Archives: Travel Post

Shinshu's first public museum opened in 1956. It is a retro building with green tiles on the white walls, and was originally built in 1943 as a kokaikokan (Kaikokan) for the Katakura-Yitsaku Museum. Nowadays, the collection includes more than 1400 works, including Japanese paintings, Western paintings, sculptures, crafts, and books, mainly works by writers from the local area and those with a deep connection to Suwa City. It holds collections and planned exhibitions, and has always exhibited works by Souhide Hosokawa, a sculptor from Suwa. Take 30 minutes. The building is listed on the National Registered Tangible Cultural Property.

A collection of antiquities, including the national treasure Hakuraku teacup and Fujiyama, as well as artifacts with a focus on tea utensils, as well as Japanese and oriental paintings and shōzō. It is introduced sequentially in a planned exhibition several times a year. The Ichirō Hattori Memorial Room displays modern and modern Western paintings, and enjoys fine art from both East and West. Take one hour. Credit cards are available only in shops.

The first floor displays art nouveau with the theme of "Lyric of Light" and glass crafts from the Art Deco period. There are works by Emile Galle's masterpiece "Hitoyo Mushroom Lamp" with three mushroom motifs, as well as the Dome Brothers and René Lalique. There is also a contemporary Japanese painting exhibition room on the second floor, as well as a multi-purpose gallery. Take one hour.

A long, narrow-shaped park over 2.5km built on the shores of Lake Suwa. In the park, there is a place for tour boats that go around Lake Suwa, a popular foot bath that can be used casually, and a geyser that spews out several times a day, and various events are also held to attract many citizens and tourists throughout the year.

In the third year of Keijō (1598), it was built by the warlord of Toyotomi Hideyoshi, Hineno Obe Masatakichi [Hineno Oribe no Kamitakayoshi]. At that time, the water of Lake Suwa was seen looming up to the castle's end and floating on the lake, so the name was known as Suwa's Floating Castle, which was the residence of Mr. Suwa. The present-day castle tower was restored in 1970 (Showa 45). There is the Takashima Castle Historical Office on the second floor and the observation deck on the third floor.

The largest lake in the prefecture, spanning the cities of Suwa, Shimo-Suwa, and Okaya. 15.9km around and 13.3 sq km in area. The lake shore in front of the Kamisuwa Onsen Ryokan Street is maintained as a Suwa City Lakeside Park, where there is a foot bath, jogging road, and the Suwa Lake Geyser Center. You can also enjoy tour boats and foot boats that sail every 30 to 60 minutes. The fireworks that color the lake in summer are spectacular, and Wakasagi fishing from autumn to winter is also popular. In the severe winter period, the lake is also known for a phenomenon called "Omiwari", where the whole lake is iced, cracks and the fissures rise like a mountain.

As it seems to be one of the best hot spring areas in Japan, the foot foot on the uphill platform of JR Kamisuwa Station. An open-air bath, which was well received when you could enjoy a hot spring at the station, has been renewed to Ashoyu. Compared to a whole-body bath, hot springs at the right temperature give a pleasant stimulus to the feet, and can relieve fatigue recovery and stress in a short time. There is a case of pausing for cleaning and inspection.

A hot spring facility located on the upper and lower lines of Lake Suwa SA on the Chuo Expressway. Because the entrance tax is different between Suwa City on the upbound line and Okaya City on the downbound line, the rates are different between the upper and lower lines. Both the upper and lower lines are small and small, but all of them are observation baths where you can see Lake Suwa, and the beauty of the night view is particularly exceptional. You can take a bath while looking at Lake Suwa, which spreads out in front of your eyes, and it has become an oasis for drivers to heal the fatigue of driving.

Kuramoto, a long-established company founded in the first year of Kansei (1789). In the beautiful white-walled store, which also sells Suwa specialty products, sake and shochu are also in the tasting corner. There are about 20 kinds of sake alone, such as "Reito" 720 milliliters, 1100 yen, and "Yumezuku," 720 milliliters, 5500 yen, for the sake of pure rice. The local beer "Suwa Roman" ¥ 473 was also well received. If you make a reservation by phone, you can also visit the Kuramoto for free with a maximum of 10 people. The time of day depends on the day, and depending on the working situation, some tours may not be possible, so let's check it out at the time of booking.

A shop attached to a long-established brewery in Kanbun 2 (1662), known as the brewery of Sake and Masumi. There is a selection of namesake made by the clear water that springs from the mountain. You can also taste sake (500 yen per person). The menu changes depending on the month.