Madarao Day Tours
Looking for things to do in Madarao Kogen? Or for Madarao Day Tours? Then nearly all your options are here!
The area boasts rich cultural traditions handed down throughout recent centuries. Depending on the season you travel, you will either be met by a magical winter wonderland with ski slopes and snow festivals, the blooming of the cherry blossoms, a lush green summer environment of blossoming sunflowers and delicious fresh vegetables, or the gorgeous hues of autumn. Whichever season you come to visit you can expect to experience some wonderful activities and view the beauty of nature.
Things to do in Madarao
Madarao Day Tours
A background
Iiyama (the city within which Madarao Kogen is located) claims the name ‘Snow Country’s Little Kyoto,’ (first described as such by Toson Shimazaki – a Meiji period novelist) for three reasons. First, it is located in the northern region of the Nagano Prefecture, central Japan that receives a large amount of snow between mid to late December and March/April. Second, like Kyoto, the area is rather sacred and is the home of many authentic temples of historical significance. Finally, the “little” comes from the nature of the area. Whilst by no means “little” in the sense of area (it is actually quite huge), Iiyama is little in a rustic way. Because the focus seems to be on a rural, traditional Japan, the local people seem to make active efforts to keep the natural beauty of the area alive, and avoid becoming just another modern tourist ski resort.
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The region is filled with a rich natural environment suitable for numerous kinds of outdoor and indoor activities, ranging from visiting the Mayumi Takahashi Museum of Doll Art to hiking the mountain ranges of the Shinetsu Trail. Its numerous sightseeing spots also include the Chikuma River, which is known as Japan’s longest. The city is also filled with a warm and friendly community, welcoming travelers and showcasing their cultural traditions through activities such as fruit and vegetable picking as well as the various festivals that take place throughout the year.
Need a place to stay?
There’s a wide variety of accommodation in Madarao Kogen to suit all tastes and budgets from small cosy family pensions to newly renovated lodges, backpacker/hostel type offerings plus some large resort type hotels with great facilities like indoor heated pools. You can check out all the options here or go straight to our secure Madarao booking engine for some great deals. Need some help choosing your Madarao hotel? Contact us via the form here.
Need a car? Madarao car rentals. Pick up at Iiyama Station.
Things to do in Madarao (Winter)
Snow shoeing
There are many different areas around Madarao Kogen Heights and Nabekura Kogen Heights where you can enjoy snow shoe activities. Nabekura Kogen Heights’ Mori no Ie offers many different course options for trying out snow shoe walking. Guided tours tailored to your ability and fitness level are offered, so come and enjoy the beautiful local snowscape!
Ice fishing at Lake Nojiri
In winter visitors to nearby Lake Nojiri can engage in the uniquely Japanese sport of fishing for smelt (wakasagi), using red-dyed ant-eggs as bait. Wakasagi are a tiny silvery freshwater fish about the size of an anchovy. As the lake freezes over (though be warned it is not thick ice for walking on!), specially designed boats are available for hire. You can sit in the cabin warmed by a kerosene heater sipping warm local shochu (a little similar to sake) as you fish. A fishing guide map (in Japanese) is here. Tours are available for 4,000 yen per session and booking in English is available here.
Iiyama Snow Festival
There are a couple of things to see at the annual Iiyama Snow Festival. Iiyama Kamakura (Snow Hut) Village is located just outside of Iiyama city. The village is open for around one month, from the end of January to the end of February, and is made up of over 15 to 20 huts created from snow. At night the huts are illuminated by lanterns, creating a beautiful fairytale-like atmosphere that is perfect for family, friends, and lovers alike. Every year on the second weekend of February, The Snow Hut Village hosts a festival featuring live music, snow games, mochi cake pounding, snowmobile rides, hut making, and snow shoe walks, among other fun activities. At night there is a fireworks display, and the night sky above the village lights up with all kinds of beautiful fireworks, including colour changing peony fireworks and waterfall fireworks.
Meanwhile in the main area of Iiyama City you’ll find a myriad of snow and ice sculptures at the festival’s downtown site. There is also a fire festival as well as a unique ‘omikoshi’ parade shrine procession, one of the only ones in the country to take place in the snow. Enjoy the many food options set up around the site as well as musical performances, nightly fireworks plus sledding and tube rides.
Madarao Fire Festival
Every year around mid-January (next one on 13th January 2019), the annual Madarao Kogen Dondoyaki (Fire Festival) is held. The local community celebrates the passing of mid-winter with free sake, fireworks, food and a very special bonfire.
