The 13th Azumino Kamiakari Bamboo Lantern Festival Friday–Sunday, December 6–8, 2024 About 10,000 bamboo lanterns will be lit one by one, warming and brightening the cold winter nights The gentle glow of candles will warm your heart as well Lighting hours: 16:00–around 20:00 Venue: Hotaka Shrine Open lighting ceremony for everyone (Participants are asked to bring a lighter for lighting by 16:00.) *Lighters for lighting will be sold on site.* ● Kagura Hall Live Performance A lively live show will be held to energize the event ● Special Hotaka Ningyo Kamiakari Display A special stage unique to this year’s kamiakari will be exhibited in the Kita Shrine Garden ● Kamiakari Goshuin (Kamiakari commemorative seal) During the kamiakari event, from 16:00 to around 20:00, a special goshuin will be available only at this time. A customary offering of 500 yen is required. Concurrent Event / Azumino Terrace Dec 6–8 “Rice and Sake MARKET” 15:00–20:00 Food trucks and delicious-treat tents gather in one place! A warm rest tent with a stove will also be available.

【Star Photography Workshop Held on November 30】 We held a star photography workshop again this year to introduce the villagers to the beautiful night sky of Minamimaki Village, one of Japan’s three top stargazing spots.📋✏️ We photographed the stars at the Nobeyama Radio Observatory, a facility that is usually closed at night.📡📷 Thanks to photographer Teruyasu Kitayama’s instruction on shooting techniques and the generous loan of a high-performance camera from OM Digital Solutions Corporation, even an amateur like me could capture beautiful images.😚 The air has turned clear and it’s the perfect season for star photography, but Minamimaki Village’s cold is on another level.🥶 Please dress warmly when you come.🧣🧤

When it comes to pickles from Shinshu, nozawana is well known, but in southern Shinshu, gensuke kabuna pickles are cherished. Gensuke kabuna becomes sweeter and more flavorful after exposure to frost. As the cold grows harsher at this time of year, Toyooka Village has entered the ideal harvesting season for gensuke kabuna. Toyooka Tabi Jikan offers hands-on harvesting experiences for gensuke kabuna. We also provide pickling recipes. For details about the experience, please visit the Toyooka Tabi Jikan website. The program is scheduled to run from around November 25th to December 20th, ending once supplies run out.

Toyooka Tabi Jikan has installed a persimmon noren under its eaves! Please relax and enjoy it along with the foot bath♪

✨ The Northern Alps are dusted with snow 🏔 Today, November 25th, just after noon, Omachi City cleared to bright sunshine ☀️ and the snow-dusted Northern Alps appeared 🏔 I took photos from Omachi Park to the east of Omachi City and from the observation deck at the summit of Mt. Takagari ✨ Visitors from Japan and abroad were enjoying the view. For more details, we posted on the staff blog. Please see the official Omachi City Tourism Association website 😌

Notice of public toilet closures for winter To prevent freezing, some public toilets in Minamimaki Village will be closed from Monday, November 25, 2024 until mid-April 2025 (scheduled). We apologize for any inconvenience and appreciate your understanding. Please note that the public toilet in front of nobeyama station remains available 24 hours during winter. The restroom inside the Minamimaki Village Rural Culture and Information Exchange Center (Vegitable With) is also available during the center’s opening hours.

Notice of Stone-Roasted Sweet Potato Sales Saturday, November 23 and Sunday, November 24. On both days, stone-roasted sweet potatoes will be sold from around 11:00 AM! We will also offer roasted Anno sweet potatoes, known as the “king of sweet potatoes.” Please give them a try♪ Prices - Roasted sweet potato (Beniharuka, Beni Azuma): small 200 yen · large 300 yen - Roasted sweet potato (Anno sweet potato): small 300 yen · large 400 yen - Roasted baked potato: 200 yen *Get 50 yen off the total bill for every two items purchased.

Winter Opening Hours for the Nobeyama Tourist Information Center The opening hours of the Nobeyama Tourist Information Center in front of JR Nobeyama Station will be as follows during the winter period. We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause and ask for your understanding. Winter Schedule ・Period: November 25, 2024 (Monday)–mid-March 2025 ・Hours: 10:00–16:00 ・Closed: Mondays (if a public holiday, closed the following Tuesday), and during the New Year holidays (December 29–January 3) Contact for closed-day inquiries Minamimaki Village Promotion Corporation TEL: 0267-91-1771 (closed December 29–January 3)

At Shinshu Tateshina and Mishaka Pond. You can enjoy the picturesque scenery.

At Shinshu Togakushi, Kagami Pond. The reflection of the scenery on the water was beautiful.

