REPORT

Once above the warm, humid air lingering in the valley, I emerged beneath a brilliantly clear blue sky. Despite it being a weekday, a long line of hikers had already formed at the Tsugaike Gondola base station before 7 a.m. (※To save time, I recommend buying an advance discount lift ticket, which allows you to skip the ticket counter.) The construction site visible in the lower right portion of the photo is the boarding station for the new T3 Lift, scheduled to open this December.
[Tsugaike Gondola]

Today, 7/23 (Thu.), marks Taisho, the hottest period of summer in the traditional Japanese calendar—and across much of Japan, temperatures once again reached what the Japan Meteorological Agency described as “disaster-level heat.” For the third consecutive day, numerous locations across the country recorded temperatures above 40°C. Up at Tsugaike Nature Park, however, the thermometer outside the Visitor Center read just 18°C! Two visitors I met at the Watasuge Marsh (pictured) agreed: “The air feels so fresh and pleasant here.”
[Watasuge Marsh]

While the Nikkokisuge are nearing the end of their flowering season, momiji-karamatsu, hiogi-ayame, and kuruma-yuri were blooming beautifully. Kurobanaroge (pictured) could also be seen beside the boardwalk on the western side of the Mizubasho Marsh. At the Ukishima Marsh, otakara-ko and Ibuki-toranoo were at their best, while Hakusan-ominaeshi, akabana shimotsuke-so, and obagiboshi were in peak bloom along the Yase-One Ridge.
[Mizubasho Marsh]

From the Tenbo Marsh, I could see a line of climbers making their way up the Hakuba Daisekkei snowfield. “This is my first visit to Tsugaike Nature Park, and the views of the Northern Alps from here are magnificent,” said a man from Toyama Prefecture. Throughout the morning, a helicopter (pictured) made repeated flights carrying supplies to Hakuba Oike Sanso.
[Tenbo Marsh]

　　
[Tsugaike Nature Park Opening Information]
*Period … 6/6 (Sat.) to 10/25 (Sun.), 2026
*Hours … Tsugaike Ropeway: Open from 8:00 a.m. on weekdays until 7/17 (Fri.) & weekdays from 8/17 (Mon.) / 7:00 a.m.- on 7/11 (Sat.), 7/12 (Sun.) & daily from 7/18 (Sat.) to 8/16 (Sun.) / 7:30 a.m.- on weekends from 8/22 (Sat.) to 8/30 (Sun.)
*Fees … Tsugaike Ropeway Roundtrip + Entrance Fee / Adults JPY4,000, Elementary School Students JPY2,200, One preschooler free per paying adult → Advance Discount Tickets: Adults JPY3,500, Children JPY1,950! (Skip the ticket window! Go straight to the gondola gate.)

*Request for the original data of our photographs

reported by Snownavi