REPORT

Today, the sky, mountains, and marshes were all bursting with the colors of summer at the Tsugaike Nature Park. I spoke with a staff member from the Tsugaike Ropeway who told me, “We’ve been lucky with great weather throughout this three-day weekend. But please be cautious, as the risk of lightning increases in the afternoon.” The Northern Alps had been visible early in the morning but became hidden by clouds around 8:00 a.m., and within the park, sunlight and shade alternated throughout the day.
[Ukishima Marsh]

Thanks to the frequent periods of shade, the temperature stayed pleasantly mild, and the light breeze made things quite refreshing. Both the Watasuge and Ukishima Marshes are currently peaking with watasuge cotton grass and Nikko-kisuge daylilies, while kobaikei-so has passed its peak. Just like my visit on 7/11 (Fri.), the lush green of the wetlands was so beautiful that I found myself wanting to linger longer than planned.
[Watasuge Marsh]

At the Mizubasho Marsh, hiogi ayame irises (pictured), miyama kinpoge, and Karamatsu-so have reached peak bloom. Around the Fuketsu wind cave area, where snow lingers late into the summer, kinugasa-so is in bloom, while Shinano kinbai and shirane aoi were beautifully flowering along the Kusukawa river area. On the Yase-One Ridge, akabana shimotsuke-so had just begun to bloom, and Hakusan ominaeshi and oreijin-so were at their best.
[Mizubasho Marsh]

Two visitors who had hiked up to the Tenbo Marsh (pictured, foreground) commented, “We can see climbers on the Hakuba Daisekkei. It’s a shame we can’t see the peaks themselves, but at least the breeze feels really nice.” Afterwards, around 9:30 a.m., I started seeing more families, and the entire park gradually grew livelier.
[Tenbo Marsh]
　
*At the Tsugaike Gondola’s mid-station, the “DEWALT Meetup” will be held from 7/17 (Thu.) to 7/23 (Wed.), and at the Tsugaike Nature Park, the popular summer holiday event “MIKKETA” will take place from 7/19 (Sat.) to 8/31 (Sun.).

　
[Tsugaike Nature Park 2025 Opening Information]
*Period … 6/7 (Sat.) to 10/26 (Sun.), 11/1 (Sat.) to 11/3 (Mon., holiday)
*Hours … Tsugaike Ropeway is open Every day from 7/19 to 8/17 and Saturdays, Sundays, and holidays from 9/27 to 10/13 from 7:00 a.m.; Saturdays, Sundays, and holidays from 8/23 to 9/23 and 9/22 from 7:30 a.m.
＊Fees … Tsugaike Ropeway Roundtrip + Entrance Fee / Adults JPY4,000, Elementary School Students JPY2,200, Preschoolers Free → Advance Discount Tickets: Adults JPY3,500, Children JPY1,950! (No need to exchange at the ticket window! You can proceed straight to the gondola.)
(*One preschooler free with each paid adult. The second preschooler will be charged at the normal children’s rate.)

[Hakuba Tsugaike WOW! Opening Information]
*Period … 2025/7/19 (Sat) – 8/31 (Sun) *Closed on weekdays from 6/7 ? 7/13 and 9/1 ? 10/26.
Opening hours … 10 am – 4 pm (last admission at 3 pm)
Charges … Tobidas (1 time) JPY1,000 Kabedas (1 time) JPY500 Amidas (60 min) JPY1,600 for adults, JPY1,000 for primary schools students Kogidas (1 time) JPY2,000

*This season’s Tsugaike Report will be updated once or twice a week.
*To Visitors Requesting Original Data of Our Photographs

reported by Snownavi