[Event: Report on the November 9 (Sat) Salt Road Walk!] Here is a report on our autumn Salt Road Walk, where participants felt history underfoot. The walk began in the Sha district at Nishina Shinmeigu Shrine. The morning started shrouded in mist, but the sky cleared into perfect blue as the day progressed. Participants enjoyed walking while gazing up at the snow-capped Northern Alps. Thank you to everyone who joined us 😍 A brief introduction: we plan to hold this event again around the same time next year. If you’re interested, please check our association website in the fall. Omachi City Tourism Association

[🍁Autumn Foliage Updates Are Live🍂] Autumn colors are later than usual across Japan in 2024, and the foliage spots in Omachi are about ten days behind their typical peak. We are sharing these color updates on the official website “Shinano Omachi Navi.” Please use this information to help plan your visit.😊

Cycling Guide Tour — Fruit Sweets Plan Cycle out to an orchard and pick apples 🍎 Enjoy sweets made with the apples you picked! Right now in Toyooka Village, it's apple (Sun Fuji) harvest season 🍎 The pleasant riding weather continues! We look forward to your participation in the Fruit Sweets Plan! For tour details, please check the Toyooka Tabi Jikan website.

Around 6:00 a.m. on Saturday, November 9, 2024, at the summit of Mount Nagamine A sea of clouds and the Northern Alps rising to around 3,000 meters We enjoyed another clear view of the Northern Alps today In November the sunrise comes later, and from the summit you can also see the alpenglow of the Northern Alps as they turn red in the morning light Please take in the breathtaking, ever-changing views of the Northern Alps [Mount Nagamine Spectacular View Tour] The Mount Nagamine Spectacular View Tour, where you stay in Azumino and enjoy the summit vistas, runs through December 8, 2024! Stay in Azumino and join us! <Information about the Mount Nagamine Spectacular View Tour> This panoramic view of the Northern Alps from Mount Nagamine at 933 meters is a sight only early risers can see! Below you spreads the Azumidaira plain, and the 3,000-meter peaks of the Northern Alps towering before you create a view you can see nowhere else. You can also take in MtJonen, Azumino’s symbol, and, in the distance, the Hakuba Mountain Range. At the summit of Mount Nagamine, enjoy coffee time as you watch the spectacular morning view in the crisp early air. Each cup is carefully hand-dripped. Alongside the majestic scenery, the fresh morning air and a freshly brewed, delicious coffee will slowly awaken your body and satisfy your heart. Please enjoy this blissful moment. [Price] Per person / JPY 3,500 (same price for adults and children) * Tour reservations are limited to guests staying at designated accommodations. Please check the accommodation’s stay plans or inquire at check-in. * The tour requires advance reservation. Reservations can be made at the designated accommodation up to 8:00 p.m. the day before use. * Please pay the participation fee at the front desk by the day before use. [Price includes] Bus fare, coffee and snacks [Minimum number of participants] 2 people [Notes] * The tour will be canceled in case of rain or bad weather. (Decision will be made around 4:00 p.m. on the day before the tour) ・Because it is early morning, you may feel cold. Please bring something warm to wear as a layer. For details and a list of participating accommodations, please search for "Mount Nagamine Spectacular View Tour"

Larch leaves are at their peak golden color. In Minamimaki Village, larches and other trees are reaching their peak autumn color. The slopes along the Chikuma River (Hirose to Kaijiri) are especially beautiful, and you can enjoy the view from your car while driving along Route 141. The area around JR Saku-Hirose Station, known as a remote, secluded station, is also nicely turned golden. However, the peak of the fall color is surprisingly brief, and the leaves look likely to drop all at once soon.

[Announcement: Stone-Roasted Sweet Potatoes Now on Sale] Starting around 11:00 AM on Wednesday, November 4, Toyooka Tabi Jikan will begin selling stone-roasted sweet potatoes! We use sweet potatoes sourced from local farmers and prepare authentic stone-roasted sweet potatoes for you. Sales end once the day’s planned quantity is gone. Please give them a try! Stone-roasted sweet potatoes will mainly be sold on weekends going forward, but depending on supply they may also be available on weekdays. [Prices (all tax included)] - Medium roasted sweet potato 200 yen - Large roasted sweet potato 300 yen Add 50 yen for coffee - Two-Variety Tasting Set (with coffee) Medium + Medium 400 yen Medium + Large 500 yen Large + Large 600 yen - Roasted potato (one) 150 yen - Coffee 100 yen - Cappuccino 100 yen

Vegetable Harvest Experience As of October 31st, daikon radishes, red turnips, and chayote are available for harvest! At the Vegetable Harvest Experience, you can fill a bag with seasonal vegetables to your heart’s content! Reservations are prioritized, but same-day registration is possible. For more details about the experience, please visit the Toyooka Tabijikan website.

