NORIKURA KOGEN 💙🌿 + Private Outdoor ONSEN Experience in Japan!

NORIKURA KOGEN 💙🌿 + Private Outdoor ONSEN Experience in Japan!

Today we’re exploring Norikura Kogen or the  nikura highlands in Japan’s Nagano prefecture   this destination wasn’t initially on our radar  but then we found a beautiful guest house in   the forest with a private outdoor Onsen and we  booked it the theme of the trip quickly turned  

To relaxation and I don’t think it could have  worked out any better so we invite you to join   us for a bit of hiking and plenty of pampering in  the northern Japanese Alps all right Ladi so the   bus connections to get to Norikura Kogen aren’t  very frequent sometimes the bus only goes every  

2 hours so we ended up taking a bus that left  from Matsumoto and came all the way to here this   is this I believe is Sando bus terminal that’s  right it was like the journey was like about an  

Hour and a half and took a while for us to get  out of the city but then it was amazing because   we got right out into the the Japanese Alps the  mountains and we’re on the most Serpentine roads  

You could ever imagine oh yeah very narrow too  and so just to give you an example of how remote   it is we’ve arrived in this place and our next  bus connection to our final destination is in  

For 2 hours so they were kind enough to keep our  bags at the station and now we’re having a nice   little local lunch here I’m ordered the basically  the Tatu with Cur and you’re getting uh w b with  

Egg exactly so we’re excited so this is how we we  are passing time here yep in this little Alpine   bus terminal that’s right I would say that was a  nice little meal just a little over 2,000 Yen a  

Nice way to spend an hour of the 2hour weight  time we have yeah we needed some time to kill   and a very pleasant Place great service just a  friendly gentleman taking our order and he has   a very impressive toy truck collection which I  should have filmed that’s something to take a  

Look for you’ll know you’re in the right place if  you notice that when you first walk in the door   yeah it’s the only restaurant in the area and now  we’re just walking up back up to the bus terminal  

To continue onwards this is the Sando National  Park gate and it’s a hub for travelers making   their way to various destinations in the northern  Japanese Alps it acts as a bus terminal as well as   a visitor center so while we waited for our bus we  got better acquainted with the local Wildlife so  

Just like back home in Canada we are in black  bear country that’s right I don’t think a lot   of people necessarily realize that you can see  bears in Japan and over here they have the last  

Sightings so it’s just a couple days ago where  and when and what time location it also has a   contact information if you see one yeah so they  can track them yeah they they obviously want to   know what’s going on they also have some great  information about what to do to prevent being  

In contact with the bear and in the 100 m race  we know that the Asian black bear is faster than   usin bolt so don’t think you can outrun the bear  because the bear can outrun even the fastest of

Runners here so we get some VI after catching our  bus we travel to bus stop number 29 nikura kogan   tourist information center as little travel  tip it’s important to know your bus stop if   you’re traveling in this area because there aren’t  any real towns in this part of the NAA Highlands  

It’s basically a scattering of guest houses and  Trail heads that lead into the forest and because   buses are infrequent you want to make sure you’re  getting where you need to be on your first [Music] try well guys good afternoon we have just arrived  arrived at our beautiful guest house here in  

Norikura Kogen so we thought we would give you  a tour before the place gets really messy as it   always does we have booked our accommodations  here at the raicho guest house it’s a 7-minute   walk from the bus stop bus stop number 29 by the  tourist info center so yeah it’s a beautiful room  

Very traditional to tatami floors we’re going to  be sleeping on futons so let’s have a little look   here so excited to be here this place just looks  fabulous we’re going to be booking our own time in  

An indoor and outdoor onsen you get 30 minute  sessions each so excited to be here I’m also   excited because I’m finally wearing a flannel and  that means that it’s not too hot anymore so fall   has finally arrived we’re going to be doing so  many cool interesting things while we’re here all  

Of them being outdoors and want to give us a tour  of the room yeah sure what I’m noticing already   compared to other Ryokans we’ve stayed at this is  a more spacious room and if you you take a look  

Down here we have our beds that have already been  pre-made for us we have a permanent table with   some chairs they’re low to the ground it’s not  quite sitting on the ground like your traditional   Ron but they’re low to the ground and the unique  thing about that is that normally our beds would  

Get put away and then the table would be moved to  the center of the room that’s a typical Ron with a   really small room but we have enough space to have  the beds out and the table out permanently I kind  

Of like that okay and while we’re at I’m going to  show you the bathroom we actually have a private   bathroom here right next to our bedroom aside  from access to the private onsen time so let’s  

Have a look just going to open this door here  so we step in you’ve got your toilet with the   bidet as you would expect from Japan little sink  here this controls both the sink and the shower   head shampoo body wash conditioner little mirror  hello hello and that is a tour of the bathroom  

