Overview
| Iiyama City, Madarao-kogen, Tangram and the surrounding areas area are located deep in the heart of the Japan Alps at the northernmost part of Nagano Prefecture, making it an excellent retreat during any of the four seasons. Here you can experience "ancient" Japan by visiting the many remaining temples or just by viewing its traditional landscapes that are spread across the region. The Chikuma River (the longest river in Japan) runs through the centre of the area and becomes known as the Shinano River when it passes into Niigata Prefecture. A virgin beech forest covers 400ha of Mt. Nabekura, providing great opportunities for hiking and sightseeing. The area prides itself on 'green tourism' and is known as 'Japan's hometown'. | |
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Barton Hotel - Twenty minutes by car from Myokokogen station at Madarao/Tangram. The hotel has both an inside and outside onsen and is conveniently close to local ski resorts. Map to Barton Hotel, Tangram |
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Madarao Elm Pension - A hospitable and comfortable hotel with a female owner. Twenty minutes by car from the Toyota-Iiyama interchange on the Joshin-Estsu Expressway Map to Madarao Elm Pension |
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Mountain Inn Maroudo - Beautiful sunrise and cloud views can be had from your room window in the early morning. The hosts will collect guests from the JR Iiyama Station. Map to Mountain Inn Maroudo |
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Pension Four Seasons - You can enjoy the nearby ski slopes in winter or the cool of the summer highlands. Rooms or log cabin available. Alight at JR Iiyama Station and take a bus to Madarao-kogen. Map to Pension Four Season, Madarao |
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Pension Pure - With nice meals and great views. Thirty minutes by bus from JR Iiyama Station. Map to Pension Pure, Iiyama |
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Madarao Tokyu Resort Hotel Tangram |
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Onsen - Many of the good hotels in the area have onsen plus there are several fine public onsen. These include Yutaki Onsen on Route 117, Hokuryu Onsen in Iiyama City (with fabulous views from the outdoor hot spring (rotemburo) of the five peaks of the Hokushin region and the Sekita mountain range), Togari Onsen with two well known rotenburo (outside pools) and Madarao Kogen Onsen where one can enjoy a relaxing mountain onsen located more than 1000 metres above sea level. Local town onsen are also available and quite inexpensive but usually consist of only one smallish bath. Look for the following symbol on maps and signs when seeking onsen. Check our onsen page for further details Local Products - There are a number of unique products available. Iiyama's Buddhist altars are famous for their craftsmanship and for the amount produced in one city plus the art of making Japanese "washi" paper, "Uchiyama Tesuki Washi", has a local history of over 400years. Tomikura Soba (Tomikura Buckwheat Noodles). The secret to the local Tomikura soba is usage of wild burdock leaves, giving it a unique firmness plus a rich, dark flavor and color. Adventurous visitors MIGHT be able to find the soba restaurants which are unmarked with no signs or advertisements - local establishments are usually well-known among soba fanatics. But you'll likely need to make a reservation because the noodles are handmade each day and they boil them as they are ordered.Local Produce - For just a fraction of the price you would pay in Tokyo or Osaka, the local area has numerous roadside stalls and farmers' markets where you can buy great local produce. The tomatoes and peaches are renowned and the region grows blueberries, apples, pears, corn, edamame (green soybeans) and dozens of other fruits and vegetables. You will also discover all sorts of local specialities such as Scotch thistle preserve, walnut jam and aloe vera honey. Click here for more shopping options. Mid- February: Iiyama Snow Festival *Approximate dates and times only. Please double-check with the local tourist centre. Newport Jazz Festival in Madarao - A three day festival held every summer since 1982 on the beautiful Madarao plateau. Includes workshops and jam sessions as well as performances by well known local and international performers. Notable artists who have performed at the festival include: Dizzy Gillespie quartet, Spyro Gyra, Masahiko Sato, Stuff, Tania Maria, Toshiyuki Honda, Terumasa Hino, B. B. King, Gary Burton, Dave Brubeck, Woody Herman, Freddie Hubbard, Lee Ritenour, Wayne Shorter, Jackie McLean, Celia Cruz, Sérgio Mendes, Jonathan Butler, Gil Evans, Charmaine Neville, Larry Goldings, Regina Carter, Monday Michiru, Michael Brecker, Dianne Reeves, Ray Barretto, Angélique Kidjo, PE'Z, and many more. Lake Nojiri Triathlon - This is an increasingly popular event for both contestants and spectators. It held every year around the middle of July. Competitors came from all over Japan as well as overseas.
Golf - There are several excellent golf courses in the area including Madarao Tokyu Golf Club and Madarao Kogen Country Club. Click here for more golf course information. Skiing - There are a number of high quality ski resorts in the region. These include Madarao Sympathique, Madarao Kogen Tangram Ski Circus, Togari Onsen, Shinanodaira, Iiyama Kokusai and Hokuryuko. Please refer to our ski and snowboard page for further information. You can check out current conditions at Tangram Ski Circus via their live web cam (below) . Numerous bargain packages(lift tickets, discount coupons and ski packages can be found - particularly mid-week or in low season. As an example, for the 2007/2008 season Tangram was promoting a lift ticket, crepe, drink and onsen for only 2,600 yen. Check at one of the local tourist offices for packages and coupons before heading up the mountain. Hiking - From Hokuryuko ski area there are several hiking trails that link up to eventually lead to the Inner Shrine of the Kosuge Shrine. It’s a fairly steep slog up hill for forty minutes but the shrine is very pretty and the views back to the plain are great. There is also a freshwater spring next to the shrine to fill your water bottle up at! Lake Hokuryuko is also often used for kayaking. Festivals - During Golden Week (the beginning of May), the Na-no-hana (Canola Blossom) festival is held in Iiyama. The Na-no-hana park overlooks the river and the plain and is a great spot for some random flower viewing and a picnic! Cherry Blossom Viewing: The ruins of Iiyama Castle built by the orders of feudal lord Uesugi Kenshin is one of the very best sakura locations in the region during the Iiyama Joshi Sakura Festival. About 400 someiyoshino blossoms cover the entire mountain in pink, and the cherry blossoms the narcissus blooming during the same season are equally gorgeous. From the castle ruins you can have a grand view of the Chikuma River flowing down along with with the mountainscape of Shiga-Kogen with snow left on its peak. |
Tangram Ski Circus Live Web Cam Courtesy of Tangram Resort |
Madarao-Kogen Live Web Cam Courtesy of Myoko City |
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Directions:Madarao, Iiyama and Tangram are located north-west of Tokyo and 30-60 minutes from Nagano, home of the 1998 Winter Olympics. Iiyama: Take a shinkansen from Tokyo/Ueno or highway bus from Ikebukero (Tokyo) to Nagano then a JR train to Iiyama Madarao: In winter there is a highway bus from Nagano station two times a day and takes about 70 minutes. Alternatively Tangram Ski Circus: Take the shuttle bus from Nagano or Kurohime stations Check here for more explicit instructions on getting to Nagano via bus, train, car and taxi service. Alternatively try the official Iiyama City access page |
Other nearby attractionsIn nearby Shinanomachi lies the home of the revered Japanese poet, Issa. Zenkoji Temple in Nagano City is also a popular tourist spot. Catch the Dentetsu line train to Gondo or Zenkoji stations and then walk about 10 minutes. During late summer, areas of Kurohime Plateau (kurohime kogen) become covered in the new blooms of cosmos flowers - more than a million blooms in every colour of the rainbow. In early summer lavender grows all over an area on the south face of Mount Kurohime. References: Iiyama City Tourism: http://www.iiyama-ouendan.net/english/index.html |