English Info

Yamanouchi Town is located in the center of Joshinetsu Kogen National

Park in the northeastern part of Nagano prefecture, and has three

tourist areas: Shiga Kogen and Kita-Shiga Kogen which are treasure

troves of nature, and Yudanaka-Shibu Onsen, which is a hot spring paradise.

It is a town blessed with wonderful nature each season and is known

nationwide as a tourist area  that represents Japan.

Shiga Kogen

Shiga Kogen is located at the center of the joshin'etsu-kogen National Park,and it is surrounded by mountains rising 2,000 meters above sea level. Spotted by lakes and swamps of varying sizes, Shiga Kogen is an excellent place to go trekking in vast nature. It has been designated as one of the ten UNESCO Biosphere Reserve in Japan. Eighteen ski slopes with a total of over fifty lifts spread on the sides of a mountain ranges. The slopes are interconnected by shuttle buses, so you can freely go from one area to another. Feel the magnificent nature that takes on a different look each season.

Yudanaka&Shibu

Yudanaka&Shibu Onsen Resort is a hot spring area composed of nine onsen towns(Yudanaka Onsen,Shin-Yudanaka Onsen, Shibu Onsen, Andai Onsen, Jigokudani Onsen, Honami Onsen, Hoshikawa Onsen,Kakuma Onsen, and Kambayashi Onsen) along three rivers at the foot of Shiga Kogen. The hot spring is believed to have been in use for over 1,300 years, and it has been a favorite of many literary figures such as Kobayashi Issa and Hayashi Fumiko.

Kita-Shiga Kogen 

Kita-Shiga Kogen,surrounded by Mt. Ryuo and Mt. Kosha, is an area with a serene, rural landscape. You can take one of the world's largest ropeways up to the top of a mountain 1,770 meters above sea level. A dynamic scenery welcomes you at each time of the day, from the resplendent midday, the shifting hues at sunset to the star-filled sky at night.

Snow Monkey Park

The Snow Monkey Park, first opened in 1964, is a place where you can study the fascinating wildlife of Japanese macaques throughout the year. These monkeys live in Jigokudani, a valley run through by Yokoyu-gawa, a river of which source is located in the Shiga Kogen National Park in northern Nagano prefecture.

In recent decades, these monkeys have become iconically known globally as "snow monkeys" that bathe in the hot spring pools in winter.