Iiyama Station Tourist Information Center

Orientation at Iiyama Station. Meet at Iiyama Station (Shinkansen hub, ~2 hours from Tokyo).Orientation includes bicycle and helmet fitting, optional rain gear/GPS setup, and luggage handoff before setting out. We will take this time to give an overview of the region, showing where we will be going. Maps, pamphlets and reference materials about the region are available to browse. If something outside the planned itinerary catches your interest, we can discuss the possibility of fitting it in to the adventure.

Iiyama

Explore Iiyama’s historic temple district, sometimes called the “Kyoto of Northern Nagano” for its concentration of temples in a small area. Cycle or walk between quiet temple grounds and appreciate their traditional wooden architecture and seasonal atmosphere. The area is home to Butsudan Street, lined with workshops producing elaborately crafted Buddhist household altars. Iiyama is one of a handful of places in Japan renowned for butsudan craftsmanship, a tradition passed down through generations. The altars, decorated with lacquer and gold leaf, are an essential part of family religious practice. Step inside the shops, meet craftspeople, ask questions, and, if time allows, try a short hands-on demonstration of the craft. For a different perspective, we’ll visit the Iiyama Ski Jump site, a training ground for local athletes with sweeping views open over the Chikuma River valley and surrounding countryside.

Mayumi Takahashi Doll Museum

Discover the artistry of Takahashi Mayumi, a celebrated doll maker whose work captures the spirit of rural Japan. What began as a hobby has become one of Iiyama’s most beloved attractions, drawing visitors from across the country. Her handcrafted dolls are arranged in detailed dioramas showing everyday countryside life - children at play, families gathered around the hearth, farmers working the land, and neighbors enjoying local festivals. Their expressive faces carry humor, warmth, and nostalgia, often moving Japanese visitors to tears as they recall a slower way of life that is disappearing. Exhibits also introduce the artist’s inspiration and creative process, giving context to the stories behind each scene. Though small, the museum offers a rare and emotional glimpse into the heart of the Snow Country. Note: the museum is closed on Wednesdays; if your tour date falls on that day, we’ll arrange an alternative activity.

Iiyama

Cycle through quiet farmland and small hamlets on a plateau overlooking the Chikuma River valley. The route passes rice fields, apple orchards, and village lanes, with vast mountain and valley views opening up below. The ride is relatively level and distance can be adjusted to suit the group. For those seeking a little extra challenge, an optional extension continues uphill toward the day's final destination at Nozawa Onsen.

Nozawa Onsen

Arrive in Nozawa Onsen, a historic hot-spring town with a tradition stretching back to the 13th century. Check into your Japanese-style inn, change into yukata robes, and enjoy tea before heading out to explore. Walk the narrow streets, stop at the Ogama hot-spring where locals still cook vegetables and eggs, and browse small shops and shrines. In the evening, experience one of the town’s 13 traditional public bathhouses, an important part of community life, or, if available, the bath inside your inn. Bathing here is as much about mingling with locals as it is about relaxing after the day’s ride.

Nozawa Onsen

Japanese Inn & Kaiseki Diner End the day at a family-run inn or ryokan in Nozawa Onsen. After exploring the town’s public bathhouses, settle into your tatami room and enjoy a seasonal kaiseki dinner featuring mountain vegetables and regional specialties. Inns vary in style - some with their own onsen, others without - but all offer authentic countryside hospitality. During dinner, your guide is there to explain the dishes, answer questions, and share insights about rural life in Japan. Accommodation and meals are not included in the tour price but will be arranged for you as part of your experience.

Nozawa Onsen

Morning in the Onsen Town Inn. Begin the day at your own pace. Sleep in and enjoy your futon, or choose from morning activities. Adventurers can join a sunrise ride along quiet rural roads, including a short but rewarding hill climb with sweeping views - back in time for breakfast. For a slower start, stroll forest paths to a small shrine or temple, or relax with a soak in the inn’s bath. A light scavenger-hunt game helps you explore hidden corners and back lanes of the town. Afterwards, enjoy a traditional multi-course Japanese breakfast with regional specialties, such as onsen tamago (eggs slow-cooked in hot-spring water) and pickles simmered in the town’s baths. Once the shops open, there’s time to browse for local gifts before heading out for the day’s ride.

Hokuryu Lake

Forest Road Cycling Past Hokuryuko Lake After breakfast, begin the day with a relaxed bike ride along quiet country roads through forest and small hamlets. The route passes Hokuryuko, a calm mountain lake tucked into the hillside, before continuing mostly downhill with only gentle climbs. The road is nearly car-free, making it an easy and enjoyable ride with open views and fresh mountain air. The ride finishes at a farmers market and cafe, where local produce, baked goods, and coffee provide a natural break before the next activity.

