A Serene Drive Through Yatsugatake: Forests, Farmlands, and Hidden Gems

By Theodore West Published on

 You take the highway from Tokyo and exit at the Suwa-Minami Interchange. From there, you start climbing a gentle slope. Along the way, the road winds gently through vast farmland.

When you reach the intersection at the end of the farmland, if you look back, you can see the low mountains like Mt. Nyukasa up close, and it really hits you that you’ve reached quite a high elevation.

Continuing straight through the Fukami Intersection, you keep ascending gently, but the scenery changes dramatically. Surrounded by tall trees, you’re treated to a serene forest bath. I love going here on clear summer mornings in early August. The cool air that descends from the mountains mixes with the sunlight to create mist, making the atmosphere feel completely tranquil.

A forest bath surrounded by tall trees

After the forest bath, you’ll come to a T-intersection. This road runs across the mid-mountain area. Turning right takes you to Yamanashi, while left leads to Hara Village. This time, we’ll explore Hara Village.

Along the road through the forest, you’ll see the Yatsugatake Museum and Yatsugatake Cultural Park, as well as vacation homes spaced out quietly among the trees. With so many trees around, you need to drive carefully and watch for signs pointing to your destination.

Follow the sign for Yatsugatake Cultural Park on your left. From here, the road slopes downward into the vacation home area, where you can admire a variety of uniquely designed houses. Soon, you’ll see the park’s facilities and gate on the right. Passing through the gate, you’ll find free parking, and you’ve arrived at your destination.

Yatsugatake Cultural Park offers outdoor activities like a mallet golf course, a go-kart track, a dog run, and walking trails. Indoors, there’s a spacious restaurant, a shop selling local specialties, and clean restrooms. Nearby is Maruyachi Pond, an agricultural pond with a small free parking area. On clear days, the view of the distant mountains reflected in the pond is breathtaking, both in summer and winter.

A narrow woodland path to the church

Crossing the village road leads you into a vacation home area, and if you follow a forest trail, you’ll come across one of my favorite spots: a Protestant church with Norwegian roots that many of the local residents attend. Services are only in Japanese, though it would be nice if there were English ones.

Nestled in the Forest Yatsugatake Central Church

This place is perfect for anyone who loves nature. Right now, the crisp air and quiet surroundings make it feel like your heart and mind are being completely refreshed. Keep in mind that you’ll need a car to get here.

See you next time!

Season:
Location: Yatsugatake Park of Nature and Culture, 17217-1613 原山 Hara, Suwa District, Nagano 391-0115, Japan

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