Kamikochi

Kamikochi is a scenic district in the upper reaches of River Azusa in the city of Matsumoto in western Nagano Prefecture. Overlooked by the 3,000 meter-class Hotaka Mountain Range, it is a plateau situated at a height of about 1,500 meters, with a width of about 1 km and a length of about 10 km. It is said that there are no other such expansive plateaus located at such a height in the rest of Japan. Centering on River Azusa, Kamikochi has lots of distinctive ponds, wetlands, and other attractions that, together with the mountains towering on all four sides, create some beautiful scenery. It is also well known as Japan’s first mountain resort. As someone whose job is to take videos, I had always wanted to visit the area. So in early summer, with coolness still in the air, I left Tokyo on a JR train, changed to the private Kamikochi Line and then a bus, and in about four and a half hours reached Kamikochi.