Kirigamine Offers Refreshing Hiking Experiences in Stunning Natural Landscape

By Akiko Inoue / Japan News Staff Writer

16:00 JST, July 15, 2024

Kirigamine, a highland area in Nagano Prefecture, offers a range of refreshing hiking experiences on gentle slopes, with colorful wildflowers spread over marshlands and a striking view of the Japanese Alps and Mt. Fuji.

Kirigamine is part of a quasi-national park located at an altitude above 1,500 meters that consists of three marshlands, hill-like mountains and vast grasslands. With average temperatures in July hitting around only 20 C, the park’s temperatures are cooler than those at its foot.

The name “kirigamine” — Japanese for “misty peaks” — seems to have been inspired by the unique weather there. The area is covered with mist for many days of the year, with the record for the most consecutive misty days sitting at almost 300, according to the Kirigamine Nature Conservation center.

In early July, the hills take on a yellowish hue, with Nikko-kisuge, or broad dwarf daylily, attracting many visitors eager to take pictures of the brightly colored flowers in front of the blue sky and white clouds. Various wildflowers bloom through October. Hiking through the snow during winter is also a fun experience.

Hiking generally is a very popular activity in the area, as is paragliding in some parts. Many trails are on offer, including one with a lift to the highest peak, Mt. Kuruma (1,925 meters), and another that stretches over the hills and around the marshlands, providing a 15-kilometer-long walk.

There are several mountain lodges offering accommodations.

In recent years, deer — and their insatiable appetite for the native wild plants in the marshlands — have posed a serious threat to the area, so steel gates and fences have been installed to keep them out.

To reach Kirigamine, public bus services are available from JR Chino and JR Kamisuwa station.