2025 Okuwa Travel Guide: Must-see attractions, popular food, hotels, transportation routes (updated in April)

#cherryblossom25 A refreshing train ride through vibrant autumn foliage 🍁 (Agematsu Town, the Kiso Valley) The Akasawa Natural Recreational Forest covers an area of 759 hectares in the Kiso Valley, and during Autumn from late September to mid-October, it is painted in vibrant autumn colors. A logging railroad runs through the forest, so you can take a ride on it and enjoy forest-bathing as you pass ancient Hinoki cypress trees that are over 300 years old.

| Nagano's hidden gem: Atera Valley. Visit Narai-juku in the morning to experience the local culture, and then head to Nagano's hidden gem in the afternoon to enjoy the natural scenery. 👣【Atera Valley】Located in Okuwa Village, Kiso District, Nagano Prefecture, the river here is crystal clear and has a beautiful emerald color, known as "Atera Blue." The riverbanks are lush with vegetation, and the trail along the river is about 6.3 km long. 📖 The reason for the green color of the stream is similar to Jiuzhaigou. The stream contains a large amount of dissolved mineral ions, which cause the optical phenomenon of "Rayleigh scattering," scattering the "shortwave" blue-violet light in sunlight. ✨ Atera River is a branch of the Kiso River system. The further you go into the mountains from the entrance, the more the water appears blue-green, resembling emeralds! Along the way, there are some famous spots, such as Inukaeri Pool, Kuma Pool, and Ushi Pool, each with its own legend about hunting dogs, cows, and bears (reminds me of the various strange hot springs in Ranma ½ ♨️). ♨️ Speaking of hot springs, Atera also has a hot spring. From the entrance, walk 20 minutes to the right to enjoy the hot spring, which is open for day trips! 🚃 From Nagoya, take the JR Chuo Line towards Matsumoto and get off at Nojiri Station, then walk for 20 minutes. From Matsumoto Station, take the Shinonoi Line and get off at Nojiri Station. ⚠️ If you are staying at Atera Onsen, do not follow the route given by Google Maps. Get off at Nojiri Station and walk for 30 minutes. There is also a bus, but the bus service is infrequent.

This was one of the most picturesque spots I was able to visit in Japan back in 2023 My 3 month trip in Japan included car hire and a stay in a Japanese Ryokan and car hire through the Nagano mountains where I saw the most amazing historical post towns (which I will share) This is Atera Valley! 📍Address: Atera Valley 阿寺渓谷 Nojiri, Okuwa, Kiso District, Nagano 399-5504, Japan 🚘 2 hour drive North East of Nagoya City 🚊Chou Line to Nojiri Station (from Nagoya) If you’d like more information on my trip and how I got here and other things to do comment below and I’d be happy to help! #asiatravel #japan #ateravalley #traveljapan #solotravel #scenicspots #picturesque

Located in Nagano Prefecture, Atera Valley is a spectacular spot where the beauty of nature is concentrated. The scenery created by the highly transparent water and lush forest is truly a healing paradise. Especially in the summer, it is crowded with people seeking coolness, and you can enjoy playing in the river and hiking. The clear stream flowing through the valley shines emerald green. There are various promenades, so you can enjoy the great outdoors while taking a walk! In autumn, you can enjoy the autumn leaves, and the scenery changes with the seasons. 🍁 Address: Atera Valley 〒399-5504 Nojiri, Okusa Village, Kiso District, Nagano Prefecture Spend a special time surrounded by beautiful nature! #0 yen travel autumn #domestic travel #Nagano #spectacular view

📍 Atera Valley, Nagano Prefecture 💞Reasons for recommendation This is an emerald green river located deep in the mountains near the border between Nagano and Gifu prefectures🌞 During the summer, there are restrictions on private cars, so you can park your car at a parking lot along the way and take a shuttle bus or a rented bicycle🚵! I chose a bicycle because I wanted to be able to move freely regardless of time and get off at places with great views to see and take photos! ! It's a mountain path, but it's an electric bicycle, so it's easy🎵 Families can enjoy it too! Bicycle rental fee: 1,000 yen per hour (It took about 1.5 hours round trip to the end of the mountains) If you don't take too many photos and take it easy, you can get back in an hour🌞 The deeper you go into the mountains, the deeper the blue becomes, and there are places along the way where you can play in the river (※There are some dangerous places) Please follow the rules and enter in a safe place. I think the best way to get there is by car 🚗 🙆 ※The Okusa Village website has detailed information about Atera Valley When setting it on your navigation system, I recommend setting it to Atera Valley Second Parking Lot 🅿️ ! 4-5 hours from Tokyo 4 hours from Nagoya It's quite deep in the mountains, but why not go and check it out! ! #aug_trip

#AdventurousTraveler 💞Recommended reason: Asi Valley is definitely a rare natural resort. The stream water here is crystal clear and full of charming amber color. The stream flows slowly, making a pleasant gurgling sound, like natural music. Being in it and feeling the fresh and pleasant atmosphere makes people feel relaxed and happy, as if it can cleanse the dust from their soul. Whether you want to enjoy the clear stream or bathe in it to stretch your muscles, you can get a brand new experience here. I believe that as long as you come here, you will be deeply attracted by the charm here. 🏖️Environment: Speaking of the natural environment of Asi Valley, it is simply breathtaking, with beautiful mountains and clear waters, thousands of peaks and valleys, and a beautiful scenery that seems like a paradise. The endless cliffs and peaks seem to be guarding this sacred place of nature. The steep mountains are like a towering dragon, soaring into the clouds. The sunlight shines through the dense forest, creating a mottled interweaving of light and shadow. This deep and quiet valley seems to be a natural oasis isolated from the world. Walking here, surrounded by nature, you can't help but feel an unprecedented sense of tranquility and peace.

📍Atera Valley, Nagano A spot where you can see a series of beautifully colored pools, waterfalls, and strangely shaped rocks along the Atera River. The valley is about 15km long!! The water, also known as "Atera Blue", is so sparkling and emerald green that it's so exciting~💙💙 It's so clear that you can see the rocks in the water even from above✨ I brought colorful somen noodles for lunch and ate them in the river, and had a great time jumping in and swimming in Kumagafuchi~🤩🫶 It's so beautiful and it's the best spot to feel the summer🩵🩵 It's in the lower part of Nagano, so it's less than 2 hours by car from Nagoya🚗 The great outdoors will also heal you♡ Add some excitement to your daily life:🌙 📍 Atera Valley (Kumagafuchi), Nagano📮 Nojiri, Okusamura, Kiso-gun, Nagano Prefecture #Travelingwithme #Nagano #NaganoTrip #NaganoTourism #AmazingView #AmazingViewSpot