NY fireworks and midnight ski
Have you booked your Madarao accommodation over New Year? Then you can enjoy a late night ski on New Years Eve until 11.30pm, followed by a flare run PLUS spectacular fireworks display.
If that’s not enough you can ask for your hotel owner to shuttle you to Akakura Kanko resort early for dawn skiing on January 1st to see the first sunrise of the year (a Japanese tradition). See a dawn skiing album here plus here’s a great video from Jan 1, 2015.
Things to do in Madarao (all seasons)
Mayumi Takahashi Museum of Doll Art
Mayumi Takahashi, a renowned artist portraying the lifestyles of citizens from rural Japan in her dolls, opened the Museum of Doll Art in Iiyama City, Nagano Prefecture, in 2010. The dolls that are displayed for viewing in the three galleries within the museum represent different stories which correspond to events that have traditionally taken place across the nation The focus is rural more than urban. Some of her stories allow visitors to learn about the Japanese countryside of the past and the present, including the influence of the samurais in rural Japan and other cultural legacies.
There is a doll presenting a tale about a stubborn old grandma who had left home due to an argument with her daughter-in-law. Mayumi Takahashi’s favorite doll, however, was of two elderly farmers sitting together on the floor and enjoying each others’ company. Visitors are also able to watch a video about how these dolls are created. The artist states that it usually takes between 3-4 weeks to create one doll, ensuring that each one is detailed enough to create a warmth of expression in its face and body.
After finishing the tour of the gallery, visitors are encouraged to check out the souvenir shop and the café if they are in need of postcards and other items to remember their trip. The admission price for the Museum of Doll Art is ¥610 for adults and ¥410 for elementary/junior high school students at the time of writing.
Just outside of the Doll Art Museum, there is a restaurant called Ajukura Tsukiakari, serving numerous Japanese dishes and only using fresh ingredients. These dishes being centered around the local area’s traditional specialities, including rice balls as well as sasazushi, which is made from Iiyama’s very own home-grown rice.
Handmade Paper Workshop
Travelers to Iiyama also have the opportunity to produce their own Uchiyama Paper like that found at the Iiyama City Cultural Hall Natura. This special type of paper is made with traditional ingredients, leaving out the chemicals used in western paper production industries.
When making your own Uchiyama Paper, you will be required to mix water with neri, a glutinous, starch-like substance, as the base of the paper. This form of material is scooped into a square-shaped tray, a motion which usually requires a few attempts until you have a good layer of pulp covering the tray.
Visitors also get the chance to decorate their own paper, adding in leaves, flowers, and feathers, according to their own choices. This paper can also be made into a postcard to be sent back to family and friends. See more details here.
Metal Engraving
One local metal engraving workshop allows visitors to participate in the work. It is led by craftsman Toshio Washimori. Participants will first be shown how to design their own piece of metal with delicate chisels. Each chisel has its own design, allowing the participant to be as creative as they wish. It can take as little as half an hour to make a small metal sculpture. See more details here.
Local Markets
You can also check out the Hana-no-eki markets down the hill on Route 119 near the banks of the Chikuma River. The facility sells local specialty goods including murasakimai (purple long-grained rice), uchiyama paper, hand brooms and other traditional handcrafted goods. A farmer’s market on site sells an array of freshly harvested vegetables from local fields. Also try the carrot icecream!
Things to do in Madarao (Green Season)
Enjoy Lake Nojiri
Lake Nojiri (Nojiriko – 野尻湖), located in the mountains of Nagano Prefecture’s Joshinetsu Kogen National Park, offers the perfect summer escape for lovers of the great outdoors. Lake Nojiri, roughly 10-12 minutes drive from Madarao Kogen, is an ancient glacial lake – Nagano’s second largest. About 20 kilometres north of Nagano City, Nojiri remains relatively pristine, surrounded by stunning, pine-covered peaks and unmarred by unsightly developments. It has an old-fashioned rustic charm and pace and is quite affordable for family visits.
Hiking (General)
From nearby Hokuryuko ski area there are several hiking trails that link up to eventually lead to the Inner Shrine of the Kosuge Shrine. It’s a fairly steep slog up hill for forty minutes but the shrine is very pretty and the views back to the plain are great. There is also a freshwater spring next to the shrine to fill your water bottle up at! Lake Hokuryuko is also often used for kayaking.
The Madarao Plateau trekking route, which was selected as one of the “Best 100 walking routes” by the Yomiuri Newspaper, extends for around fifty kilometres in total at an altitude of around 1,000 metres. Other various courses are available to suit all needs, such as the Madarao nature trek as well as wetland and beech forest courses.