Iiyama

Farmers Market & Café Sato-wa: Arrive at a lively farmers market where local growers bring fresh vegetables, fruits, jams, breads, sweets, honey, and even regional wines. You’ll have time to mingle with locals and browse seasonal specialties unique to the countryside. The attached café, Sato-wa, serves “the taste of Iiyama,” with pastries and light meals made from nearby harvests like handmade curry, miso soup, or fluffy local-egg omelets. For many guests, this is where the ride slows into a relaxed break, a chance to enjoy good food and the feel of everyday life in a rural town.

Traditional Washi Paper Making in Uchiyama Village. A short uphill ride (easy with e-bikes) from the farmers market brings us to the hamlet of Uchiyama, once renowned across Japan for its handmade washi paper. The craft here is unique: it uses one of Japan’s purest mountain water sources - still visited today by people who come to collect it, and takes advantage of the region’s famously deep snow. Artisans practice a special technique called yukisarashi, where snow and sunlight naturally bleach the fibers, creating paper known for its strength and translucence. At the workshop, you’ll learn about washi’s role in Japanese culture from shoji doors and stationery to ukiyo-e prints, and try making your own sheet to take home.

Iiyama

Japanese Supermarket Adventure (optional) After the paper-making workshop, enjoy a short, easy bike ride down to a local Japanese supermarket. This stop depends on time and group interest, but it’s always a favorite. Step inside for a look at everyday food culture: shelves lined with miso pastes, soy sauces, seasonal vegetables, and endless varieties of snacks. Take part in a lighthearted “shopping challenge” to find something to share with dinner or a small gift for the evening’s hosts. It’s also a chance to practice simple Japanese with store staff or just explore the candy aisle. Kids love the treats, and food lovers often discover flavors worth taking home. More than shopping, it’s a glimpse into daily life in rural Japan.

Iiyama Yutaki Onsen

Onsen Bath After the supermarket, or instead of it, those who want to continue cycling can follow a quiet road along the Chikuma River to a local hot-spring bath. The ride is gentle, with broad river views and small hamlets along the way. For those not riding, alternative arrangements are made so everyone can join at the onsen. A favorite of local families, the modern spacious onsen has both indoor and outdoor baths, making it a comfortable place to clean up and relax before heading to the farmhouse stay.

Tsunan-machi

Local Farm Stay Settle in at a local farmhouse for the night, a stay that feels more like visiting relatives than checking into an inn. Dinner is shared with the hosts around the family table - a simple home-cooked meal made from ingredients grown in their fields or sourced from nearby farms. Afterward, there’s time to talk with your hosts (with your guide to translate), hear about life in the region, or join small activities such as learning traditional games like ohajiki, discovering what your name means in Japanese characters and writing it with a calligraphy brush, or trying natural dyeing. The hostess is an experienced dyer who uses wild plants to create textiles in traditional Japanese colors and is happy to share her craft. When the evening winds down, step outside for stargazing in the clear, light-pollution–free sky before retiring to your futon with only the quiet sounds of the countryside around you.

Tsunan-machi

Breakfast & Farm Life Wake up to the smell of homemade natural yeast bread, jams, and fresh eggs from the farmhouse hens. Breakfast is simple but memorable, especially when enjoyed Japanese-style with a raw egg over steaming rice. Before setting off, you may join in a few light farm tasks or prepare your own onigiri rice balls - sometimes using ingredients picked up at the supermarket the day before. Meals are provided as part of the farmhouse stay, which is arranged for you but paid separately from the tour price. Together, these small routines offer a real glimpse into daily life in Japan’s snow country.

Akiyamago

This day has three options depending on interest and how much you want to ride. All options are equally rewarding, but with a different focus. One is to cycle e-bikes into the remote Akiyamago Valley, nestled between Mount Naeba and Torikabuto. Long regarded as one of Japan’s great hikyō (hidden regions), the valley offers dramatic scenery and history. With e-assist the climb is manageable, and the ride ends with a long downhill along the turquoise Nakatsugawa River, with stops at hamlets, shrines, and small museums tied to Heike clan legends. Alternatively, a shorter countryside loop avoids the big climb and allows more time at the farmhouse, while another route visits cultural sites including a Jomon museum and a preserved Edo-era farmhouse. The guide adjusts plans to match group preference and conditions.