Saturday, November 23, 2024 — One-day-only tour “A Winter Tradition: Nozawana Pickling Experience — From Harvest to Brine” Meeting place: Public lodging facility Village Azumino Time: Gather at 1:00 PM, dismiss at 3:30 PM (planned) Fee: ¥5,000 per person (tax included) Fee includes: the Nozawana pickling experience; delivery fee for 5 kg of Nozawana per person; light refreshments and tea; insurance; and a complimentary day‑use bath on the day of the experience only Who can join: Open to everyone; reservations accepted from one person (children in elementary school or younger must be accompanied by a guardian) *Reservations will close once capacity is reached The complimentary day‑use bath is valid only on the day of the experience. Please speak to a staff member. For details, visit the Azumino City Tourism Association website under “Experience Tour Reservations”

The 13th Azumino Kamiakari Bamboo Lantern Festival 2024 — Held over 6 days Friday, November 29 to Sunday, December 1 Friday, December 6 to Sunday, December 8 Around 4:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. each day Hotaka Shrine (about a 5-minute walk from Hotaka Station on the JR Oito Line) Enjoy the gentle atmosphere of Hotaka Shrine, illuminated by about 10,000 bamboo lanterns Anyone may join the 4:00 p.m. lighting. Those who will light lanterns should bring a long-handled lighter Live performances take place at the Kagura Hall, and Azumino Terrace in the South Garden features food trucks and booths. In the North Garden, a special stage presents the traditional Hotaka dolls * Admission is free * Parking is limited; please use public transportation when possible

Nishiki no Yuchi Honya "Asama Hot Spring" has been boiling for 1300 years in the Castle Town of Matsumoto City. Hot spring resort is Thereare a local bookstore. Nishiki-no-yu is called "spring water that promotes beautiful skin" and can be expected to have an outstanding skin-beautifying effect. A multi-course meal made with plenty of seasonal ingredients from Shinshu. A pure Japanese-style Inside the museum with a view of the proud Garden and the Northern Alps. We hope that you will take a break from your daily life and slowly fill your heart with the time you spend at the "local bookstore". Number of rooms Japanese-style rooms: 25 Founded: 1905 Group Acceptance Other Free Wi-Fi Separate smoke (smoking area: indoor) Address 浅間Hot Spring 3-14-6 Car parking 25 Nearest bus stop Asama Hot Spring TEL　0263-46-2332 FAX 0263-46-4665 Cashless payment: Credit card payment (Visa, Master, JCB), smartphone payment (PayPay)

I cycled around the village and captured autumn scenery🚲 On sunny days, the rice ears glow golden before the harvest🌾 Across the Tenryu River rise the Central Alps. Peaks such as Mt. Utsugi and Minami-Komagatake all exceed 2,800 meters⛰️ And autumn fruit—apples🍎 Shinano Gold trees were heavy with fruit. At Toyooka Travel Time we offer rental bicycles and guided cycling tours. We can escort rental customers and show them scenic spots and easy-to-ride routes! For details, please see the Toyooka Travel Time website.

Vegetable Harvest Experience Guests enjoyed harvesting sweet potatoes, bell peppers, eggplants, and peanuts 😊 At the vegetable harvest experience, you can fill a bag with seasonal vegetables to your heart’s content! Reservations are recommended, but same-day registration is also available! As of October 14, sweet potatoes, burdock, radishes, and komatsuna are available for harvest. For details about the experience, please check the Toyooka Tabijikan website!

Cycling Guide Tour ✴︎Tour Details ◆Cycling to the farm ◆Shine Muscat grape harvesting experience ◆Autumn vegetable (sweet potato and peanut) harvesting experience ◆Buffet lunch at Vegful Kitchen Guided cycling and harvesting experience🍠 Everyone was surprised by the size of the Shine Muscat grapes and sweet potatoes. The sweet potato digging was especially fun, and participants eagerly dug in! After cycling, we enjoyed a buffet lunch at Vegful Kitchen inside Roadside Station Minami-Shinshu Toyooka Marche🥗🍽️ Since it coincided with the one-year anniversary fair, guests enjoyed special autumn dishes like matsutake rice balls and mushroom tempura! Thank you for joining us 😊

