The onsen waters of Matsunoyama Onsen are well-known throughout Japan. It is one of the top three curative spring areas in the country, and they have also started to harness the geo-thermal power to make electricity for the town. The onsen water is definitely seen as a treasure of the town. The very hot spring water (it comes out of the ground at 98 degrees) is also being put to another good use – cooking. Tsunan Pork is a famous brand of meat that is raised locally and this

As well as the main Snow Country Tourist Information Office, each of the seven areas of the Snow Country Tourism Zone have their own Tourist Association (contacts for each of there here). All of these are working hard to ensure that visitors get to the see the best of the region. We’ve been lucky enough to get a sneak preview of a 5-star tour that they are trying to put together to highlight the unique way of life in the Snow Country Region. It is in the planning stage at the

August has ended and as we move into September it feels like summer is drawing to a close. People’s thoughts turn to the approaching winter, but before the deep snow comes we have fall, which is one of the best times to be in Snow Country. The rice is turning yellow in the fields in the bottom of the valley and it is almost time for harvesting. There will be festivals all over the region once the harvest is finished to give thanks for the new rice. The valley turning from dee

More info from the Naeba-Sanroku Geopark Guide Map, carrying on from the Naeba-Sanroku Geopark 1 post. Human History of Naeba-Sanroku People began living in Naeba-Sanroku about 30 thousand years ago during the Paleolithic Age, as evidenced by stone tools unearthed at several sites in the area. During the prehistoric Jomon Period (c.12,000-c.300BCE), people lived in harmony with the deciduous forests of the Shinano Basin for about 10 thousand years. The hallmark of this cultur

The following information is taken from the Naeba-Sanroku Geopark Guide Map. It is an awesome resource in English that takes you around all the fascinating points (and there are masses of them) in this geopark located in the Tsunan/Sakae Village area. There is so much here to do, see, and learn, so if you love the outdoors, this should definitely be on your list. Naeba-Sanroku Geopark A rich history of volcanoes, rivers, snow, and the plants, animals, and people that have cal

Najomon is a marvelous museum facility in Tsunan town just off Route 117. It has masses of information about the Naeba-sanroku Geopark area, agriculture, and Jomon history. It is all about learning, and also offers some different workshops that allow you to experience some local skills and traditions, such as making sweets, weaving, and being artistic making sculptures with nuts and twigs. The museum itself has displays of earthenware discovered in the region, as well as many

Ryugakubo is a stunningly beautiful little lake up on the plateau just outside of Tsunan. It is filled with spring water, and so much of it flows into the pond each day that it is incredibly clear. It was selected as one of the top 100 remarkable waters of Japan by the Ministry of Environment, and visiting there it is easy to see why. From the car park you approach the lake through a path along the woods. There is some spring water gushing from a dragon’s head along the way.

The Tsunan Snow Festival takes place in March each year and we were lucky enough to go along on March 12th 2016. It is so popular that there is a whole series of different parking areas and shuttle buses to get you to the New Greenpia Tsunan festival location. During the day there is freestyle competition and then some big name musicians providing live music on the stage. Refreshments are provided at a large selection of food stalls. The highlight for many though is the Sky L