Tateyama Kurobe Alpine Route is famous for higher snow walls in May. Norikura's snow walls can be seen in June and easier to access from Matsumoto and Takayama. It is a really interesting experience.

10 meters high snow walls can be seen along a road, Echo Line, in Norikura.

The Echo Line is the highest road in Japan at 2,700m. Don't forget to bring a warm clothes and sunglasses!

Photo taken on May 25, 2011

Photo taken on June 8, 2011
at Norikura, Nagano

Hotels and Ryokan around NorikuraNagano Prefecture
Norikura Kogen/Shirahone Onsen
Matsumoto/Asama Onsen

Gifu Prefecture
Takayama
Oku-Hida Onsen (Hirayu Onsen)

Related ArticlesSnowy Landscapes in Hida: Takayama, Hirayu Onsen, and Shinhotaka Ropeway
At the beginning of March, with spring just over the horizon, I was off to Takayama in Gifu prefecture. My itinerary was a 2-night, 3-day excursion, which included catching a bus to Oku-Hida hot spring town's Hirayu Onsen, taking in the dynamic scenery of the Northern Japanese Alps with the help of the Shinhotaka Ropeway, and then heading by bus to Matsumoto.

Takayama: Pristine Nature and Culture... and Sarubobo

Takayama Info and Bookings

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The official tourism site of Matsumoto city. Matsumoto Welcomes You!

Tateyama Station

Tateyama station is a starting point for Tateyama Kurobe Alpine Route.

Murodo National Walk

Murodo terminal is the highest station in Japan (2450m) .

The place is called "Yuki no Otani" (the great walls of snow) and it can be viewed from April 17 until the middle of June in this year.

The highest point at this time is 15 meters high!

We left our own mark in the walls of snow alongside names and messages from other visitors in a bunch of different languages.
Carving your name/message into the snow is a popular activity at the Alpine Route.

At the Mikuriga Lake.　There is snow as far as the eye can see.
If you're really lucky, you can find the snow grouse in the snow..

When we came here in the fall last year, there was no snow.
There seems to be a completely different location!

At the Murodo station, we had lunch.
Left: A bowl of rice topped with beef, egg and green onion.
Right: A bowl of rice topped with deep-fried white prawns. White prawns is one of local products in Toyama prefecture.

Tateyama Ropeway

This unique ropeway has absolutely no pillars.

Hietsu Area Special Feature

Photos taken on May 23, 2011
at Tateyama Kurobe Alpine Route, Toyama

Kappa Bridge and Japan Alps Mountains in the background

My friend who lives in Matsumoto went to Kamikochi hiking and sent me some nice photos!

* * *

I hiked in Kamikochi, which is a popular hiking and sightseeing spot and also a trekking gateway to the Japan Alps, with two Japanese, one Brit and one American.

I think May and June is the best season in Kamikochi if the weather is fine because we can see the mountains covered with snow, some wild flowers and the fresh green of trees and it is less crowded than summer.

Especially, this is a season of Nirin-so (two-flower), one of the rare plants we can see only in some mountain areas. We could see plenty of Nirin-so flowers covering the ground, like a white and green carpet under the trees near Tokusawa campsite, which is a two-hour hike from the Kappa Bridge (the photo above).

Photos taken on June 5, 2011
at Kamikochi, Nagano

Kamikochi Hotels and RyokanKamikochi

Matsumoto/Asama Onsen

Kamikochi Train & Hotel PackageVisit the pristine mountain resort of Kamikochi with this discount travel package. This package includes round-trip transportation from Shinjuku to Matsumoto, the entrance to the Kamikochi area, via limited express train (approx. 3 hours). It also includes a 2-day bus pass for local transportation in Kamikochi, and accommodations can be chosen from options in conveniently accessible Matsumoto or scenic Kamikochi.

2-Day Matsumoto/Kamikochi (Japanese Alps) Train & Hotel Package (Kamikochi Myojinkan)

2-Day Matsumoto/Kamikochi (Japanese Alps) Train & Hotel Package (Kamikochi Shimizuya Hotel)

2-Day Matsumoto/Kamikochi (Japanese Alps) Train & Hotel Package (Hotel Buena Vista in Matsumoto)

Useful InformationAn English professional nature guide can be hired in Kamikochi. See more information at the official tourism site of Matsumoto city "Matsumoto Welcomes You!"

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The city of Sendai suffered considerable damage from the March 11 earthquake and tsunami, especially to the area along the coastline. However, with the exception of the coastal area, lifelines in Sendai have been completely restored. In the central area of the city, including Sendai Station, the number of hotels and restaurants that have returned to business as usual is growing everyday, and the city is once again filled with the liveliness of people out and about and enjoying shopping.

　City of Sendai Email Newsletter
　　Vol.1　April 22, 2011 　　Vol.2　April 28, 2011　　Vol.3　May 11, 2011　　Vol.4　June 1, 2011

The Sendai Tanabata Festival, which is held every year on August 6 - 8, will be held this year, 2011, as well. This year's festival is planned to start on August 5, when visitors can look forward to watching the biggest fireworks display in the prefecture from central Sendai.

The following pictures were taken last year.

Last weekend, I went to the event Craft Fair Matsumoto. The Craft Fair Matsumoto is the 27th annual outside arts and crafts event in the city of Matsumoto, Nagano.

About 280 exhibitors from all over Japan, display and sell their craftworks.

The Craft Fair Matsumoto is the one of the biggest craft fairs in Japan. So many visitors came there and enjoyed this fun event. I bought some pottery cups and wooden spoons.

Craft Fair Matsumoto to be held every year during the last weekend in May. in Agata-no-mori Cultural Hall & Park

Matsumoto/ Asama Onsen Hotels and Ryokan

I stayed Kikunoyu ryokan in Asama Onsen (About 25 min from Matsumoto station by bus)

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The official tourism site of Matsumoto city. Matsumoto Welcomes You!

At the end of May, I took a trip to Azumino in Nagano Prefecture. To get there, it's just under three hours from Shinjuku (Tokyo) to Matsumoto by limited express train Azusa and then about another 30 minutes on the JR Oito Line to Hotaka Station.

The rainy season has come a bit early this year, having started in May, so the weather wasn't all that great, but I grabbed a rental bike from the shop in front of the station (JPY 200/hour) and set out on my adventure.

I recommend taking a leisurely spin through Azumino while enjoying the scenery of freshly planted rice paddies and mountains towering over the horizon.

Dai-o Wasabi Farm
I decided to check out Dai-o Wasabi Farm, a 15 hectare plot of land dedicated to, as you my have guessed, cultivating the famously spicy Japanese root, wasabi. The plants are grown under a black mesh to protect them from the sun.

Two of the most important aspects to successfully cultivating wasabi are a cool climate and clean water. The plentiful and pure meltwater that flows down from the Northern Japanese Alps is perfect for this and has lent itself to making Azumino famous for quality wasabi.

The farm's shop offers fresh wasabi for sale, and wasabi flavored soft serve ice cream is a popular treat.

Azumino/Hotaka Onsen Holels

Explore Azumino!
This site is dedicated to the beautiful Azumino area. Located nearby Matsumoto, this "gateway" to the Japanese Alps not only boasts extraordinary outdoor adventures, it also features an array of museums and galleries for a relaxing time indoors. Click on the banner to learn more!

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