Nagano Winter Exclusive | Snow and Stars at Utsukushigahara Highlands

|Snow and Stars at Utsukushigahara Highlands 🌟Utsukushigahara Highlands is located between Matsumoto and Ueda in Nagano Prefecture. At an altitude of over 2,000 meters, it is a lava plateau that was once eroded by a volcano. You can enjoy a 360-degree view of Mount Fuji, the Japanese Alps, Yatsugatake, and more than 40 of Japan's 100 famous mountains. 💐In spring and summer, the area is covered with flowers. There are also ranches, art museums, and walking trails for hiking. ❄️In winter, the roads are closed from November to April, and most facilities are closed. Visitors can only reach the area by taking the hotel shuttle bus that operates in winter. - 🔎There are three accommodation options on the mountain, ranked by view and comfort: Utsukushigahara Kogen Ougatou Hotel/Yamamoto Goya Furusato-kan/Utsukushigahara Kogen Hotel Yamamoto Goya - ✨We stayed at Utsukushigahara Kogen Hotel Yamamoto Goya, which has only 17 rooms, so plan ahead. The weather was nice on the day we arrived, and the snow was a beautiful white. The rime and snow-covered trees were stunning, and we were amazed to see Mount Fuji when the view was clear! Next was the snowmobile experience. There were two sessions in the afternoon and one in the morning the next day. Everyone drew lots to determine the session, which was quite fair. - 🌿I remember that before we got on the snowmobile, everyone's phone suddenly rang with an earthquake alert, and we could feel the ground shaking. We later learned that it was an earthquake in Ishikawa Prefecture, and we were surprised that it could be felt so far away. 🌟The snowmobile took us to Ougatou, where there is a tower called the Tower of Beauty, built in 1954 from local ironstone. When the fog thickens, the tower rings a bell to indicate its location. There are many radio towers near the top of the mountain, standing silently in the snow, creating a mysterious atmosphere. After watching the sunset and the sea of clouds, we returned to the hotel. At night, there was a stargazing activity, and the staff took photos for everyone. - 🔜The next day, we had a mochi-making experience, and the mochi we made was part of our breakfast. Before leaving, we took a walk around Mount Ushibuse, but the weather was bad, and we couldn't see much through the fog. Although the range of activities is limited in winter, there are few tourists, and the beautiful snow left a deep impression.