Hiking (Shinetsu Trail)
The famous Shinetsu Trail runs along Sekida Mountain, situated around one thousand meters above sea level. It is highly recommended to go on a hike along this trail, especially if you are a nature lover and enjoy going on long walks. With beautiful sights all along the path, this would be one activity to not miss out on. This particular trail has a lot of historical significance as well. The warlord Kenshin Uesugi led tens of thousands of his men through these passages to fight in the Battle of Kawanakajima in the 16th century.
It takes approximately six days and five nights to hike all the courses. Tents are available for hire if visitors would rather camp at night rather than stay at lodges. However, if you are looking for a shorter hike, routes are available where visitors can hike for just an hour or two. Tour guides are available upon request at reasonable rates.
Golf
There are several excellent golf courses in the area.
Madarao Kogen Country Club is a dynamic Nagano golf course rich in strategic characteristics and developed over an immense site of 950,000 square metres. Set amongst the five famous peaks, including Togakushi, Kurohime, Madarao and Myoko, you are surrounded 360° by nature as you play.
Shinano Golf Club is a quite young Nagano golf course, celebrating it’s 20th year in 2017. The club runs regular championships. It is a standard 72 par over 7,029 yards.
Set amongst the natural landscape and canoe birch trees of the grand north Shinano and Madarao plateau, Madarao Tokyu Golf Club enjoys beautiful greens on all of it’s 18 holes. Prices can start as low as 4,900 yen for early bird starters looking for Nagano golf.
Need a hotel near a golf course? Check here for nearby Madarao hotels.
Flower Display
During late summer, areas of Kurohime Plateau (Kurohime-Kogen) become covered in the new blooms of cosmos flowers – more than a million blooms in every colour of the rainbow. In early summer lavender grows all over an area on the south face of Mount Kurohime.
Nabekura Kogen Heights Mori-no-Ie
Located at an altitude of 550 meters, this beautiful lodge resort can host a number of families who wish to relax and enjoy the natural surroundings. Visitors can take part in a number of activities, such as walks through the forest and barbeques. This is also the perfect resort to base yourself in if you wish to trek the Shinetsu Trail. Bikes and hiking gear is prepared for rental if needed. The lodges themselves are well furnished, offering residents comfortable accommodation with western beds, as well as futons if needed. The area is also extremely clean and safe. In the management house, residents can relax and purchase food and drinks. See reviews.
Shikisai no Yado Kanoe
This lodge is situated near a landscape of rice fields, mountain ranges and a vegetable farm in nearby Togari Onsen. Similar to the previous lodge, this accommodation is also an excellent base if you wish to hike the Shinetsu Trail. The location is also ideal for canoeing, skiing, and other seasonal outdoor activities. Guests sleep on futons, a more traditional Japanese style of bedding. Each meal at the lodge (read reviews) is also cooked fresh, often with the vegetables coming straight from the back garden. Make a booking.
Shiozaki Fruit Farm
Shiozaki Farm has been in operation for the past 45 years, specializing in grape and apple picking. Visitors are able to come, pick, and eat as much fruit as they wish, and also have the opportunity to take some home for them to enjoy. The best season is between August to October, a period which allows visitors to enjoy both the grapes and the apples. Weekdays and Sunday afternoons are the best times to visit, offering a relaxing, less crowded experience.
Kosuge Village
Kosuge Village is a small community where people known as the ‘Yamabushi’ live and train as mountain monks. They are quite self-disciplined and avoid all forms of indulgence. Shrines that existed well over a millennium ago are still here, in the shadows of the great-grandchildren of the trees among which they were built.
Belying the peaceful atmosphere of Kosuge Village is its history, steeped in the violence of battles over the strategic geographical location of the area. From the late 10th century to the late 12th century, battles between the Takanashi and Ichikawa Dynasties took its toll on the village. After a few centuries of peace and subsequent rebuilding, the Warring States period of Japan of the 15th and 16th centuries brought more destruction. Around the 1560s , the Samurai Warlord Uesugi Kenshin prayed for victory against his nemesis Takeda Shingen at the shrines of Mount Kosuge. In an apparent act of revenge, Takeda attacked the village in 1567, burning down all the important buildings except one. When peace returned to the area in the early 1600s, the members of the Uesugi clan rebuilt the damaged and destroyed structures. Today, the buildings and surroundings are no longer maintained by the clans nor the Shinto or Buddhist priesthood, but by the villagers who continue to live in the area. A large scale reconstruction of the area last took place in 1923.
Every year on July 15, the Kosuge Gion Festival takes place. Once every three years this includes the Hashira-Matsusaito Shinji celebration, in which two wooden pillars are erected upon which two children race to the top to see who can light their fire first. According to the festival tradition, if the older child sets the fire first, then it signifies a coming of peace and tranquillity. However, if the younger child wins, then there will be an abundant harvest in the region.
