REPORT

In conjunction with the ongoing Takenoko Festival, the Nagasaka Gondola is running a special service from 6/21 (Sat.) to 6/29 (Sun.). While the gondola car pictured here is the standard type, two cars with see-through glass floors are also in operation again this summer. (*Just ask the gondola staff if you’d like to ride one—you’ll be given priority access.) After the special operation period, the gondola will temporarily close and reopen on July 19 (Sat.).
[Nagasaka Gondola]

At an altitude of 1,400 meters above sea level, the Uenotaira Picnic Garden offered a cool, refreshing escape, with a temperature of 23°C around 10 a.m. Near the Nagasaka Gondola summit station, Kitchen Seavus is currently serving a special Nemagaridake (bamboo shoot) & Tuna Pizza (¥2,000) in celebration of the Takenoko Festival. I couldn’t resist picking one up to-go and enjoyed it at one of the terrace seats scattered throughout the garden.
[Uenotaira Kogen・Uenotaiara Picnic Garden]

The grassy area of the Uenotaira Picnic Garden (pictured) takes about 10 minutes to walk around at a leisurely pace. Around ten varieties of alpine and wildflowers, including the small, white, bell-shaped lily of the valley, were in bloom. Beginning on 7/19 (Sat.), Kitchen Seavus will offer Nordic walking poles for rent at a cost of ¥300 per day.
[Uenotaira Kogen・Uenotaiara Picnic Garden]

After about a 10-minute uphill walk from the garden, I arrived at the Kokenashi Observation Deck, where I was greeted by a spectacular view of the Nozawa Onsen village and the rural landscape of northern Nagano (pictured). On clearer days, you can also see the Five Peaks of Northern Nagano and even the Northern Alps. Afterward, I refreshed myself at the Ōyu onsen, one of the 13 public hot springs in the village, before heading out into town for the Takenoko Matsuri, which kicked off at 6:30 p.m.
[Kokenashi Observation Deck]

　
[Nozawa Onsen Opening Information]
*Period … 6/21 (Sat.) － 6/29 (Sun.), 7/19 (Sat.) － 9/23 (Tue.), 9/26 (Fri.) － 11/3 (Mon.)
*Hours … Nagasaka Gondla (9:00 －)
*Fees … Nagasaka Gondla Roundtrip / Adults JPY2,500, Junior high school students and under JPY1,500, preschool children free

[Summer Slopes]
*Period … 7/19 (Sat.) － 11/3 (Mon.)
*Hours … 9:00 － 16:00
*Fee … Adults JPY4,000, Junior high school students and under JPY2,500, Seniors JPY3,600
　　
*To Visitors Requesting Original Data of Our Photographs

reported by Snownavi