Norikura Kōgen – Matsumoto’s Hidden Picturesque Destination

The gorgeous highland is a summer resort with abundant natural beauty where visitors enjoy mountain climbing and cycling from late spring to autumn. In winter, it becomes the perfect place for skiing and snowboarding. And after a day of physical activities, many choose to indulge in the natural hot spring to rejuvenate.

Below is a list of attractions you can trek to at Norikura Kōgen. They are listed in order based on their distance from Norikura Visitor Center (except Bandokoro Ōtaki Falls and Blue Resort NORIKURA).

As the summit of Mt. Norikura and Norikura Kōgen can be easily confused when you set your car’s navigation system or purchase a bus ticket, choose your destination carefully so you don’t end up somewhere you didn’t mean to arrive.

If you are a beginner at hiking, it can be frightening to hike a peak over 3,000 meters tall in a foreign country. So, if you would like to be guided to the summit of Mt. Norikura or around Norikura Kōgen, Little Peaks’ experienced guides can help!

On their website, HERE, there are various options that you can choose from to fit your schedule. Simply translate the website to English using Google Chrome’s translation function at the right of the address bar.

The autumn foliage season at Norikura is from late September to October.

• The color of the foliage around the summit usually peaks from late September to early October.
• The foliage’s color from Ichinose Danchi to Sanbondaki Falls usually peaks from mid to late October.
• Around Bandokoro Ōtaki Falls, the fall color can last until early November.

Norikura Visitor Center (Chūbu Sangaku National Park Norikura Visitor Center) at the hillside of Norikura Highland is a facility you will want to visit first when you arrive at Norikura Kōgen.

Here, you can obtain the most up-to-date information on all attractions at the highland and Mt. Norikura. The staff will advise what to look out for during your stay based on the weather and road conditions. This information is critical to ensure your safety at Norikura Kōgen.

From July to October, Norikura Visitor Center is the terminal stop for bus services to Norikura Tatamidaira (乗鞍畳平), the base for hiking Mt. Norikura.

The visitor center is also where you catch buses departing for Kamikōchi (上高地) and/or Shirahone Onsen (白骨温泉).

Tip: You can rent an electric-assisted bicycle from Norikura Visitor Center for 8,000 yen per day between 10 am to 3:30 pm.

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• The tourist information center is open from 10 am to 4 pm from April to November.
  • Refer to HERE and scroll down for the visitor center’s calendar. It only opens on the days that are marked in yellow.
• The restaurant Okamisan Shokudō (おかみさん食堂) is open from 9 am to 5 pm.
  • The last order for the light meal is at 2 pm.

The 20 km Norikura Echo Line is the road that connects Norikura Kōgen and Norikura Tatamidaira. If you want to drive along the highest elevation road in Japan, Norikura Echo Line is the one.

Although all in Japanese, HERE is a visual map of the route.

You can either drive or rent a mountain bicycle or an electric-assisted bicycle from the following facilities in Norikura Kōgen.

Without a break and at a speed of 10 km/hour, it will take around 90 minutes to get to Norikura Tatamidaira and around 40 minutes to return to Norikuga Kōgen.

Tip: From July to October, shuttle buses run between Norikura Visitor Center and Norikura Tatamidaira.

At the end of April, a 10-meter high snow corridor is formed on Norikura Echo Line. From the end of April to June, a special bus service called Mt. Norikura Haruyama Bus (Norikuradake Haruyama Bus, 乗鞍岳春山バス) operates so you can be awed by the magnificence of nature.

After a day of intense physical activities in Norikura Kōgen, how about relaxing in the undiluted natural hot spring at the end of the day?

The spring source is from the Ōhi Silver Mine (大樋銀山), opened by the famous warrior Takeda Shingen (武田信玄). The milk-colored water at the hot spring is sulfur-based. Although you might find it stinky, it is perfect for fatigue recovery and muscle pain.

While you cannot rent a private onsen pool, you can adore the magnificent peaks of Mt. Norikura from the open-air communal pool.

