extensive trellis that spreads over approximately 3,000 square meters. Each year around mid-April, it blooms, displaying hanging clusters of purple flowers that exceed one meter in length.
Starting with the skunk cabbage colony by Lake Abashiri from the end of April to May, the Shibazakura Park in Higashi Mokoto blooms from May to June. The sunflower and cosmos fields by Oshoku Lakeside Park are at their best from August to September. In addition, you can enjoy flowers of all seasons at places like the Hana-Tento on Mt. Tento, the Phlox Park, and the Koshimizu Wild Flower Park! The hidden gem, the coral grass colony in Ubaranai, turns completely red at the end of September!
Abashiri Quasi-National Park, adjacent to the World Heritage site of Shiretoko and Akan-Mashu National Park, is a unique area in Hokkaido where nature and living zones coexist. It encompasses five brackish lakes of various sizes, including Lake Abashiri, a bird sanctuary home to species like the White-tailed Eagle and Steller’s Sea Eagle, and Lake Tofutsu, a registered Ramsar site. The beauty of the pastoral landscapes in spring and summer, coupled with the autumn foliage and winter drift ice, make this a truly remarkable area in Hokkaido. The route offering panoramic views of the vast pastoral landscape of Abashiri and the Okhotsk Sea, with the Shiretoko Range in the distance, is known as the “Kando-no-Michi” and there are parking areas at the viewpoints.
This tea farm is located in the Orokubo district, which is 600 meters above sea level and is one of the highest areas in the town of Kawanehon, and is the highest certified producer of the Chagusaba farming method, a World Agricultural Heritage Site. The tea fields on the steep slopes are truly tea gardens in the sky, with views of the magnificent nature. On the open-air terrace overlooking the tea fields and surrounded by the sky and the mountains, you can relax and enjoy the delicious Kawane tea while listening to the sounds of nature.
Okuoikojo Station is located on a peninsula-like area on the left bank of Lake Sekke, formed by the construction of the Nagashima Dam. The two sides of the peninsula are separated by the Rainbow Bridge, which was built on the Igawa line, giving the station a mystical appearance as if it were floating on the lake.
