2026 Ice and Snow Lantern Festival February 15, Okuwa village Okuwa Village Sports Park

2026 Ice and Snow Lantern Festival February 14, 2026 Nagisomachi Tsumago inn Tsumago-juku

2026 Ice and Snow Lantern Festival February 11 — Nezame-no-Toko, Agematsu Town

2026 Ice and Snow Lantern Festival February 7, 2026 Nakatsugawa City, Magome inn (Magome-juku) Within the Magome post town, around Fujimura Memorial Hall

2026 Ice and Snow Lantern Festival February 6–7, 2026 Kiso town Fukushima inn, from Kisofukushima Station to the former Nakasendo area

2026 Ice and Snow Lantern Festival February 3, Shiojiri City, Narai inn (Narai-juku) Entire Narai-juku

2026 Ice and Snow Lantern Festival February 1, 2026 — Niekawa-juku, Shiojiri City (within the Niekawa post town)

2026 Kiso Road Ice and Snow Lantern Festival January 24, 2026 Kiso town Hiyoshi Miyanokoshi Around Miyanokoshi-shuku Honjin

2026 Ice and Snow Lantern Festival This enchanting event fills winter nights along Kiso Road with the warm glow of ice candles and bamboo lanterns handcrafted by local residents. Held at post towns and other venues across the Kiso area, it usually runs from late January through mid-February each year. A photo contest will also be held. We look forward to many entries! For details, please see the Kiso Tourism Federation website.

This is the autumn foliage of Kaida Highlands in Kiso town. On clear days you can see MtOntake beautifully, and lively Kiso Horses as well!

This is the autumn foliage around Lake Ontake in Otaki village. Looking out over the scene, the landscape is entirely awash in autumn colors and truly beautiful!

This is the autumn foliage at Nezame-no-toko in Agematsu Town. The vibrant colors add to the usual beauty of Nezame, creating an even more stunning scene!

The road in Hiyoshi, Kisomachi, Kiso Koma Highland… The crimson autumn leaves and the carpet of fallen leaves are truly beautiful! Photo taken on: November 14, 2025

This is Iwaide Kannon in Okuwa village. The autumn leaves surrounding Iwaide Kannon have turned bright red and look very beautiful!

The parking area around Kijishi no Sato Yamaichi in Azuma, Nagiso town is ablaze with stunning crimson autumn leaves! Photo taken on November 14, 2025.

Kiso is now at peak autumn color, and the scenery is truly beautiful. The mountains and roadside trees have turned vivid reds and yellows, creating landscapes that look like paintings. Be sure to experience this seasonal natural beauty while it lasts.

MAUKA LANI GOAT FARM Outdoor live event announcement 🐐🎵 Saturday, October 4, 2025 An outdoor live event will take place at Mauka Lani Goat Farm (a goat ranch) in the Hirose area!! You can enjoy a special free concert featuring HIDEKATSU CHIWATA, who wrote and composed the theme song “Butter-Fly” for the popular anime Digimon Adventure, and singer-songwriter Dai Okajima! Mauka Lani Goat Farm is a goat ranch inspired by Hawaii. Goats roam freely across the spacious pasture. The shop sells unique goat cheeses, original shop goods, and Hawaiian drinks! Relax and enjoy a leisurely time in the pleasant autumn weather ✨ A shuttle bus will run from JR Nagiso Station and Tsumago inn (Tsumago-juku) 🚌 (one-way 1,000 yen) Please use it if you don’t have a car or are a student. To make a reservation, contact Nagiso Town Tourism Association at 0264-57-2727. For more details, please check the website.

Tsumago inn (Tsumago-juku) Vehicles are prohibited from passing through from 10:00 to 16:00 🚗⚠ Recently, the number of cars entering the post town during the restricted hours has been increasing. This restriction is in place to protect pedestrians and the historic streetscape, so we ask for your understanding and cooperation. Please park in the No.2 parking lot or the central parking lot along National Route 256. The parking fee is 500 yen per day.

