[🧸For Sakuho town residents only🧸] Montbell annual membership fee Normally 1,500 yen, but the Sakuho Town Friend Card lets town residents join for 1,000 yen✨ As a member, you will receive benefits such as ・Earning points on purchases ・Receiving the member magazine OUTWARD ・Discounts at partner facilities ・Event information and more. This is recommended not only for outdoor enthusiasts but also for those who want to get started🌿 🔽Join or Inquire🔽 Visit Montbell Sakuho Store inside Roadside Station Yachiho Kogen

Today's Observatory This morning's lowest temperature in Nobeyama was -15.5°C, the second coldest in the country. The sky is clear, and Yatsugatake is showing its full blue. Last year, the NAOJ Nobeyama Observatory was bustling with pilgrimages, but it has now returned to quiet. I remember with fondness the time a year ago when we nervously debated various measures, wondering, “Will people really come in droves?” If you couldn't take a leisurely tour of the observatory back then, now is a good time to visit—it's still a bit chilly, though.

[Komaide Pond Campground Reservations Open] Komaide Pond Campground sits in a stunning stand of white birch often called the most beautiful in Japan, offering a superb location for camping 🏕️ Reservations for the 2026 season are now open! Season opens: Friday, April 24 Bookings open: Tuesday, March 10 at 10:00 AM To reserve, search for "komaide pond campground" on the NAP site for campground reservations. Komaide Pond Campground official site https://yachiho-kogen.com/camp/...

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

A fire lookout tower and MtJonen together!! Nagano Prefecture apparently has a lot of fire lookout towers…

Jikkasegi Irrigation Canal flowing beside the Northern Alps An irrigation waterway built in the Edo Period Now it serves as a resting spot for ducks

February 17th Yesterday Azumino was mostly cloudy, but today it’s clear Mt. Jonen appears in a dignified, striking view

February 15th I went to see the fukujusō on Mt. Kojo because fukujusō started blooming in my garden They grow in a cluster at the corner of the clearing just before the summit of Mt. Kojo Maybe it was still early, so only a few were blooming… Their color makes you feel the arrival of spring

Takase River flows from Omachi into Azumino It then meets two rivers and becomes the Saikawa Upstream lie MtShirouma and the ridgeline of the Northern Alps Sunlight pours down as if spring has arrived

February 15th A clear, bright sky over Azumino The view of the Northern Alps is stunning!! Temperatures are climbing today, making it perfect weather for sightseeing

【Clear skies today ☀️ The Northern Alps look beautiful 🏔】 On February 14th, Valentine’s Day, Omachi City enjoyed clear weather, and the snow-capped Northern Alps stood out against the blue sky ✨ I took photos from Omachi Park through Mikkamachi, across Renge Ohashi Bridge, and behind Omachi City Culture Hall 📱 The temperature rose into the teens Celsius, making the day feel like the first hint of spring 🌱

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

Azumino’s breathtaking viewpoint – Mount Nagamine summit From here you can enjoy views of the Northern Alps♪ I gazed out over Azumino, dyed entirely in white!!

February 8th Snowy landscape at Daio Wasabi Farm Japan’s largest wasabi field is also wrapped in snow Perhaps because the snow absorbs sound, a quiet world spreads out

February 8th Snowy Scenery in Azumino The snow that fell steadily since last night has turned Azumino into a sea of white.

February 8th Hotaka Station on the JR Oito Line, the gateway to Azumino sightseeing It snowed last night, and Azumino is blanketed in white Visitors should take care with their footing!!

【✨Spectacular View from Omachi Park 🏔️】 On February 4, the first day of spring in the traditional calendar, the Northern Alps were visible beautifully from many spots across the city area 🏔️ So we headed to Omachi Park, a small hilltop park on the city’s east side. Omachi Park is an easy-to-reach scenic spot by car ✨ With no obstructions, you can take in a sweeping view of the town and the snow-capped Northern Alps 😊 If you happen to be nearby, this is a view you should enjoy ✨ ⭐️For more details about Omachi Park, see below 🔽🔽🔽 https://kanko-omachi.gr.jp/spot/omachipark/...

February 4th A snow moon two days late and MtJonen This morning in Azumino the sky was perfectly clear The moon setting behind MtJonen

February 3rd In the morning, snowflakes drifted over Azumino The sky cleared and the Northern Alps stretched into the distance as far as Hakuba The OitoLine runs toward Hakuba

The Karasukawa flows through Nagano Prefecture's Karasugawa Valley Green Space It carries snowmelt from Mt. Jonen in the Northern Alps As it flows, it nourishes Azumino

Ariakeyama Shrine sits on the foothills of the Northern Alps, venerating Mt. Ariake as its sacred mountain and serving as a village shrine rooted in mountain worship. It is also famous as a power spot. The Yumeimon Gate, adorned with carvings of the twelve zodiac animals, is splendid and designated as a tangible cultural property.

Jigokudani Yaen-koen monkeys A place famous for monkeys bathing in hot springs A monkey gazing at the hot spring amid falling snow A sense of melancholy lingered.

January 26th Azumino was broadly clear today The Northern Alps, thickly capped with snow, could be seen

January 26th Azumino the day after it snowed The western foothills of the Northern Alps had accumulated snow, but the eastern side was only lightly dusted I looked out over Azumino from the summit of Mount Nagamine The summit had less snow than I had expected

Gonbe Pass (Gonbee Toge) When transporting Ina rice to Kiso, the routes over Shiojiri Pass or Ushikubi Pass were fine up to Narai, but Torii Pass lay beyond and made the journey inconvenient in terms of days and rice prices. To solve this, cattle driver foreman Furuhata Gonbei spent two years opening a route through this pass, 1,523 meters above sea level, to reach Ina. Afterwards, rice flowed from Inadani Valley to Kiso Valley, while lacquerware, bentwood items and other woodcraft traveled from Kiso to Ina. In recognition of this achievement, the pass came to be called Gonbe Pass. As the watershed between the Shinano River system and the Tenryu River system, the views from this pass are superb: you can look down over Inadani Valley and enjoy a sweeping panorama of the Southern Alps. In spring’s fresh buds, summer’s deep green and mountain streams, and autumn’s foliage, the scenery delights travelers through every season. The pass is designated as part of the Shinanoji Nature Trail Gonbei Pass Route, where you can fully savor the great outdoors.