Well we’re not going to waste our first afternoon  here we are dressed ready to go ready to hit the   trail and we saw a trail for a waterfall on the  walk over so we’re going to retrace our steps yes  

And can you point down for a minute I’m finally  wearing my shoes hiking shoes hiking shoes yeah   first time this trip feels strange to have real  shoes on it’s been a few weeks well the weather’s  

Cool enough now that we’re up in the mountains  so yeah let’s head on over I love this weather   Zengoronotaki Falls 1 km we’re really excited  like just literally mere meters from our guest   house was a turn off to go to see some waterfalls  only 1 kilometer away we’re looking for an easy  

Little hike before we have supper it’s the  perfect thing great way to ease into a hiking   trip right and to work up an appetite for maybe  a pizza tonight yes I’m thinking about it those   muscles I’m thinking about it we have a little  bit of drizzle but it’s actually not too bad  

In the forest because we’ve got a lot of foliage  protecting us overhead but I did pack an umbrella   just in case I thought I had packed my rain jacket  for hiking on this trip but I can’t seem to find  

It anywhere in my suitcase so an umbrella it  is and we’re going to hike rain or shine I   don’t know about you Audrey but I am absolutely  loving it out here that fresh Mountain air lush  

Green everywhere and just the lack of crowds we’ve  chosen sort of a non-touristy place up here in the   Japanese mountains just incredible so far every  single step I’m loving right now to me nature   is therapeutic and it’s just such a privilege  to have a chance to be here yeah I’ll mention  

Originally we were looking at going to kamakoi  which is a more well-known area for hiking in   beautiful landscapes but it just it was just too  expensive it’s a bit more touristy it’s well known   and accommodation costs were through the roof so  this was an alternative we found and honestly so  

Far we are very happy with her decision like we  kind of ended up here by chance but I mean it’s   been great it’s been great to be honest I’m more  about the underrated gems in in places around the  

World now than I am about checking off like the  typical I don’t know place that everyone else   likes to go to so this is amazing loving it out  here and uh just I thought I’d share that [Music] enthusiasm all right friends this was a  pleasant surprise I thought we had reached  

The Zengoronotaki waterfalls when we crossed the  first bridge but let me turn you around around   there you have the real waterfalls those are huge  and if you go stand over at the other Lookout   Point like you just get blasted by the Mist  it almost feels like it’s raining it’s just so  

Impressive so powerful and so massive I mean I was  not expecting this today it’s so [Music] beautiful [Music] we have gone for a non-japanese dinner  today y we’re keeping it real guys showing you   what we do today we’ve gone for two different  pizzas we have the mixed one which appears to  

Have shrimp looks like there’s some green pepper  and onion and some tomatoes and yours over here is   it’s called the margarita y um an interpretation  of it with tomatoes cheese and it looks like pesto   pesto yeah so this restaurant it’s called the  Prima Vera spring and we’re doing something kind  

Of fun we’re going half Seas so get uh to try  half and half yeah all right friends let’s try this very cheesy very stringy that’s some pretty  decent pizza craving it today and after that hike  

In in in the little cold a little bit of rain  after dinner we picked up a few treats to enjoy   back at our guest house one thing we liked about  this place is that they had a communal kitchen  

With tea and coffee available to all guests so  we made ourselves a pot of green tea to enjoy   with our app Apple pancake Nagano prefecture  is one of the top Apple producers in Japan   with plenty of apple orchards so of course we  had to try one of their local Specialties it’s  

Really nice really nice green tea okay so we  are lucky enough to have booked a Ron that has   an Onsen we can use privately this is our first  time ever in Japan so pretty excited you’re going   into the bathing suit I’m getting naked been  afraid okay I will clarify the indoor one you  

Have to be naked the outdoor one they say wear a  bathing suit because neighbors other guests could   see you that’s why I’m an exhibitionist what  can I say whoa feel so I’m going to dress um  

It’s already dark but I’m going to try and film  a little bit so you get an idea of what it’s like all righty I’m time please cover yourself  we do not need to see anything so here is Sam   enjoying outdoor onsen life how’s it this is  the best nature tranquility and this Onsen  

Is really nice it’s um it’s obviously warm  but this one isn’t like piping hot there’s   some that are like you feel like you’re kind  of being boiled alive this one not it’s just   very comfortable and oh could be here all day we  only got a half an hour we’ve got a little clock  

Here to keep track of time we get this place for  30 minutes there’s the guest house we came down   those steps that’s the change room and this is  the magical outdoor Onsen in the middle of the  

Forest would you look at that all righty well  I’m going to go in as well is there a stu here   y careful oh it is hot what do you mean it is  not hot it’s not that come on are you kidding

