Heavenly Paradise Night Tour

Achi’s biggest attraction is its magnificent star-filled skies viewed from the highlands at an elevation of 1,400m. In 2006, the Star Watching Network operated by Japan’s Ministry of the Environment selected Achi as the No. 1 place where you can see the stars shine brightest.

The Heavenly Paradise night tour is held amid the rich natural beauty of Fujimidai Kogen Heavens Sonohara. There is a ropeway which travels a total distance of 2,500m with a 600m change in elevation in about 15 minutes, where you can enjoy the view of the starry sky from an altitude of 1,400m. On the mountaintop beyond the reach of the city lights, the countless twinkling stars look close enough to reach out and touch, presenting a spectacle you could never see in the city.

Peach Blossom Festival

During the month of April, Achi is transformed into an earthly paradise covered in blooming peach trees. The roughly 5,000 peach trees covering the whole area with blossoms in a three-color gradation of red, white, and pink is a breathtakingly beautiful sight.

During this season, a peach blossom festival is held at Hanamomo no Sato Peach Blossom Village near Sonohara Interchange. Hanamomo no Sato in Gessen Hot Springs is a village lined with the finest peach trees in all of the southern Shinshu region. Local produce and souvenirs, etc., are sold during the peach blossom festival period.

National Route 256, which connects Ina Valley with Kiso Valley, is known as the “peach blossom highway” for the 10,000 peach trees planted along a stretch of about 40km, and it is popular as a picturesque driving route during the spring season.

Beautifying Hot Spring Waters

Located in the southern part of the Shinshu region, Hirugami Hot Springs is a quiet hot spring village in the mountains famous for its beautifying hot spring waters. The village has an atmosphere that recalls the good old days, with 20 hot spring inns and hotels lining the banks of the clear Achi River, warmly embracing visitors. The lush natural beauty that changes with the seasons and bathing in the hot spring are sure to soothe the weary mind.

Hirugami Hot Springs boasts strongly alkaline waters with a pH of 9.7. It is said that the alkaline hot spring water is “called beautifying hot spring water” because it exfoliates old cells, leaving your skin silky smooth. In addition, it is rich is sodium and chlorine ions essential for moisturizing. In other words, with strongly alkaline waters that scrub and smooth your skin, and sodium ions that lock in moisture, Hirugami Hot Springs has beautifying effects women will appreciate.

Delicious Fruits and Vegetables

The southern Shinshu region offers a wide variety of fruits including strawberries, blueberries, cherries, apples, pears, and persimmons. The temperature variations caused by the topography of the Ina Valley, the large difference between the afternoon and nighttime temperatures, and the long hours of sunshine make fruits and vegetables more delicious. Enjoy fruits and vegetables grown with care to your heart’s content. You can also enjoy a rich variety of other Japanese foods, including the local cuisine, Shinshu beef, local sake, and matsutake mushrooms.

The Historic Village of Achi

The Seinaiji Handmade Fireworks Festival is the only fireworks festival in Japan where the fireworks are made by residents. This Achi tradition has been carried on unbroken for more than 300 years, even in times of famine and the upheaval during and after the war.

The Shinano Hiei Kojoin temple is the only temple in Japan Mt. Hiei allows to use the name Shinano Hiei, and you can see the 1,200-year-old Eternal Dharma Lamp up close, as well as experience Buddhist training and the Shirohebi Kigan ceremony, etc. We also recommend taking a stroll through the historic Edo-period neighborhood of Tsumago-juku in the neighboring town of Minamikiso.