People often compare Kamikochi to a miniature Europe or a Switzerland in the heart of Japan. But for me, this is the unique Kamikochi, one of the most beautiful mountains in Japan.
Briefly introducing Kamikochi, this is a plateau valley in the Hida Mountains, the Northern Alps of Japan, and is one of Japan's National Cultural Assets.
Opening time here is from April to mid-November every year. And the best time to explore the natural beauty of this place is from mid-October to early November, when the leaves in the entire area gradually turn yellow and red. Join me to discover what Kamikochi has that makes everyone flock here in the fall!
To easily imagine the wonderful scenery here, the photo above is the clearest example. Because this is just a Kamikochi parking lot, but the view is already amazing 😀
If you come here early (about 6:00 a.m. to 9:00 a.m.), you will admire the view of the mountain covered with snow, and below are hundreds of red-leafed trees. Unfortunately, by the time I arrived, the clouds had already covered the mountain 🙁
This mountain is free to enter, and there are many food shops inside as well as souvenirs and climbing equipment, so if you're missing anything, don't worry too much. The only thing to note is to dress warmly, because the temperature here ranges from -5 to 10 degrees Celsius.
And next, let's explore the most photo-worthy locations here.
The first is right at the entrance, with the background of the yellow leaf forest behind.
The entrance to the forest is also quite special with the contrast between the two colors yellow and green on both sides of the road.
On both sides of the entrance there are also many houses with a style similar to the pine forest in Da Lat, Vietnam.
After about 5 minutes of walking, we will reach Kappa bridge, a symbol in Kamikochi.
Around this bridge there are many restaurants as well as shops selling climbing equipment and souvenirs. This is also the most popular photography location in Kamikochi.
A corner on the banks of the Azusa River, next to Kappa Bridge.
In the fall, the water in the Azusa River dries up quite a bit, people can also go down to the riverbed to take pictures and walk.
Let's go down to the riverbed and try some angles.
You almost have to put the camera up to get beautiful photos 😀
Next, I walked along the trail ahead and explored the forest.
Just walk for about 10 minutes and there will be another forest filled with yellow leaves ahead.
This area has much less traffic than Kappa Bridge, so it is much easier to take photos.
All around is beautiful scenery. There are many picnic tables and chairs available here.
Surrounding this area is open land for camping, along with views of rivers, mountains and forests in the same setting.
The address of this camping area is easy to find: https://maps.app.goo.gl/ijjkKYLxuRWozPbs8
Let's take a walk around this area.
A small bridge in the middle of the forest.
You can book a camp to sleep here at the homepage: https://www.nihonalpskankou.com/
After walking around here, I continued to explore the areas ahead.
Next is the area of homestays, hotels and restaurants here.
Walking around, I discovered an extremely beautiful photography corner here.
Let's take a few photos to see what happens 😉
Homestay rental shop.
After exploring this area, I returned to Kappa Bridge to eat and rest before getting on the bus to return to Osaka. There is a restaurant here that sells hot dumplings, as well as ramen, perfect for eating in the 0-degree cold of Kamikochi 😀
Restaurant address for you to easily find: https://maps.app.goo.gl/mU5KJWba4LZY63qY6
In my opinion, Kamikochi is truly one of the most beautiful places in Japan in autumn. If you have the opportunity to come to Japan during this time, don't miss the opportunity to visit this wonderful highland valley. In addition, you can also watch more videos of me taking photos at Kamikochi on my youtube channel here:
Thank you for reading to the end of the article.
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Oh my god, it's so beautiful, immersed in golden autumn
Like in the movie :v
When did you go there?
Hi, I went on October 25 last year
IS IT TOO LATE THIS YEAR IF IT COMES ON 11/06/24? WILL THERE STILL BE YELLOW LEAVES OR HAVE THEM ALL FALLEN?
Around that time last year, the leaves had fallen quite a bit. Depending on the year, the leaves will fall sooner or later, but the best time to go is at the end of October.