Shiga Kogen
Encyclopedia
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
is a ski resort and hiking spot, located in the Jōshin'etsu Kōgen National Park in the highlands of Yamanouchi, Nagano
Yamanouchi, Nagano
is a town located in Shimotakai District, Nagano, Japan.As of 2003, the town has an estimated population of 15,326 and a density of 57.63 persons per km². The total area is 265.93 km².The Shiga Kōgen ski resort is located in Yamanouchi.-Landmarks:...
. In 1980, an area of 13,000 ha
Hectare
The hectare is a metric unit of area defined as 10,000 square metres , and primarily used in the measurement of land. In 1795, when the metric system was introduced, the are was defined as being 100 square metres and the hectare was thus 100 ares or 1/100 km2...
was designated a UNESCO
UNESCO
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations...
Man and the Biosphere Reserve.
Ski resortSki resortA ski resort is a resort developed for skiing and other winter sports. In Europe a ski resort is a town or village in a ski area - a mountainous area, where there are ski trails and supporting services such as hotels and other accommodation, restaurants, equipment rental and a ski lift system...
At 4.25 square kilometres (1.64 sq mi), Shiga Kōgen is one of the largest ski resorts in Japan and the world. The resort is made up of many smaller, interconnected resorts, with 71 lifts in total. A few areas are restricted to skiers only, but most of the terrain is open to both skiSki
A ski is a long, flat device worn on the foot, usually attached through a boot, designed to help the wearer slide smoothly over snow. Originally intended as an aid to travel in snowy regions, they are now mainly used for recreational and sporting purposes...
ers and snowboarders. The resort was the site of several events in the 1998 Nagano Olympics. There are more than 100 hotels in the area, with both Japanese style or washitsu
Washitsu
, meaning "Japanese-style room", is a Japanese term used as an antonym for the term yōshitsu , meaning "Western-style room." Another term for washitsu is nihonma , and the comparative other term for yōshitsu is yōma ....
(和室), Western style or semi-Japanese style rooms.
Ski season
Shiga Kōgen has one of the longest ski seasons in Japan with the official ski season commencing from mid-to-late November and continuing throughout April and until the first week of May (Golden Week (Japan)).Christmas and the New Year's season is the peak period in Shiga Kōgen during the Japanese school holiday break. From April 1st on, the spring ski season begins with lift ticket discounts offered and the Maruike, Hasuike, and Sunvalley ski areas cease operation.
During the ski season, the Shiga Kōgen Ski Shuttle Bus is provided for transportation across the ski resorts and various ski fields and hotel areas.
OnsenOnsenAn is a term for hot springs in the Japanese language, though the term is often used to describe the bathing facilities and inns around the hot springs. As a volcanically active country, Japan has thousands of onsen scattered along its length and breadth...
hot springs
Shiga Kōgen was famous as an onsenOnsen
An is a term for hot springs in the Japanese language, though the term is often used to describe the bathing facilities and inns around the hot springs. As a volcanically active country, Japan has thousands of onsen scattered along its length and breadth...
(hot spring) location before skiing became popular. Shiga Kōgen ski resort is home to over seven natural hot spring sources. Many hotels are sourced by the Shiga Mountain hot springs and there are numerous onsen bath facilities located within the hotels across the resort.
Other activities
"Shiga Kōgen Highlands has more than 40 lakes and ponds." and "Joshinetsu National Park is a habitat for Japanese Macaques and Japanese SerowJapanese SerowThe Japanese serow , known in Japanese as the , is a goat-antelope found in dense woodland on Honshū, Japan....
s."Also, "the vegetation in the park area changes as the altitude becomes higher, from beech (Fagus crenataFagus crenataFagus crenata, known as the Japanese beech, Siebold's beech, or buna, is a deciduous tree of the beech family Fagaceae. It is native to Japan where it is widespread and often one of the dominant trees of Japan's deciduous forests. It is found from the Oshima Peninsula in Hokkaidō south to the Ōsumi...
) and Japanese oak (Quercus crispula) woods to coniferous forests. In many mountains, communities of alpine plants can be seen. Woods of Japanese larchJapanese LarchJapanese Larch is a species of larch native to Japan, in the mountains of Chūbu and Kantō regions in central Honshū....
es (Larix kaempferi) and White Birches (Betula platyphyllaBetula platyphyllaBetula platyphylla, or the Japanese White Birch, is a tree species belonging to the genus Betula. It can be found in temperate or subarctic places of Asia: Japan, China, Korea, and Siberia. The Japanese White Birch can grow to be 20 m to 30 m tall.-References:...
var. japonica) which cover the plateaus are especially beautiful."
All these characteristics made Shiga Kōgen an interesting spot to hiking
Hiking
Hiking is an outdoor activity which consists of walking in natural environments, often in mountainous or other scenic terrain. People often hike on hiking trails. It is such a popular activity that there are numerous hiking organizations worldwide. The health benefits of different types of hiking...
and enjoy the nature all seasons of the year.
It's possible to fish in Shiga Kōgen at Maruike (Maru Pond) and Biwaike (Biwa Pond). You can also fish at Zako River, with a fishing license. Zako River is one of a few habitats for iwana
Salvelinus leucomaenis
Salvelinus leucomaenis is a Japanese trout in the genus of Salvelinus called Iwana in Japanese and whitespotted char in English. Iwana is widely fished in Japan....
fishing. Fishing is prohibited from October 1st till April 5th. Boats are also available for rent at Biwa Pond, Maru Pond, and Kido Pond.
Some of the other activities in the area include golfing at Ogushiga, horse riding at Maru Pond, bicycles for rent at Okushiga, and numerous tennis courts in the Yakebitai and Okushiga Area.
Sightseeing
The Nagano Prefecture Shiga Kogen Nature Preservation Center is housed in Shiga Kogen Sogo Kaikan 98. The main focus is the "Relationship between Nature and Human Being", which exhibits the nature of Shiga Kogen.
The Commemorative Hall of the Nagano Winter Olympics and Paralympic in 1998 is located in the Hasuike area. Medals and other memorabilia are displayed.
The Higashitateyama Botanical Garden is located on top of Mt. Higashitate (2,020m), and includes nature trails.
The Shinshu University Scientific Research Institute is located in the forest surrounding Mt. Shigayama. The lava-based soil in the area makes it a rare area in the world. A Nature Observation Trail is opened to the public.