Me what do you mean it’s not hot perfect get in  there all righty going to try to film a little bit   of this so we’re going to enjoy and then we’ll  take you to the indoor onsen for a different experience t

Ta on on so this is where you would  have a little shower rinse off sit   on the stool and then you can make your  way in you just have to lift off those   covers and this one was piping hot  couldn’t show you cuz it was a NY

One [Music] bit of a rainy morning around  these parts it’s raining it’s pouring the   old man is snoring yeah it’s raining guys wasn’t  supposed to but it started last night and uh it’s   continued into the morning the thing is every  time I checked her forecast they keep pushing  

It back and hour was like it’s going to stop at  9:00 it’s going to stop at 10:00 it’s going to   stop at 11:00 and um yeah we’ve just been holding  off on the hike because we we want to be able to  

Film it obviously it’s tough to film in the rain  and we also want to be able to enjoy it we don’t   want to get soaking wet so we’re going to wait it  out have a super early lunch around it’s like 10:  

Something in the morning and hopefully it clears  by 11:00 or 1200 but if it doesn’t we’re just   going to suck it up and go outside yeah hike  with umbrellas and rain jackets in your case  

I don’t know where mine can you do what can you  do what can you do and some hot barley tea to   warm up from the walkover yeah so we’re at a local  little spot it’s called Okamisan dining it was one  

Of the few places that was open at this time  uh they open at 9:00 a.m. and they have some   really nice dishes I got something with fried  chicken and they also have udon uh different  

Curry sets Sam got some ginger pork and like all  their sets come with rice and with miso so I’m   really looking forward to like a warm hearty meal  and filling up my belly before we head out into  

The cold and the rain fried chicken potato salad  some greens rice miso soup pickled veggies I’m a   happy girl it’s a complete meal mhm I think I  ordered the best this time you did you you got  

You got a rare win against me I’m insisting half  SE I’m I’m invoking the half SE claws mine looks   fine but yours looks absolutely delicious I have  slight food and me ginger pork nice thin strips   guys that’s absolutely delicious I just love that  Ginger sauce it’s got a a very nice balanced set  

Lots of vegetables here some rice and miso so  you know a nice healthy balanced meal yucky so   those are the buckwheat dough dumplings yep we  had those in Matsumoto for the first time got   three saving two for the hike and we’re going  to try one now it’s pure potato M okay so we’re  

At the trail head joyful walks niura yeah um it  stopped raining we got excited and then started   raining again it is what it is so yesterday we  basically did this Trail okay we did the Blue   Trail all the way out to the zeni falls sorry it’s  a Zengoronotaki Falls Zengoronotaki Falls and then  

We came back home cuz we only had limited time in  the afternoon but today what we’re planning to do   is this substantially lengthier orange Trail  all the way like that so it’s going to take us  

Approximately 3 hours 2 hours and 50 minutes it’s  an easy Trail compared to the one we did yesterday   which was two out of five stars had a bit more  of a steeper incline and then this one over here  

The 6h hour track uh is a three star so we’re  not going to have time to do that one yeah that   one has a lot of elevation gain that that’s the  difficulty so we’re opting for the easy and Scenic  

One and this one is called Ichinose Meadow Trail  that’s the one we’re going to do right now and   we’re we’re ready we’ve got our rain jackets we’ve  got our umbrellas and we also have a camera that  

Can hand as weatherproof so we’ll take you along  and we’ll film it as best we [Music] [Applause] can these little plastic clear see-through  umbrellas are amazing especially especially   if you’re visiting Japan during the rainy  season which technically we’re not but it  

Means you can really take in the sight and  enjoy the scenery even if it’s raining cuz   it’s clear taada this is pretty nice rain and  all it really is it’s really nice just being   out of nature doesn’t matter and we’re getting  teased with the sun it just keeps popping out  

For a few seconds still keeps raining but um yeah  so far so good we haven’t seen anyone else on the   trail no not yet yeah it’s been really nice  very Scenic this bridge is especially nice   you have all these rocks covered in Moss  you have a nice stream coming down with  

All the rain um yeah it looks like the sun’s  starting to pop out so we’ll see we’ll [Music] see here comes the Sun [Music] first point of Interest here on this Trail we  have made it to the azami pond which means the   thistle Pond apparently it’s shaped like  a thistle Leaf okay and this is our first   major attraction on this hiking route and  guess what what it’s not raining no more  

The Sun finally came out so we we battled rain  for about the first half an hour 40 minutes of   the hike and now it looks like we’ve got  sun and here are some of the animals you   can expect to see we’ve got the malard the  malard duck here we have the great spotted  

Woodpecker and the Eurasian J so we’ll  see if we get lucky with any of these birds uh I like it uh [Music] uh [Music] on the way back to our guest house  we stopped at a little coffee and tea shop on  