Fishing
Lake Nozomi is only 5-10 minutes by car from Madarao. It is regarded as a ‘hidden spot’ of bass fishing – but getting more and more popular with each season. Other activities are also available.
Madarao Nature School
Throughout the year one can experience a number of nature-related activities, such as cascade climbing, rock climbing, furniture crafting with driftwood, silver craft, and braid making. Find one that fits your purpose.
Madarao Sports Passport
From 1st July until 30th September visitors can experience any of 20 different activities for only 4,500 yen. These include water skiing, rafting, paragliding, horse back riding, etc., as well as water and highland sports at Lake Nojiri, Lake Kibo and the Chikuma River. See the official Madarao site for more details and map.
Events in Madarao and Iiyama
Local Events and Festivals Calendar
Mid- February: Iiyama Snow Festival
Mid April: Cherry Blossom Festival in Iiyama and Nakano
Early July: Iiyama Gion Festival
*August 5th: Iiyama Dontokoi
*August 14th: Iiyama Fireworks Festival
*August 16th: Madarao Kogen Fireworks – 8.00pm
*Approximate dates and times only. Please double-check with the local tourist centre.
During Golden Week (the beginning of May), the Na-no-hana (Canola Blossom) festival is held in Iiyama. The Na-no-hana park overlooks the river and the plain and is a great spot for some random flower viewing and a picnic!
The Lake Nojiri Triathlon is an increasingly popular event for both contestants and spectators. It held every year around the middle of July. Lake Nojiri Triathlon entry forms can be found here (in Japanese). Competitors came from all over Japan as well as overseas.
Cherry Blossom Viewing
The ruins of Iiyama Castle built by the orders of feudal lord Uesugi Kenshin is one of the very best sakura locations in the region during the Iiyama Joshi Sakura Festival. About 400 someiyoshino blossoms cover the entire mountain in pink, and the cherry blossoms and narcissus blooming during the same season are equally gorgeous. From the castle ruins you can have a grand view of the Chikuma River flowing down along with with the mountainscape of Shiga-Kogen with snow left on its peak.
Narazawa Shrine Festival
This festival is also known as the “dance of the long-nosed goblin” which is one of the more popular celebrations in Iiyama, attracting people of all ages. Sarutahiko, the great long-nosed goblin, prays for peace during the festival and is seen dancing with a katana and a large torch, each having its own significance. The torch is lit in the evening, producing a huge ball of fire, a spectacular view during the night. This festival has a three hundred year history, attracting more visitors every year.
Shinetsu Trail Run
Held each September, the Shinetsu Five Mountains Trail Race (SFMT) is one of the most popular ultra-trail running races in Japan. So popular it it usually sells out within minutes every year when registrations open (around June each year). In 2017 a new 100 mile (160km+) category was introduced in addition to the 110km race.
Download brochures for things to do in Madarao Kogen and Iiyama City
Madarao Day Tours | Nearby Nagano attractions
Japan Snow Monkeys
A visit to the Nagano area would not be complete without seeing the Japan Snow Monkey Onsen Park (地獄谷野猿公苑 Jigokudani Yaen Kōen). The Japan Snow Monkey Onsen is located in the valley of the Yokoyu River which is part of the Joshinetsu-Kogen National Park. Despite its relatively remote location, roughly 90,000 visitors trek through the woods of Nagano each year to see Japan snow monkeys in the Jigokudani Wild Monkey Park. During winter one and two day tours are available from Nagano. Or ask your accommodation if they can arrange something.
Issa Poet Centre
In nearby Shinanomachi lies the home of the revered Japanese poet, Issa.
Zenkoji Temple
Zenkoji Temple in Nagano City is also a popular tourist spot. Founded 1400 years ago, Zenkoji Temple houses a sacred image of Amida Triad Sharing One Halo and is deeply revered by the Japanese people. The image is completely hidden and a replica of it is put on display once every 6 years during a two-month long event known as Gokaicho (next is in 2021). In Zenkoji’s main hall, for an admission fee visitors can enter the inner sanctuary as well as do the O-Kaidan Meguri — descend into a pitch-black, completely-dark corridor to search for the “key to paradise” that is located directly under the sacred image. If you find the key, it is believed you will be granted salvation. During the 1998 Nagano Olympics, Zenkoji’s bell rang out to pray for world peace. The approach to the temple passes through the Sanmon Gate (built in 1750, designated an Important Cultural Property, offers a viewpoint on its 2nd floor) and Niomon Gate, and is lined by a myriad of shops and restaurants. On either side of the main approach are side streets lined by ‘shukubo’ temple lodging. They continue to be popular today especially by visitors wanting to participate in the early-morning Oasaji ceremony where the top priest(ess) imparts blessings on the attendees.