Extra Edition: N takamatsu, Kiso District, Nagano Prefecture – “Nezame no Toko” On this day, foodie Kawanishi presents an extra edition‼️ I finally visited Nezame no Toko in Agematsu, Kiso District, a place I’d long wanted to see. Nezame no Toko is counted among Japan’s five great scenic gorges and is designated as a National Scenic Spot!!! Before the Meiji era there were no dams, and the rapids of the Kiso River carved this granite. After dams were built, water diversion lowered the Kiso River’s surface, making the rock formations appear even more massive. It seems the site was designated a National Scenic Spot in 1923 and managed as a prefectural park, and in 2020 it was elevated to part of the Central Alps Quasi-National Park!!! You can enjoy cherry blossoms in spring and autumn leaves in fall—the scenery changes with the seasons. The river’s blue color shows how clear the Kiso River is. Also, surprisingly, there’s an Urashima Taro legend in landlocked Nagano Prefecture!? I’ve been curious about that for a long time. It’s a truly lovely scenic spot and a good workout too! I think you should avoid going right after rain or wearing clothing that hinders movement. I recommend sneakers and clothes you can move easily in!!! Swimming is prohibited, so please be careful. Second-grade elementary school children can make it to Urashima-dō. Why not visit Nezame no Toko with your children to enjoy the beautiful views!? On the way back, I stopped at Michi-no-Eki Hiyoshi Kisokoma Kogen and bought the station’s limited “morokoshi soft-serve” made with milk from Kaida Kogen! A faint, toasty corn aroma spreads through it—this was the most delicious soft-serve I’ve ever tasted!!! Please enjoy it if you can! From time to time, foodie Kawanishi plans to bring you extra editions like this. ◎ Nezame no Toko 📍 Agematsu, Kiso District, Nagano Prefecture ◎ Free parking: Available (check the website below) ◎ Website: https://kiso-hinoki.jp/colibri-wp/tourist/nezamenotoko/...

The Sacred Tree Festival: Once every 20 years, the sacred tree destined for dedication at Ise Jingu is felled in the Omomasahajime Ceremony, followed by the celebratory Sacred Tree Festival. This grand festival, held once every 20 years, will take place in June 2025. The Omomasahajime Ceremony on June 3 is part of Ise Jingu’s rituals and is not open to the public, but the Sacred Tree Festival from June 4 to 6 is open to everyone. You can also enjoy dedication rituals and traditional performing arts. You may join the rare and important tree-transport procession, the Okihiki, which carries the sacred tree to Ise Jingu. Registration closes once capacity is reached. For inquiries, contact Agematsu Tourism Association at 0264-52-1133 or check the website. Exclusive original goods available for a limited time are on sale now. See the Kiso Tourism Federation website “Kiso Valley Trip” for purchase details. Due to this event, Akasawa Natural Recreation Forest will be closed all day on June 3 and closed the morning of June 4. Please note that entry to the park will be prohibited. The sacred tree will also stop in Nagiso Town and other locations on June 6. If you live nearby, please come see it. For full details, check the official Kiso Dedication Association website.

Access You can reach Nagiso town mainly by JR train, local bus, or taxi. Here is information about timetables and how to ride the buses 🚌✨ You can also check the access page on the official website! Search for "Nagiso Town Tourism Association" or "Burari Nagiso" 🔍 ▶︎ Bus ・Services are infrequent, so please check the times in advance ⚠️ ・How to ride is shown from image 7 onwards ・Bus tickets are sold at the Tsumago tourist information center (for Tsumago–Magome or within the town only) ・You can pay the driver in cash when getting off (2000-yen, 5000-yen and 10,000-yen bills are not accepted) ・To avoid congestion when getting off, please buy tickets in advance whenever possible 🎫 ▶︎ Taxi Nagiso Sightseeing Taxi 🚕 Office: Tsumago First Parking Lot Hours: 7:00–19:00 (may change in winter) ※ Taxis are usually stationed at Nagiso Station ※ Outside business hours, please reserve in advance ※ During busy times it may be hard to arrange a taxi immediately, so allow plenty of time to travel here ▶︎ JR Nagiso Station — Ticket Office 🎫 Hours: 7:50–16:05 Closed: 11:10–11:30, 12:35–13:15 ※ IC cards are not supported ※ Outside business hours, board without a ticket and pay at your destination station (please take a numbered boarding ticket when boarding) ※ Credit cards are not accepted 💳❌ ※ There is only one ticket window, so it becomes very crowded in the evening. We recommend buying tickets during the quieter morning hours or in advance at another station ※ Nakatsugawa Station accepts credit card payments ※ IC cards can be used between Nakatsugawa Station and Nagoya Station ▶︎ JR Nagiso Station — Tourist Information Hours: 8:00–17:00 Closed: 11:10–11:30, 12:35–13:15 If you need help, please feel free to drop by ✨

📍Tenpaku Park (Tenpaku Kōen) Mitsuba azalea and Oshima cherry: Peak viewing Flowering peach: Buds to 50% open 📍Tsumago inn (Tsumago-juku) Cherry blossoms: Beginning to fall The weather has been fine since this morning☀️ The evening regional buses are very crowded with guests who went hiking. Buses and trains (JR Nagiso Station) do not accept IC cards or credit cards. Please purchase tickets in advance or try to travel outside peak times to help avoid congestion.