The side of the trail I ordered something  called Japanese chai and it was the most   beautiful explosion of spices a nice and  completely unexpected treat plus we also   got some little cookies with a local jam it was  Just What We Needed before waddling back to our

[Music] accommodations and now here’s a  mini tour of the r show guest house where   we stayed for two nights I think this is one  of those times where the guest house was the   destination we booked this place when we  saw that it came with access to a private  

Outdoor onsen and we sure made use of it we  booked our three 30 minute time slots per day   and the rain also kind of forced us to enjoy  some downtime so we may not have done a whole   lot here but we sure felt pampered which  was nice after several weeks of non-stop  

Travel across Japan so that’s all for this  episode if you enjoyed this video we invite   you to subscribe and leave us a comment and  we’ll be seeing you very soon with the next adventure [Music]

Today we’re exploring Norikura Kogen, or the Norikura Highlands in Japan’s Nagano Prefecture. This destination wasn’t initially on our radar, but then we found a beautiful guesthouse in the forest with a private outdoor onsen, and we booked it! The theme of the trip quickly turned to relaxation, and I don’t think it could have worked out any better. So we invite you to join us for a bit of hiking and plenty of pampering in the Northern Japanese Alps.

Our Trip to Norikura Kogen in Nagano Prefecture, Japan:
00:29 – Getting to Norikura Kogen
03:49 – Checking in at Raicho Guesthouse
06:06 – Hiking to Zengoronotaki Falls
09:36 – Dinner at Primavera
10:44 – Japanese Tea and Desserts
11:13 – Private Outdoor Onsen Experience
13:55 – Lunch at Okamisan Dining
16:20 – Hiking Ichinose Meadow Trail
20:31 – Guesthouse Tour and Final Thoughts

#norikura #norikurakogen #ruraljapan

NORIKURA KOGEN 💙🌿 + Private Outdoor ONSEN Experience in Japan!

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Nestled within the heart of Nagano Prefecture lies the hidden gem of Norikura Kogen, a serene retreat within the Northern Japanese Alps that calls to those seeking solace and adventure in equal measure. Initially unbeknownst to us, this enchanting destination beckoned with the promise of untold natural beauty and tranquility. Our discovery of a quaint guesthouse, shrouded within the forest’s embrace and boasting a private outdoor onsen, was the serendipitous beginning of an unforgettable journey focused on relaxation and reconnection with nature.

Embarking on the Journey to Norikura Kogen

Our adventure commenced with the journey to Norikura Kogen, a scenic voyage that gradually peeled away the layers of urban bustle to reveal the pristine landscapes of Nagano. The anticipation built with each passing mile, culminating in our arrival at the charming Raicho Guesthouse. Nestled amidst the verdant forest, this haven of peace immediately enveloped us in its warm embrace, setting the tone for a trip centered around leisure and the simple pleasures of life.

Immersive Experiences and Natural Wonders

Eager to explore the surrounding wilderness, we embarked on a hike to the majestic Zengoronotaki Falls. The path wound through the lush alpine flora, with the cascading waters serving as a mesmerizing backdrop to our exploration. The falls’ thunderous roar and the cool mist that kissed our skin were invigorating, reminding us of nature’s raw power and beauty.

As evening approached, we indulged in a culinary delight at Primavera, where the fusion of local ingredients and traditional techniques resulted in a feast that tantalized our taste buds. The meal was a celebration of the region’s bounty, each dish a testament to the chef’s artistry.

The highlight of our stay, however, was the private outdoor onsen experience. Under a canopy of stars, we soaked in the steaming waters, the tensions of the world melting away in the embrace of geothermal warmth. It was a moment of profound peace, a communion with the elements that grounded us in the present.

Exploring and Reflecting

Our days were filled with further explorations, including a leisurely hike along the Ichinose Meadow Trail, where the panoramic vistas of the Northern Alps unfolded before us in a breathtaking tapestry of nature’s splendor. Each step revealed new wonders, from the delicate wildflowers at our feet to the soaring peaks above.

Returning to the guesthouse, we were afforded a moment of reflection. The Raicho Guesthouse, with its rustic charm and heartfelt hospitality, had become more than just a place to stay; it was a sanctuary that had nurtured our spirits and provided a respite from the chaos of everyday life.

Final Thoughts

As our journey in Norikura Kogen drew to a close, we were left with a profound sense of gratitude for the unexpected beauty and serenity we had discovered. This hidden corner of Nagano Prefecture, with its majestic landscapes, soothing onsen waters, and the simple joy of connection with nature, had offered us a rare gift – the chance to pause, breathe, and simply be. Our trip to Norikura Kogen was a vivid reminder of the restorative power of nature and the enduring allure of Japan’s lesser-known destinations.

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