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A trip to see the breathtaking mountain beauty of Nagano’s Kamikochi【Part 2】

Casey Baseel Nov 7, 2024
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The second day of a gorgeous getaway from the concrete jungle of Tokyo.

We recently made the decision to say goodbye to the skyscrapers of downtown Tokyo for a weekend and hello to the mountains of Nagano Prefecture. After two train rides and one on a bus, we were in Kamikochi, one of the most beautiful regions of the Japan Alps, for an overnight trip of nature walks and light hiking.

In Part 1 of our report we covered the details of how to get from Tokyo to Kamikochi (and also where we encountered wild monkeys while exploring), and today we’ll be taking a look at the historic Kamikochi Imperial Hotel and once again venturing out onto the trails of the river basin near Kamikochi’s Kappabashi suspension bridge.

As one of Japan’s oldest and most prestigious hotel groups, the Imperial Hotel name carries a lot of cachet. The Kamikochi Imperial Hotel was established all the way back in 1933, though the current building dates from 1977.

But while it’s technically a fancy hotel, the Kamikochi Imperial has a much more rustic feel than its downtown brethren, though still with an atmosphere of elegance. The indoor fire pit is an excellent example of this, as it’s both stately and cozy.

Similarly, the food we dined on was classy but unpretentious, from the sandwich we grabbed when we first arrived earlier in the afternoon…

…to the curry we had for dinner after our first day of nature walks…

…and the omelet we had for breakfast the next morning accompanied by locally sourced Nagano ham and drinkable yogurt.

That vibe extended to our guestroom, which had the air of a stylish country cabin

Since the Kamikochi area gets snowed in during the winter months, the Imperial Hotel is only open from late April to mid-November. Reservations for the year open in February and fill up fast, but we lucked out when we spotted a cancellation and snagged the room for ourselves.

On our first day, we’d walked from the hotel to the Kappabashi suspension bridge and the Dakezawa Wetlands. The morning of Day 2 met us with a light drizzle, but it wasn’t enough to keep us from going to check out Tashiro Pond, which is south of the hotel.

▼ Kamikochi Imperial Hotel to Taisho Pond

Like on the first day, the paths we were walking on are for the most part fairly flat and easily traversable without full-on hiking boots, though you’ll want to have footwear that’s comfortable to walk in and has grippy soles.

On the way to the pond you’ll pass through the Tashiro Wetlands and by Tashiro Pond. This part of the Azusa River basin has amazingly clear water, which was captivating to gaze into, and off in the distance the shrouds of fog at the top of Mt. Yakedake lent it a mysterious air.

▼ The trek to the peak and back is a popular day-hike that can be done from Kamikochi.

After about 30 minutes of walking, we reached Taisho Pond, where the surrounding mists produced a contemplatively mystical mood that was completely different from the liberating blue skies of the day before.

After that, we headed back to the hotel for a mid-afternoon cup of tea (and more importantly, some mid-afternoon sweets)…

…and then it was time to head back to Tokyo.

▼ With souvenirs such as the local Shinshu Roman microbrew beer and instant Nagano miso ramen.

As we mentioned above, Kamikochi shuts down to leisure travel during the winter, but there’s still time to sneak in one last visit this year, and if not, those mountains, forests, and waterways will be waiting next spring too.

Related: Kamikochi Imperial Hotel
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