Minamiminowa: Mountain Views, Forests and Regional Cuisine

Minamiminowa offers two very different landscapes: The expansive, flat terrain affords panoramic views of the Central and Southern Alps throughout the town. The town also has a nationally rare exclave consisting entirely of forest. Mountain views, woodland walks, hiking trails and a distinctive wasabi culture give a trip here a variety of highlights.

Wide-open Views and a Forested Highland

Koinoko and the eighth mountain station offer special views. From there, the vista stretches across the broad Ina Valley basin, from Yatsugatake to the Southern Alps. These viewpoints complement the panoramas that define Minamiminowa’s flat terrain.

The forest exclave encompasses Mount Kyogatake, Mount Kitazawa and Gonbei Pass. Oshiba Pond lies at the heart of the wooded Oshiba Kogen. Along its shores, visitors can observe koi, ducks and sturgeon. Shinshu Oshiba Kogen Minnanomori is home primarily to Japanese red pines and Hinoki cypress, as well as many other trees and wildflowers. Wildlife that can be spotted there includes rhinoceros beetles, stag beetles, squirrels and foxes.

A Forest Walk or Hike on Mount Kyogatake

For a more leisurely experience of the forest, Shinshu Oshiba Kogen Minnanomori has a loop trail surfaced with wood chips. Visitors can enjoy forest bathing on a walk along the trail. The loop trail offers a different kind of nature experience from the hiking trail on Mount Kyogatake, which has three routes with different starting points.

One route starts in Ina at Nishi-Minowa-Nakasendai, one at Oizawadok Dam in Minamiminowa, and one at the trailhead at Gonbei Pass. If you want to plan your trip around Mount Kyogatake, you can use these three starting points as specific reference points for your planning. No information is provided here about route length or difficulty.

Regional Wasabi and Buckwheat

Minamiminowa is also known for its wasabi. The wasabi grown here is considered high-quality and especially pungent. Spring water from the Central Alps is used to cultivate it, and growing it takes considerable time and effort. The combination of its cultivation method and pronounced pungency makes wasabi a distinctive part of the local food culture.

A new specialty from Minamiminowa is called “Black Wasabi.” It is made from charcoal from local Japanese red pines and wasabi grown with spring water. The wasabi beds were restored by students in Class 4 of the sixth grade at Minamiminowa Elementary School. The Galette Café at Oshiba Kogen Ajikobo also serves French buckwheat galettes made with locally produced buckwheat flour. The café is run by the renowned restaurant “Le Bretagne” in Kagurazaka, Tokyo.

A Festival and Different Travel Interests

The Shinshu Oshiba Kogen Festival is a community-organized celebration. Anyone can take part in the barrel races and festival parade. It adds a community-centered dimension to the town’s nature experiences.

Oshiba Kogen also has an auto campground with 32 sites and four auto bungalows that each accommodate five to six people and have electricity. Shared facilities include a cooking area and flush toilets. When looking for a vacation rental in Minamiminowa, you can start by considering which experiences you want to focus on during your trip: wide mountain panoramas, the forest and pond, a hike on Mount Kyogatake, or regional specialties.

For the broader travel overview: Kamiina District.