Request to refrain from entering Tadatate Falls Due to heavy snowfall, there is currently more than 50 cm of snow near Tadatate Falls. The road to Tsubukuri Parking Lot is slippery from snow and ice, and there is a risk of rockfalls and becoming lost at the falls, so please refrain from entering the mountain. *The photo shows past conditions.*

Kiso Town's Winter Tradition "Shirakawa Icicle Group" in Mitake, Kiso Town A huge group of ice pillars with a height of 50 meters formed by the freezing of the subterranean water of Mt. Ontake. Kiso's winter scenic spot. Nature, so the way it grows changes depending on the temperature of the year. Light up started on January 7 this year as well. Fun the ice curtains created by Nature. * There are some dangerous places due to snow and ice, so please be careful when coming. For the latest Scenes of the icicles, please check the Home page of the Kiso Ontake Tourism Bureau. We are also Broadcasting the latest status on Instagram→@kisoreporter Even at GoNAGANO, you can enter with "8 Icefalls and Icicle Spots in Nagano Prefecture Let's go see the art of Nature created by the severe cold"! → "8 Icefalls and Icicles in Nagano Prefecture Spot Let's go see the art of Nature created by the severe cold" Date & Time: Monday, January 7, 2024 ~ mid-February 17:30~21:30 Location: Kiso Town Mitake-Ibara area (near Kosaka Hot Spring Keyaki-no-yu) Inquiries: Kiso Ontake Tourism Bureau TEL: 0264-25-6000 Also Publication on the Kiso Tourism Federation Home Page "Kiso Valley Torippu"!

📍Tsumago inn (Tsumago-juku) For travel memories and gifts for someone special. Buy local products or artisans’ creations as proof that you visited on your own two feet. Every time you see them, the memories come flooding back—that’s the magic of souvenirs. These days people talk more about experiences than things, but cherish the spark in your heart…💗💭

Hyosetsu no Akari Festival 2025 On Saturday, February 15, 2025, the Hyosetsu no Akari Festival (Ice and Snow Lantern Festival) returns to Tsumago inn (Tsumago-juku)! About 600 ice candles will be lit, creating a magical scene unlike the daytime view. This year, in addition to shops open for evening business, the tourist information center will offer free pork miso soup and hot lemonade, and food stalls in front of the Fureai Hall will sell items such as fried chicken and pizza. Visitors can also enjoy colorful ice art by the Tsumago Women’s Association and an ice exhibit by local Sonan High School students. On that day, Nagiso Sightseeing Taxi will operate until 8:00 p.m. Enjoy this once-a-year lantern festival! Photographers are encouraged to enter the Kiso Tourism Federation photo contest📸✨ Date: Saturday, February 15, 2025 Time: Lighting at 5:30 p.m. Location: Tsumago inn (Tsumago-juku), Nagiso town (399-5302 Azuma, Tsumago-juku, Kiso District, Nagano Prefecture)

📍Tsumago inn (Tsumago-juku) People made small New Year decorations called mayudama and mochibana! They decorated the vinka tree with mayudama and kumquat, and attached mochibana to bamboo. A large decoration was also placed in front of the Tsumago Tourist Information Center ♩ The decorations will remain until Setsubun on February 2. Enjoy the seasonal scenery unique to Tsumago inn ✨

📍Nakasendo This is the state of the Nakasendo (Magome Pass to Tsumago) on January 8, 2025 ❄ 1–3: Magome Pass 4: Isseki Tochi Teahouse 5: Pass Entrance 6–10: Male Falls and Female Falls 11: In front of Kooshinduka There is snow cover ❄ If you plan to walk the Nakasendo, please come prepared with full winter gear such as snow boots, gloves, a knit hat, and spare socks. In particular, take care on the pass and around Male Falls and Female Falls, where snow and ice are likely ⚠

📍Momosuke Bridge and the shopping street in front of the station Momosuke Bridge serves as a symbolic bridge of Nagiso, regularly used by local students from Sonan High School and neighborhood residents ✨ The snow-covered Momosuke Bridge looks powerful and striking. After continuous snowfall since last night, the whole town has turned into a silver world! You can enjoy the winter scenery ❄

Happy New Year! This year, too, we will share and publish tourism information about Nagiso town, so we appreciate your continued support ✨ Today, New Year smoke signals were raised across many parts of Kiso. A smoke signal, or noroshi, is smoke produced by burning firewood or gunpowder and raised high; long ago it served as a signal or landmark during wartime or emergencies. In other words, noroshi was a means of communication. The New Year noroshi event held every January 4 in Kiso began in 2007 at the call of the nonprofit organization Tsumago Ai Suru Kai to strengthen solidarity across the Kiso Valley and energize the region. The photos show the scene at the site of Tsumago Castle in Nagiso town, where leaves of Kiso’s five treasured trees—hinoki cypress and koyamaki—are burned to create the smoke 🌲 This year, too, the noroshi rose vigorously under clear skies. May 2025 be a year filled with smiles and many blessings... 🐍✨