Akiyamago Hozon Minka

Tonenbo Folk Center & Preserved Farmhouse (Akiyamago Option) As part of the Akiyamago Valley route, we stop at the Tonenbo Community Hall - a small hub that combines a folk museum, tourist information, local hall, and post office under one roof. Exhibits explain how families endured life in this remote valley, with displays on farming tools, Matagi hunting traditions, and slash-and-burn agriculture. Next door, a preserved 230-year-old thatched farmhouse, free to enter, vividly shows everyday Edo-period life, from its central hearth to handmade household goods. Together, these offer a rare glimpse into both the resilience of past generations and the role of community infrastructure that still sustains Akiyamago today.

Nebaso Bear Hunter Inn & Hyasoba Lunch Along the Akiyamago Valley route, we may stop at Minshuku Naebaso, a family-run inn that has welcomed travelers since the Edo period and was noted in an 1828 travel diary. At that time the valley was extremely secluded, with no proper roads, and outside visitors were rare. Even as recently as twenty years ago, heavy snow could still cut the area off for long stretches, though residents were well accustomed to such conditions. The inn is best known for serving the valley’s specialty haya-soba (“fast soba”), once a humble villagers’ meal and now a revived regional dish. Lunch here is not included in the tour price and is ordered individually, depending on group interest and timing. As an aside, the innkeeper is also a bear hunter, and on rare occasions bear meat may be available, adding another glimpse into the traditions of this remote valley.

Yamagen Mokko Traditional Wood Craft As part of the Akiyamago route, we can stop at Yamagen Mokko, a century-old family woodworking shop where generations have crafted tools and household items from local timber. The current owners, twin brothers, carry on the tradition with careful skill and deep knowledge of the forest. Visitors are welcomed with tea and conversation, offering a rare chance to hear directly from artisans who have spent their lives shaping wood and preserving the valley’s craft heritage.

Midama Futoson

Midama Fudoson Shrine During the downhill ride out of Akiyamago Valley, we stop at Midama Fudoson, a small roadside shrine tied to the history of the Heike clan. It is known for its pure spring water and the local “eye-medicine tree,” long believed to aid vision. The stop is simple but memorable - a chance to rest, fill your bottle, and sample traditions like local tea or pickles that are sometimes offered by caretakers. From here, the ride continues through the valley toward the day’s final hot spring.

Tsunan History and Folklore Museum

Tsunan Folk Museum & Preserved Minka (Option 2) For those choosing the shorter Tsunan route, the ride includes a visit to the Tsunan Folk Museum and a preserved thatched farmhouse. The museum houses farming tools, household objects, and cultural artifacts from the surrounding mountains, many designated Important Cultural Properties of Japan. Next door, the 200-year-old minka shows how families adapted to heavy snow and rural life in earlier times. This option avoids the long climb into Akiyamago, offering a gentler ride while still providing valuable insight into the traditions and resilience of snow-country communities.

Ryugakubonomizu

Ryuugakubo Pond (Option 2) On the Tsunan plateau ride, the route passes Ryuugakubo Pond, one of Japan’s “100 Famous Waters.” Fed by underground springs and surrounded by beech forest, the pond is tied to dragon legends and remains a source of drinking water for locals. While we don’t stop for long, it gives a sense of the area’s natural springs and legends before the route continues downhill toward the onsen. This option avoids the steep climbs of Akiyamago and offers a relaxed ride with more time at the farmhouse or nearby cultural sites.

Another option for Day 3 is to visit Najomon, a museum and cultural park focused on the Jomon period and local farming traditions. Exhibits include ancient pottery and stone tools unearthed in Tsunan, with some available to handle directly. Outside, a reconstructed Jomon village with thatched pit dwellings offers insight into daily life thousands of years ago. Depending on timing, seasonal craft workshops such as pottery, weaving, or natural dyeing may also be available. This cultural route provides a fascinating alternative to longer rides, with a strong focus on local history and archaeology.

Shinanso Onsen & Return to Iiyama All routes conclude with a soak at Shinanso, a riverside hot spring inn known locally as the “Silky Beauty Bath” for its gentle, skin-softening waters. Indoor and outdoor baths overlook the Chikuma River and nearby mountains, offering a refreshing end to the ride. After bathing, guests change into clean clothes before returning to Iiyama. Depending on the schedule, the return may include a ride on the local one-car rural train line, a short but scenic journey perfect for relaxing and reflecting before connecting with the Shinkansen at Iiyama Station, the official end point of the tour.