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HOME > Japan’s Local Treasures > Farm Stays in Togari Onsen, Iiyama
Immerse yourself in Japanese culture while staying with a farming family
Shinshu-Iiyama Tourism Bureau
Togari Onsen Ski Resort, located in the Sekita mountain range, which borders Nagano Prefecture and Niigata Prefecture, offers stunning views of the Chikuma River and picturesque Shinano river basin. Here you can enjoy skiing or even try snow cycling on a snowbike riding tour. Blast down a 2,000-meter-long course with a guide on a ‘fatbike,’ a bicycle with wide tires specially designed for off-road cycling in the snow.
At the foot of the ski resort there are many minshuku B&B-style lodgings. Since the 1950s, farmers in Iiyama have been providing minshuku for visitors to stay and experience life in their rural community like a local.
Visit in the warmer months, when the landscape changes from white to vibrant greens, to try your hand at harvesting home-grown rice and vegetables. Take cooking lessons to learn how to make Japanese dishes from the ingredients you have harvested yourself. A local specialty not to be missed is “sasa-zushi”, a simple sushi dish made with shiitake mushrooms, walnuts and other ingredients placed on a bamboo leaf (sasa means bamboo leaf). Spend time getting to know your host family and learn about their daily lives in this part of rural Japan - a truly special experience that transcends language barriers.
How to get there
From Tokyo Station, it is approximayely 1 hour and 40 minutes to Iiyama Station on the Hokuriku Shinkansen. From there, it takes approximately 11 minutes from Iiyama Station to Togari Nozawa Onsen Station on the Iiyama Line. The Togari Tourism Association is 6 minutes by taxi from Togari Nozawa Onsen Station.
Togari Tourism Association
6356 Iiyama-shi, Nagano-ken