• Yukemurikan is open from 10 am to 8:30 pm.
  • The last admission is at 8 pm.
• The restaurant is open from 11 am to 7 pm (last order).
• Please refer to their business calendar at the bottom of the official webpage HERE. Yukemurikan won’t open on the days that are blacked out.
• The cost of enjoying the hot spring is
  • 730 yen for junior high school students and older
  • 310 yen for children over 3 years
  • 630 yen to hire a bath towel
  • 210 yen to hire a hand towel
• If you plan to take a bus, please get off at Norikura Kōgen Tourist Information Center (乗鞍高原観光センター).

Located at an altitude of 1,525 meters is one of the Three Great Waterfalls of Norikura, Zengorō no Taki Fall. It is the closest scenic attraction to Norikura Tourist Center.

Zengorō no Taki Fall has a height of 21.5 meters and a width of 8 meters. The magnificent waterfall is somewhat unique in the way that it falls like a large curtain (most waterfalls in Japan don’t fall uniformly, Sanbondaki Falls on the Echo Line is a good example).

Zengorō no Taki Fall is an important training ground for the Shugendō practitioners when they train at Norikura. For more information about Shugendō, please refer to our article on Mt. Yoshino.

From the observatory, you can head down the stairs to view the waterfall up close.

• The closest bus stop is Suzuran (鈴蘭) or Suzuran-bashi (すずらん橋).
• From Suzuran-bashi, it will only take 5 to 10 minutes to walk to the observatory.
• If you are coming from Ichinose Danchi or park your car at the car park at the Tourist Center side, it will take around 10 to 15 minutes to get to the observatory.
• From the closest car park or bus stop to the waterfall’s observatory, it is around a 15-minute walk on a flat dirt road (sneakers are recommended).

After seeing the spectacular Zengorō no Taki Falls, how about trekking further to Ushidome Pond to admire its beauty?

From Zengorō no Taki Falls, it will be a 30-minute trek to the starting point of the 15-minute Ushidome Pond loop course. After you adore the gorgeous lake, you can choose to either trek back to Suzuran-bashi (すずらん橋) on the road or board the bus from the bus stop, Kyūkamura (休暇村).

In summer, many wild birds gather at the pond. Walking on the well-maintained promenade, you can also observe various alpine plants.

In May, it is the skunk cabbage season. And in June, you will find Menyanthes’ small gorgeous flowers growing out of shallow water.

The most interesting thing along the promenade is probably a tree named Nejineji (ねじねじの木). We bet you can’t find another tree growing this way!

• The closest bus stop is Bandokoro Ōtaki (番所大滝バス停).
• From Ichinose Danchi, take the promenade called Kuchibune no Kei (口笛の径). Trek down a gentle slope for 30 minutes, and you will arrive at Ushidome Pond (elevation difference is around 100 meters).
• The promenade from Kyūkamura (休暇村) is wheelchair accessible.
• A round trip from Kyūkamura will take around 15 minutes.

Norikura Kōgen Ichinose Danchi is a beautiful park in the middle of the highland at 1,500 meters. The park has a spacious grassland with ponds and mountain streams and is perfect for a relaxing stroll or a picnic.

As the road is relatively flat, how about renting a bicycle and cycling around the park with a light breeze blowing on your face?

If you plan to follow the looped promenade and check out most parts of the meadow, it will probably take around 2 to 2.5 hours.

The first pond that you will encounter is the Azami Pond. It is where many wild birds gather in Ichinose Danchi. When they are in the mood to communicate with each other, it can be quite a nice symphony!

The pond was named Azami because its shape looks like a thistle leaf. From May to June, white bogbean flowers will be blossoming.

In late June, if you look carefully, you might find Moria frog eggs around the pond!

The most picturesque part of Ichinose Danchi is probably Maime no Ike. It is one of the best photography spots in Norikura Kōgen, day and night.

The fall foliage season at Maime no Ike starts in early October and peaks from mid to late October.

Apart from the reflection of Mt. Norikura on Maime no Ike, many photographers also like to focus their lenses on the trees and their reflections in the pond.

One of the best times for photography is in the early morning, when you will likely get some morning mist above the pond, making your photo more mysterious. If the weather conditions are right, you will get a photo of the fall leaves shining with the morning sun as a backlight.

