The village of Ogawa 小川村
The unexpected village
The village of Ogawa could very well be the unexpected discovery of your stay in Nagano Prefecture. You know, this little visit off the beaten track and often improvised that makes memories rich!
The sakura of Ogawa
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Breathtaking
In the northwest of the prefecture, between Nagano and Hakuba , the small hamlet of Ogawa is a mountain village of 2,700 souls. In Ogawa-mura, literally the "village of small streams", agriculture and forestry are king. It must be said that the forest occupies 70% of its total area. This privileged natural setting allows Ogawa to feature very well in two lists established by Nagano Prefecture: the 100 most beautiful natural landscapes and the 100 famous viewpoints. From several observatories, the village indeed offers a breathtaking view of the chain of the Japanese Alps . With a single glance, you take in the arable land at the foot of the green valleys and the splendid alpine peaks sparkling with snow on the horizon; enough to be seized by a deep emotion! Winding roads will take you to the Ō-dō plateau located at an altitude of 1,000 meters where an astronomical observatory and a planetarium welcome visitors wishing to contemplate the celestial vault.
50 shades of sakura
When spring comes, Ogawa is adorned with its most beautiful colors. More than 7,000 cherry trees bloom from mid-April. The many varieties of cherry trees ( yoshino cherry trees, weeping cherry trees, etc.) adorn the village with flowers of multiple shades, ranging from subtle white to pronounced pink. Nitanda Hill is one of the best places to view cherry blossoms in Ogawa. The latter is so famous that it bequeathed its name to the variety of cherry trees which cover it almost entirely; the nitanda no sakura .
Nitanda Hill
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The village has other remarkable plant species including several hundred-year-old trees . A cedar over 500 years old, measuring 33 meters in height, overlooks the Oneyama district.
To read: Cherry trees in Japan
At the Fireside
Local agriculture is based on a rich production of soybeans, corn, pumpkins, apples, nozawana (a green vegetable from the turnip family) and buckwheat. Among the local flavors not to be missed, we must mention the delicious soba noodles and a filled bun named oyaki . The grocery store – restaurant Oyaki no sho even offers to introduce you to its manufacture. This buckwheat bun is filled with various vegetables, miso paste and seasoned with soy sauce. The eggplant, squash and nozawana oyaki are the most classic, although these are also available with mountain vegetables, azuki, mushrooms and fruit depending on the season.
Assortment of oyaki
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Oyaki no sho continues the traditional cooking in which oyaki are first grilled in a pan and then placed in the ashes of a fire to finish cooking. A gourmet break by the fire; what more ?
To go further: Japanese winter specialties
Address, timetable & access
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Address
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Phone
+81 (0)26-269-2323 -
Timetable
50 minutes by bus from Nagano Station (Shinmachi Takafu Line), Takafu Stop. -
Website
http://kankou.ogawamura.jp
