OMACHI
The Gateway from Nagano
to the Tateyama Kurobe Alpine Route,
Extending Across the Base of the Northern Alps
OMACHI
The Gateway from Nagano
to the Tateyama Kurobe Alpine Route,
Extending Across the Base of the Northern Alps
Omachi City
Omachi is a city located at the Nagano entrance to the sights of the Tateyama Kurobe Alpine Route. The city has long been known to mountaineers as "the Mountain Town." Surrounded by the mountains and serene villages of Japan's Northern Alps (also known as the Hida Mountains), Omachi is also blessed with rivers and lakes. In the lush green spaces of the Omachi Onsenkyo hot spring district, pristine hot springs wash away the fatigue of the everyday.
Enjoy a view of the always picturesque Northern Alps
Omachi Alpine Museum
This mountain-themed museum is full of Omachi charm. Its permanent exhibits take the people and natural environment of the Northern Alps as its subject, educating visitors about the Northern Alps and their eastern section, the Ushiro-Tateyama Mountains, in particular. From the third floor, visitors can view the Northern Alps. The connected zoo and botanical gardens are home to serows, owls, and more.
Learn about the trade route that carried salt and culture
Chojiya Salt Road Museum
Commonly known as the "Salt Road," the Chikuni Kaido route connects inland Shinano Province—the old name for what is now Nagano Prefecture—to the shores of the Sea of Japan. The road was once a trade route that carried goods such as salt and marine products. This museum reuses a building that belonged to the Hirahayashi family, who ran a salt wholesaling business in the Edo period (1603–1868). The museum hosts presentations on the trade route's history, and features displays of the items that were used when traders would transport salt, including traveling clothes, transportation equipment, bento boxes, and documents.
A shrine where the influence of Shinbutsu-shugo remains unmistakable
Nyakuichioji Shrine
Nyakuichioji Shrine is said to have been established in 849. According to legend, it was established as a branch of Kumano Nachi Taisha by the Nishina clan, who made the land as an offering. The main shrine is a living document of the style of the Azuchi-Momoyama period (circa 1558–1600), and is listed as an Important Cultural Property of Japan. While Nyakuichioji is a Shinto shrine, its grounds are also home to a three-storied pagoda and a temple to Kannon, which serve to show the influence of Shinbutsu-shugo, the syncretism of Shinto and Buddhism that is a unique feature of Japan's religious history.
National Treasures that are Japan's oldest surviving examples of the shinmei-zukuri architectural style
Nishina Shinmei Shrine (Designated National Treasures)
Nishina Shinmei Shrine is a Shinto shrine to the sun deity Amaterasu-omikami. The Main Hall, Inner Gate, and the gabled roof that connects the two were all constructed in 1636. As the oldest surviving examples of the shinmei-zukuri architectural style, they are listed as National Treasures of Japan. Among the shrine's surviving historical treasures are the sign that has documented deity installations at the shrine from the Muromachi period (1333–1573) to the present, and a copper image of the Buddha that was made during the Kamakura period (1185–1333).
Take a delightful stroll and admire the beauty of nature
Omachi Onsenkyo
The source for the spring waters that flow through this hot spring district on the banks of the Kashima River is Kuzu Onsen in the Takase Valley. Along with unique attractions like the Yakushino-yu and the Shiki Theatre Company Museum of Drama, the area is dotted with places where visitors can enjoy the great outdoors. A stroll through the hot spring district is also a chance to view the seasonal wild flowers and grasses. Serows have also been known to pass by from time to time.
- Address
- Taira, Omachi
- Phone Number
- 0261-22-3038 (Omachi Onsenkyo Tourism Association)
The awesome, dynamic beauty of a river valley
Takase Valley
The Takase Valley runs alongside the Takase River. This area of immense natural beauty is also the location of the Omachi Dam, the Nanakura Dam, and the Takase Dam, with breathtakingly dynamic scenery on offer. Alongside the valley is Kuzu Onsen, a hot spring area where visitors can enjoy a bath with a view of the Northern Alps, amid the unique atmosphere of a secluded hot spring. The area is surrounded by densely mountainous terrain, so when traveling here, please be sure to look up all the information you need about matters such as any traffic restrictions that may be in place.
- Phone Number
- 0261-22-0190 (Omachi City Tourism Association)
Plenty of ways to have fun, with river recreation, crafts, and more
Alps Azumino National Government Park
Designed to allow visitors to make the most of its mountain streams, forests, and other great natural features, this park is divided into two distinct areas: the Horigane and Hotaka Region, and the Omachi and Matsukawa Region. The outdoor diversions on offer in the Omachi and Matsukawa Region include mountain biking, a forest playground, and fun by the riverside. The park also offers a wealth of unique activities, including craft-making and Nordic walking.
