Looking for an outdoor weekend getaway? You'll also learn about farming and sustainability in Yatsugatake countryside
Yamanashi prefecture is a popular destination for a weekend getaway from Tokyo. The prefecture is divided into six areas, all offering their own unique experiences. Among these, the mountainous Yatsugatake area is noted for its wealth of outdoor activities, which allow you to experience the mountains and forest in a sustainable manner while going on long hikes and marvelling at the wildlife.
Despite being located all the way out on the border to Nagano prefecture, Yatsugatake can be reached in under two hours from Shinjuku Station by limited express train. Read on for the six things you can do to enjoy a relaxing, low-impact weekend in the midst of nature.
Inoue Farm run by Farman in Takanecho, Hokuto grows vast fields of around 20 JAS-certified organic veggies including spinach, garlic, beet and pumpkin. The farm prides itself on incorporating circular economy principles by making productive use of waste like leftover veggies and composted manure in its unique soil.
To enlighten visitors about farming and agriculture, Inoue Farm is offering a program where you can harvest seasonal veggies with a resident farming expert and take the greens home with you to eat. This experience is only offered in Japanese for ¥5,000 per person. You can sign up and see the full list of available dates on the website.
Another way Yatsugatake is staying eco-friendly is by implementing sustainable forestry practices. While cutting down trees may sound harmful to the environment, responsible forestry plays an essential role in combating global warming and protecting biodiversity.
The Tennyosan Forestry organisation is active around the southern foothills of the Yatsugatake mountains, cutting down trees that are dead or obstructive to the environment. It’s now inviting children to learn about forestry by getting a hands-on experience and seeing trees get cut right in front of them. Tours can be booked for groups of primary school students or older children for ¥3,000 per person (¥5,000 for adults).
Omurasaki Center is another local actor incorporating forestry to better its environment, utilising felled trees to create an adventure-filled children’s outdoor playground. The Mori no Asobiba playground features a wide variety of equipment for kids to play with.
They even have pieces of wood cut out intricately with a chainsaw and made to look like animals. The playground is still under construction, but is set to open at the end of 2023.
While sustainability is an important consideration at the Omurasaki Center, the place is best known as a facility dedicated to the preservation of Japan’s national butterfly, the Great Purple. At the center you can learn about this rare species, in addition to other insects that live in the area.
After you’ve explored Yatsugatake’s nature, we recommend visiting Harvest Terrace, which is around a 20 minute car ride away from the playground. Order the plate lunch (¥2,100), which comes with several veggie-focused side dishes using seasonal produce grown at the on-site farm, plus deli meats, soup and a drink.
The terrace is the best place to sit on a sunny day and lets you look out at the sprawling farm.
After a nice meal, go hike up Yatsugatake with mountain master Takaaki Ishikawa, who has summited peaks in places including Kathmandu in Nepal and Zermatt in Switzerland. But this won’t be your typical hike: you’ll have the opportunity to pick up trash while you go to help keep the trails clean.
During the hike, you’ll get an opportunity to replenish with spring water from the mountains and even make coffee with it. The entire tour takes 2.5 hours (including a one-hour coffee break) and can be booked online for ¥4,000 per person (¥2,000 for children).
If you’re planning to stay the night, book a stay at the Yatsugatake Grace Hotel, where every room guarantees a spectacular view of the Yatsugatake mountains. While you’ll have the opportunity to eat a lot of fresh veggies elsewhere during your trip, you won’t want to miss the dinner offerings here either. Opt for a Japanese set meal, which comes with around a dozen dishes using fish, meat and seasonal produce, plus a salad buffet of locally grown greens (from ¥4,950).
All Grace Hotel guests are invited to join a free stargazing session led by ‘star sommeliers’ (only in Japanese), held nightly at 8pm.
While some of the locations featured above are easy to get to by train, we recommend renting a car if you want to save time. Visit the Yatsugatake tourism website for more information.