As the scorching weather continues, you may want to escape from the hot and steamy Kanto Plain to get some relief.

Surrounded by Japan’s central and southern Alps, Komagane is a scenic city located in the southern part of Nagano Prefecture and a great place to escape the summer heat.

SENJOJIKI CIRQUE

My wife and I recently made the 4-hour drive from our home near Yokosuka Naval Base to Senjojiki Cirque, a semi-circle basin at an altitude of 2,612 meters formed by a glacier erosion about 20,000 years ago.

We parked our car at the Suganodai Bus Center, then hopped on a 30-minute bus ride to Shirabidai Ropeway Station. The journey took us along a steep, winding mountain road among towering cedar trees. From Shirabidai, we got into a gondola for an 8-minute trek up the remaining 900 meters up to Senjojiki Station for a view of the cirque.

At the top, we were rewarded with a fantastic panoramic view of majestic Mt. Hoken and other Central Alps mountains. A chilly mountain breeze quickly blew off our sweat.

As the name (literally, an area of one thousand tatami mats) indicates, Senjojiki Cirque is a large highland basin, wide enough to take us more than one hour to walk along the trail.

Our hike through the expansive green field included views of the more than 150 varieties of Alpine wildflowers, large white stones and a small Kengaike Pond of crystal-clear water. The trail gave us many great photo ops against the backdrop of the snow-peaked mountains.

We were refreshed and cooled down despite walking for about an hour. Before heading out of the natural cooler box, we dropped by the 2612 Café at the station for a short rest and a cup of coffee with a view.

KOZENJI, SCENIC TEMPLE WITH 1165 YEARS OF HISTORY

After reversing our journey back to our car, we drove to Kozenji, a 1165-year-old Buddhist temple considered southern Nagano’s most majestic. Japan designated the temple grounds a National Scenic Beauty spot in 1967.

We walked through old wooden temple gates and explored the ancient halls, bell tower and 3-story pagoda. The stone-paved approach surrounded by tall cedar trees and luminescent moss fields gave a sacred and mysterious feeling.

Kozenji has a unique legend of a spirit dog “Hayataro,” who resided in the temple over 700 years ago and exorcised an evil baboon spirit that had terrorized a city nearby. We saw a stone monument dedicated to Hayataro and various Hayataro-shaped lucky charms and items for sale in the temple’s shop.

Inside the temple’s guest house, we sat in the tatami room facing the peaceful garden. It was a quiet place to reflect and rest.

TRIP TO THE BREWERY

We wrapped up the day trip at Yomeishu Brewery known for Yomeishu, a famous herbal health tonic. This brew is thought to boost the body’s self-regulating functions and promote overall health.

We were allowed to tour the factory and check out how dozens of natural herbs are immersed in alcohol and bottled for the medicinal liquor. We bought some bottles and had a late lunch at the Brewery’s restaurant in the cool and refreshing mountain air before heading home.

When we wrapped up our day trip in Komagane in the evening, we felt completely refreshed and cooled down in the chilly mountain air. The sites and atmosphere were the perfect remedy for the steamy heat waiting for us back in Yokosuka.

Komagane Ropeway

https://chuo-alps.com/lang/en/

Kozenji

http://www.komagane.com/kozenji.htm

Yomeishu Brewery

https://www.yomeishu.co.jp/komagane/

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