Appreciate Natural Colors and Traditional Beauty

Two days and one night
Car
Take a trip to visit the beauty of Japan: natural scenery (e.g., Mt. Hakkai and Lake Okutadami) that reveals the colors of the four seasons and Saifuku-ji Temple where you will find vividly red and gold colored carp and which is home to works by Ishikawa Uncho - known as the Michelangelo of Echigo.
START
30 minutes by bus from JR Muikamachi Station

1

Mount Hakkai Ropeway and Observatory

A magnificent 360° panoramic view from the top of Mount Hakkai

Mount Hakkai has been worshipped as a spiritual mountain since ancient times. It is the local area’s most popular place to enjoy autumn leaves. Mount Hakkai has been selected as one of the 200 most famous Japanese mountains and is known as one of the Echigo Sanzan (Three Mountains of Echigo) along with Mount Echigo-Komagatake and Mount Nakanodake.

The 5-minute ropeway ride travels through beautiful scenery up to the station at the top of Mount Hakkai. A further 5-minute walk takes you to the Mount Hakkai Observatory where you can enjoy a 360° panoramic view. On fine days the view extends as far as the distant mountains of Joshinetsu, the Sea of Japan and Sado Island.

Come and enjoy the breath-taking seasonal scenery from spring greens blanketed in the remains of the winter snow to the verdant greens under blue summer skies, autumnal colours and pure white winter mountain scenes.

The best time to climb the Hakkai Moutains is between June and November. The highest peak is Mount Nyudodake at 1,778m above sea level where a mountain hut is available to take a break. Although the mountain trails are mainly suited for advanced climbers, trekkers of all levels can take the ropeway to the forth station of Mount Hakkai and enjoy the mountain-top paths.

15 minutes by car

2

Uonuma no sato

Enjoy the scenery of the four seasons and catch a glimpse of the Uonuma landscape’s natural beauty!

  In the snowy Uonuma Basin, an ancient wisdom and appreciation for seasonal pleasures that come from a lifestyle attuned to nature have been cherished and handed down for generations.

  Out of a desire to share the senses of nostalgia and serenity that the local lifestyle and snow country traditions of Uonuma bring, “Uonuma no Sato” was born. Nestled in Minamiuonuma’s Nagamori District at the base of the sacred Mt. Hakkai, cafes, gift shops, a kitchen wares select shop inside the Hakkaisan Yukimuro, and the Nagamori Soba shop among other relaxing spots decorate the campus’s scenic countryside landscape.

  Inside the Hakkaisan Yukimuro, about 1000 tons of snow is piled up each year, naturally keeping the cellar below 4℃ on average so that sake and food products can be stored year-round.

20 minutes by car

3

Saifukuji Kaizando Temple

Sculpture painting created by Ishikawa Uncho, the Japanese Michealangelo

Saifukuji has 500 years of history. Many visit the temple because Ishikawa Uncho's artwork -- sculpture, paintings, and lacquer craftworks. All of his works are wonderful, especially the colorful sculpture on the ceiling. Please come and see them with your own eyes!

Stay overnight in the environs

50 minutes by car

4

Shioritouge Pass

Popular viewpoint

A mountain pass on Route 352. This pass is known as a place you may see the natural phenomenon of clouds floating like waterfalls in the early morning. We also recommend it as a place to view the fall foliage, from mid October to early November.

30 minutes by car

5

Lake Okutadami

One of the major artificial lakes in Japan

Lake Okutadami is a man-made lake formed by the construction of the Okutadami dam, its water tank capacity is 600,000,000 square meters. It was constructed in 1961. In Edo period, the place was known as silver mines, so it is also called Lake Ginzan(The Silver Mountain). In fall, you can enjoy the color of the leaves of native beech forest with yellow and brown, also red, dark red, purple, vermillion of Japanese maples. From late May to early November, popular Okutadami Lake Tour Boat is operated. From Late My to June you can enjoy the contrast scenery of unmelted snow and green color of the young leaves over the mountain. In July and August, the color of forests in the mountain seems darker ,which we feel more beautiful than the blue Lake. Once you go out to the deck from the cruise ship, breeze blowing through the ship makes you feel very comfortable, so it's worth trying. In addition to the forty-minute lap of the lake, there is also a route to the popular Oze national park, popular with hikers. Nearby accommodations, hot spring bath, and camping sites are available.
It is not to be missed to take Okutadami Silver Line, as it was constructed for delivering construction materials to build the dam, which has 19 tunnels in total, its total length accounts for 18km out of 22km of the total length of the road. You must try at least once since it its very rare in Japan.

【Man-made lake】
●Maximum depth: 150meter
●Total area: 1,150ha
●Height : 750m

1 hour and 20 minutes by car

6

Ojiya Nishikigoi no sato

One and only! Nishikigoi carp's theme park

The city of Ojiya is the birthplace of Nishikigoi. Ojiya Nishikigoi no Sato is the only place in the world where a wide variety of live Nishikigoi are on display along with the materials showing the history of their improvements. Nishikigoi carp was born 200 years ago due to mutation evolution, and people in Ojiya devoted to breed the carps into ornamental fish. The garden pond of the Japanese Garden in this facility, you can see 200 carps with 15 kinds swimming.

GOAL