Togakushi Village
Togakushi is situated in the north of Nagano within the Joshinetsu National Park just 45 minutes drive from Madarao Kogen. This volcanic area has an altitude of 1,200m and is located at the foot of the two volcanoes, Togakushi and Iizuna. The village nestles amongst 900 year old cedars and is not only a beautiful place to visit but it’s delicious soba noodles are also famous throughout Japan. Togakushi-jinja (Shrine) stands in the midst of a wood with cedar trees that are over a hundred years old, just at the foot of the precipice of Mt. Togakushi. It consists of three shrines – the lower shrine is Hoko-sha (Treasure of Light), the second Chu-sha (Middle Shrine) and the third Oku-sha (Deep Sanctuary). They were built at intervals of roughly two kilometres. There is also a small reproduction ninja village and school.
Nozawa Onsen Village
Nozawa Onsen is located just a short shuttle ride from Madarao Kogen – a charming hot spring village located at the foot of Kenashi-yama Mountain which is home to around 4,000 people. Nozawa Onsen is said to date back to 8th century but has been renowned for it’s hot springs and traditional inns since the Edo period. The village features some amazing traditional architecture with temples, shrines, hot spring establishments, traditional ryokan and free foot baths along many of it’s streets. Even though the village is small there can be over 100 restaurants and bars open during ski season – from well known western-style bars to small hole in the wall shokudo.
Madarao Day Tours | Further afield
The nearby Hokuriku Shinkansen offers great new Madarao Day Tours possibilities.
Catch the bus from Madarao Kogen to the new Iiyama Station. The trip takes about 20 minutes. From there you may want to consider visits to one of the following.
Matsumoto Castle
With 400 years of history, Matsumoto Castle is a National Treasure that every Japan visitor should see. Formerly called Fukashi Castle, it was a branch castle of the Ogasawara family during the long period of the warring states. It is located in the city of Matsumoto, in Nagano Prefecture and is within easy reach of Madarao Kogen.
Getting to Matsumoto
Take the train to Nagano from Iiyama. At Nagano transfer to the Shinonoi Line for trains to Matsumoto using a “Shinano” limited express train, which takes 50 minutes, or a local train. Alpico bus takes approximately 80 minutes from the Nagano Station (West Exit) and costs ¥1,000. It takes 80-100 minutes to get to Matsumoto from Madarao. Matsumoto castle is located only a fifteen minute walk north of Matsumoto station.
Other day tours from Madarao
Kanazawa is a leading tourist city where 8 million tourists visit every year. It was a great castle town ruled by an influential leader from the 17th century to the second half of the 19th century. Kanazawa has not suffered from any war devastation or large natural disasters. The legacy of this is that Kanazawa has maintained rows of historical houses and various traditional handicrafts and traditional performing arts.
Itoigawa is a rustic small city on the shore of the Sea of Japan, where mountains of the Northern Alps meet the sea. The home to many farmers and fishermen, Itoigawa never fails to serve a variety of fresh local food. Along Lavender Beach in Omi one can fossick for jade that is washed down from Hisui (Jade) Gorge in the mountains.
Toyama City is located at the centre of Japan and serves as a gateway of the Sea of Japan. Surrounded three sides by steep mountains and faced to the deep sea, Toyama is blessed with rich nature where people can enjoy sublime scenery and tasty foods at the same time.
Takayama / Shirakawago (check here for a day tour from Kanazawa). The historic village of Shirakawa-go was registered as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1995. Shirakawa-go is famous for preserving the traditional gassho-zukuri style houses with the iconic thatched roofs, some of which are more than 300 years old.
Karuizawa has thrived as the most popular international summer resort in Japan since the late 19th century. Restaurants, coffee shops, boutiques and fashion goods shops stand side by side in the Karuizawa Ginza district, making Karuizawa a popular day tour resort destination. There are several rent-a-cycle shops near the station to help the many well maintained tourist attractions are located in the surrounding area. There is a large choice of ‘factory outlet’ shops near the station. Get on the shinkansen headed for Tokyo (for about 30 minutes) but make sure it stops in Karuizawa before leaving. You may need to change in Nagano.
Check your schedules here and remember not to get back too late or you’ll miss the last connecting train.
Tags: Madarao Day Tours, Attractions, Events, Iiyama, Sightseeing, Things to do in Madarao Kogen, Shinetsu Five Mountains Trail (SFMT) race