This gorgeous pond in the photo has a name that isn’t compatible with its beauty. Dojō in Japanese means kuhli loach. It was named after the fish because there is a large population of kuhli loach in the pond.

While you might not be able to see any kuhli loach from the surface, you can definitely see skunk cabbage floating. If you visit Norikura Kōgen in May, you will get to admire the white flowers of the skunk cabbage.

Tip: As the sun goes down the horizon at Mt. Norikura, the best time for photographs at Dojō Pond is in the afternoon or even closer to sunset

The closest bus stop is Kankō Center-mae (観光センター前), which is 2 km away.

• From Kyūkamura (休暇村) bus stop, it is around a 10-minute drive or around a 30-minute walk.
• You can also make a detour to Zengorō Falls (善五郎の滝).

Important: Before you wander off, please use the toilet close to the Ichinose Parking Lot, as you won’t find another one in the park.

Sanbondaki Falls was chosen as one of the Top 100 Waterfalls in Japan in 1990. It is also one of the Three Great Waterfalls in Norikura (乗鞍三滝).

Technically, and just like its name, Sanbondaki Falls is formed by three individual waterfalls with different water sources. Because of the unique terrain structure, the water from different high grounds falls into the same area.

From the observatory, we can admire the magnificence of three waterfalls between 50 and 60 meters high.

• The closest bus stop is Sanbondaki (三本滝バス停).
• A return trip from the bus stop will take around 75 minutes.
• The tourist season is from June to early November.
• In winter, Sanbondaki Falls will become an icefall. It will be very dangerous to trek in the area. With heavy snowfall, directory signs are most likely covered by snow. Thus, one can easily get lost.

Tatamidaira is an area surrounded by a sea of flowers. From early July to early August, if you walk along the promenade, around 50 different alpine plants should bloom!

The flower field, located at an altitude of 2,700 meters, can be explored through the wooden looped promenade. The course will only take you 30 minutes.

A return trip from Tadamidaira to the highest peak, Kengamine, will take just about 3 hours.

Please be aware the weather up in the mountain can change rapidly. Wearing appropriate hiking gear will ensure a safer and more pleasant trip.

Important: Please note there are no toilet facilities at the summit.

Bandokoro Ōdati Falls, the last Three Great Waterfalls of Norikura, is probably the most spectacular and powerful waterfall in Norikura Kōgen.

Located at the west end of Norikura Kōgen, the waterfall, at an altitude of 1,248 meters, has a width of 15 meters and a height of 40 meters. With the amount of water pouring down from the cliff, you will surely feel the power of nature when you adore it from the observatory.

In summer, just by watching the waterfall, it feels like the temperature around you drops by a few degrees. In autumn, the nature surrounding Bandokoro Ōtaki Falls will be dyed with vivid color, making it one of the best fall foliage hunting spots in Norikura Kōgen.

From the bus stop/car park to the observatory, it is only a 5-minute walk on a well-maintained promenade. But the stairs down to the waterfall are quite steep and narrow. So, please walk carefully, especially when you descend.

• The closest bus stop is Bandokoro Ōtaki (番所大滝バス停).
• A round trip from the bus stop will take around 60 minutes.
• You can also choose to board from Kumiai-mae (組合前). It is the closest bus stop from Sengen Swamp.
• The tourist season is from the end of April to mid-November.
• If you plan to drive, there is a charge to park in the car park. Please put the money in the box at the side of the entrance
  • 200 yen for a standard car
  • 500 yen for larger vehicles

Blue Resort NORIKURA is also known as Mt. Norikura Snow Resort.

A hidden gem in Nagano, from mid-December to March, you get to ski on various types of terrain. Whether you are a beginner or advanced, you will enjoy a day of skiing here at Norikura Kōgen!

Wonder what else in Matsumoto is worth your time? Check out our list of selected attractions in Matsumoto that you won’t want to miss out on.

There are a couple of places where you can source delicious natural water from in the city center, an art museum filled with Kusama Yayoi’s eye-opening contemporary artworks, places perfect for cherry blossom and fall foliage hunting, and much more!