Karasawa
Karasawa and the Hotaka Mountain Range in Autumn Splendor
Karasawa serves as the base camp for climbing Mount Hotaka, and its bowl-shaped terrain is one of Japan’s largest cirques, carved out by glaciers. During the peak seasons of summer and fall, it bustles with hundreds of tents, creating a vibrant, colorful tent village.
Karasawa is synonymous with “autumn foliage.” As you hike through a tunnel of colorful trees, the moment the view opens up before you—revealing a vivid tapestry of autumn hues—is truly breathtaking. It is no exaggeration to call it Japan’s premier destination for mountain autumn foliage. Karasawa features a campground and two mountain huts, where you can spend blissful moments gazing up at the Hotaka Mountains from within the cirque. If you’re lucky, you might even catch a glimpse of the mountains bathed in the morning glow.
The route to Karasawa takes about six hours on foot from the Kamikochi Bus Terminal via Yokoo. The climb from Yokoo to Hondani Bridge is relatively gentle, but from there onward, the ascent becomes much steeper, so please be sure to come equipped with proper mountaineering gear.
Information
- Address
- Azumi Kamikochi, Matsumoto City, Nagano
- Access (Car)
- It takes about 60 minutes by car from Matsumoto IC to Sawando.
→ From Sawando, take a shuttle bus or taxi to the “Kamikochi Bus Terminal” (about a 30-minute ride).
→ After getting off the bus, it’s about a 6-hour walk. - Access (Public Transportation)
- Take the Alpico Kotsu Kamikochi Line from “Matsumoto Station” and get off at “Shin-Shimashima Station”; travel time is approximately 30 minutes.
→ From “Shin-Shimashima Station,” transfer to a local bus (reservation required) or a taxi and get off at “Kamikochi Bus Terminal”; travel time is approximately 60 minutes.
→ After getting off, walk for approximately 6 hours. - Website
*Note: Business hours and closures are subject to change.