- Address
- 7791-4 Tokiwa, Omachi
- Phone Number
- 0261-21-1212 (Alps Azumino National Government Park Omachi and Matsukawa Management Center)
Revel in the great outdoors by three lakes
Nishina Sanko
The name Nishina Sanko, meaning "the Three Nishina Lakes," refers to Lake Kizaki, Lake Nakatsuna, and Lake Aoki, all of which are in the northern part of the city of Omachi. The lakes are a popular destination for activities such as windsurfing, yachting, and fishing. Each has its own unique charms. Lake Nakatsuna has a special place in the hearts of anglers, while Lake Kizaki has even featured as the setting of an anime series. The largest of the three is the heart-shaped Lake Aoki. Hot springs and a campground can also be found nearby.
- Phone Number
- 0261-22-0190 (Omachi City Tourism Association)
The paper charms with its simple, soulful feel
Paper-Making at Shinshu Matsuzaki Washi Industries
Shinshu Matsuzaki Washi is a traditional handmade washi (Japanese paper) business that has been passed down over the years by proprietors including local farmers who made paper as a side job in the winter. Today, Shinshu Matsuzaki Washi Industries continues to share with the public the allure of this paper and the techniques used to make it, offering workshop tours and paper-making activities. In the introductory class, which lasts around an hour, participants make paper with pulp, flowers, and leaves to create their own postcards. Reservation required. ¥1,000 per person.
Make miso from soybeans and koji
Miso-Making Classes at Marukome's Miasa Highland Fermentation Warehouse
The cold environment surrounding the Marukome Miasa Highland Fermentation Warehouse on the Miasa Highlands, near 1000 m of altitude, is perfect for slowly fermenting miso. One of the facility's buildings is open to the public as an activity center, hosting classes in which participants prepare miso by hand from soybeans and koji (a fungus also used in the fermentation processes for soy sauce and sake). When your miso is complete, you can take it home with you. Around 60 minutes, reservation required, adults 1000 yen per person, middle schoolers and younger 500 yen per person.
- Address
- 8787-3 Miasa, Omachi
- Phone Number
- 080-5827-1159(Miasa Highland Fermentation Warehouse special line)
A royal feast to mark a special occasion, full of the blessings of the mountains
Omatsuri Gozen
The Chikuni Kaido is a road from the coast of the Sea of Japan to inland Shinano (now known as Nagano). It also once served as a trade route. Shinano-Omachi was a post town along that route. The dishes that have long welcomed travelers here live on to this day, wonderfully combining local specialty products with the marine products that were once carried on the trade route. The Omatsuri Gozen is a meal of time-honored dishes that have been adapted to the modern day, and is available at several restaurants in Omachi.
Omachi's most-loved Japanese and Western treats!
Omachi Sweets of Love
Omachi is recognized as a top destination for couples. Its many romantic places include the heart-shaped Lake Aoki, and the Kurobe Dam, where the spectacular discharge of the spillway also looks like a heart. This is the inspiration for the Omachi Sweets of Love initiative, which sees the city's Japanese and Western confectioners and restaurants serve up popular treats.
The historic, fabled local curry becomes a draw for gourmet travelers
Kurobe Dam Curry
Even after the completion of the Kurobe Dam, the flavor of the Japanese-style curry that was served at the workers' quarters on the dam's construction site beginning 1955 has been passed down at Omachi's restaurants and other establishments. Since 2009, several restaurants in Omachi have been offering a "Modern-Day Kurobe Dam Curry," in which the rice, shaped like a dam, holds in the flowing curry sauce.
Start!
Nishina Shinmei Shrine (Designated National Treasures)
A Shinto shrine to the deity Amaterasu-omikami. The Main Hall, the Inner Gate, and the gabled roof that connects the two are listed as National Treasures of Japan, as the oldest surviving examples of the shinmei-zukuri architectural style.
Omachi Alpine Museum
Taking the environment and people of the Northern Alps as its subject, this museum teaches about the Northern Alps, and the Ushiro-Tateyama Mountains in particular.
Kurobe Dam Curry for Lunch
Kurobe Dam curry is an Omachi specialty, with a dam made of rice holding in a river of curry sauce. It is available at several restaurants in Omachi.
Nyakuichioji Shrine
A Shinto shrine said to have been established in 849. With a three-storied pagoda and a temple to Kannon on the grounds, the shrine speaks to the influence of Japan's syncretism of Shinto and Buddhism.
A Night in Omachi Onsenkyo
An area dotted with places where you can enjoy the great outdoors. Home to unique attractions like the Sake Museum and the Shiki Theatre Company Museum of Drama.
Goal!