Torch Festival The "Torch Festival" is Dedication to Misya Shrine, the guardian shrine of Asama Hot Spring. Misya Shrine has two shrines, Okumiya (Autumn Shrine) and Asama Shrine (Spring Shrine) in Asama Hot Spring, a few kilometers away in the mountains of Mt. Sansai, and has been revered as the god of hunting and agriculture as the Shintai Shrine, with the same three gods as Suwa Grand Shrine: Takeminakata Mikoto, Yasaka Sword Selling Life, and Kotoshironushi no Mikoto. In order to protect the safety of the lives of the inhabitants and the bountiful harvest of the five grains, the god descends from Okunomiya to Asama Shrine at the end of every year Village and at the end of the autumn harvest, he is placed by the flame of torches Dedication by people, and returns to the Okusha Shrine in the mountains with smoke wafting all over the sky. About 50 torches are dedication. It is a bundle of "mugiwara", and some of them are large, more than 3 meters long and more than 2 meters in diameter. In the Hot spring resort that line the eaves, several young people Parade shout with blazing torches, and when the majestic flame Drum rings out in flames and smoke, the excitement Gari of the hot spring town of Asama Hot Spring reaches its climax. At the end, the celebration of the Festival is a heroic one worthy of the name of Fire Festival. Accommodation guests can also participate in the walk-in, so please feel free to contact us. (Asama Hot Spring Tourism Association: 0263-46-1800) 2024 Annual Grand Festival of Misya Shrine Spring Shrine (Asama Hot Spring Torch Festival) Held in : Saturday, October 12, 2024 Festival Torch Festival Sunday, October 13, 2024 Festival * Torch Festival departs at 7 p.m. on the 12th The torches start in front of the Minato no Yuzen and slowly parade through the Hot spring resort of Asama. At the end, a lit torch is thrown at the Misya Shrine and Dedication is made.

Autumn feeds the horses and the sky runs high ☀️🐴 This morning the Nobeyama Highlands felt exactly like that 📡

On October 1, 2024, the cosmos at the National Alps Azumino Park Horikiné-Hotaka Area are at their best. A field of 180,000 cosmos plants featuring 12 varieties. You can enjoy the colorful blooms of cosmos through mid-October.

Hidden inn of the four seasons Fujinoyu Free private bath and in-room meals. A Adult Hot Spring inn to know gastronomy and taste. A small hot spring inn with a total of 8 rooms tucked away in the historic Asama Hot Spring. It is a inn related to the Matsumoto Castle Lord, and there is a calm Japanese space and an old-fashioned Japan inn here, where the hem received from the prince, the armor and old swords of the Edo period, and the antiquities that hide the history are exhibited. In the special room Minamoto there is a semi-open-air bath with a flowing spring, and you can relax and enjoy the Hot Spring to your heart's content. Meals in the morning and evening are served in your room. There is also a free tatami mat private bath with a Minamoto spring flowing from the source. I want to taste the historic hot springs to my heart's content. In addition, guests will be greeted by items that convey the history that lives in this area, such as items from the collection of Matsumoto Castle, which is a symbol of Matsumoto, and works of art that have been collected for generations. Number of guest rooms: Japanese-style rooms: 8 Group acceptance None Founded: Meiji 20 (1887) Other Free Wi-Fi Separate smoke (smoking area: outdoor) ID / Transportation system Address: Asama Hot Spring 3-13-5 Phone 0263-46-1516 Fax 0263-46-1518 Car parking 8 Nearest bus stop Asama Hot Spring Cashless payment credit card (Master, VISA, JCB) Smartphone payment (PayPay, LINE Pay)

On the Toyooka Village cycling guided tour, guests can bring the fruit they harvest to the café and have it turned into desserts to enjoy! Right now, it’s shine muscat grapes. After that come apples, sweet persimmons, and Ichida persimmons. More seasonal fruits will follow! For details on the guided tours, please see the Toyooka Travel Time website. We also accept inquiries by phone! Toyooka Village Tourism Association (Toyooka Travel Time): 0265-49-3395

HOSTEL&SPA FAN! MATSUMOTO A slightly retro and Squid Minamoto spring flowing inn A completely new hostel with an original arrangement of Matsumoto's unique "Japan tradition". Become a fan of Matsumoto! Let's enjoy Matsumoto more (FUN)! There are encounters in travel. People who have visited Matsumoto for the first time, and people who have visited many times. This hostel is a place to share how to enjoy Matsumoto that each of you has experienced. Natural Asama Hot Spring. Asama Hot Spring opened about 1300 years ago. It has long been popular as an inner courtyard in the Castle Town of Matsumoto. Feel like a prince, take your time, and soak in. Number of guest rooms: 10 Japanese-style rooms Available for groups (up to 40 people) Other Free Wi-Fi Separate smoke (smoking area: outdoor) Restaurant on the first floor of the facilities 　　 Address 浅間Hot Spring 3-14-19 Car parking lot available (bus / Large Vehicles available) Nearest bus stop Yuzaka TEL 0263-46-0366 FAX 0263-46-0368 Cashless payment available Credit card (Visa, Master, JCB), smartphone payment (PayPay)

Limited to October and November “A Taste of Autumn in Azumino! Harvest Seasonal Apples, Enjoy an Exciting Bike Ride, and Try Making Apple Pie in the Orchard” [AM 3-hour Course] When the bright red apples hang heavy on the trees, spend a special time in the vast apple orchards A limited-time tour lets you savor apples at their peak♪ We look forward to your participation♪ For details and reservations, visit the Azumino City Tourism Association website