Uonuma Jozo | Sightseeing Information -Have fun year-round in Uonuma, where our rice koji factory lies nestled in the lap of nature.-

SpringandSummer

Snow Floes

SeasonMid-late April

A spectacle can be seen in early spring at the Aburumagawa Dam, near the border with Fukushima Prefecture. Almost 4 meters of snow accumulates over the winter, and when the water level rises with the spring thaw, the snow floats on the surface in blocks like ice floes.

Aburumagawa Dam

886-18 Oshirakawa, Uonuma, Niigata 946-0303

A 56 min. drive from Uonuma Jozo

Snow Floes: Nearby Attractions

Echigo Herb Fragrance Park Irihirose

A park consisting of four gardens with a profusion of seasonal herbs and flowers to admire. There is an observatory rest place on high ground that offers a spectacular view of Uonuma’s mountains. You can enjoy not only scenery but also making nature crafts from herbs and wood, or try tree climbing with a rope. 3118-1 Yokone, Uonuma, Niigata 946-0307
Tel: 025-796-2120

Roadside Station Irihirose

Here you can buy wild herbs and seasonal vegetables directly from the source, or try baking your own rice crackers. At the store and the restaurant, you can also savor food made with utmost care by local moms. 356-2 Otochiyama, Uonuma, Niigata 946-0305
Tel: 025-796-2500

Cherry Blossoms on the Snow

SeasonMid-late April

Experience spring and winter at once as the cherry blossoms scatter on the snow — a rare spectacle indeed. The contrast of the white snow, pink cherry blossoms, and fresh verdure is truly striking. One of the most stunning sights of the snow country around Uonuma.

Fukuyama Pass Furusato Square

1326 Fukuyama-shinden, Uonuma, Niigata 946-0207

A 46 min. drive from Uonuma Jozo

Cherry Blossoms on the Snow:
Nearby Attractions

The Meguro Residence

The residence of a regional village administrator built in 1797. This historic building with its thatched roof is on a grand scale, measuring sixteen bays deep and six bays wide, and it took five years to complete. It is built in the style of a medieval warrior’s residence, with a wall of natural stone and a gate consisting of two wooden posts and a crossbeam. 892 Suhara, Uonuma, Niigata 946-0216
Tel: 025-797-3220

The Tadami Railway

The Tadami railway line is renowned throughout Japan for its magnificent scenery. There are only a couple of round trips per day, yet it attracts an endless stream of visitors eager to enjoy the view. The one-hour train ride between Koide and Tadami is a feast for the eyes to be had nowhere else. Service available between Koide and Tadami stations *Service is scheduled to resume on the entire line in 2021
will run between Koide and Aizu-Wakamatsu stations.

The Lilies of Tsukioka Park

SeasonLate June-early July

Uonuma is one of Japan’s premier lily-growing regions. In summer and autumn 10,000 lilies blossom in Tsukioka Park’s flower garden. The lilies delight your eyes with their glorious colors — and your nose with their distinctive sweet fragrance.

Tsukioka Park

2013-3 Horinochi, Uonuma, Niigata 949-7413

A 22 min. drive from Uonuma Jozo

Attractions Nearby Tsukioka Park

Eirinji Temple

A Buddhist temple renowned for the many artworks that adorn it — the product of thirteen year’s labor — and the man who made them, the mid-19th century master sculptor Ishikawa Uncho. It is the openwork carving of Buddhist goddesses on the transom that is especially striking. And also, the temple’s abbot has a brilliant sense of humor that is in evidence here and there on the precincts. 1765 Negoya, Uonuma, Niigata 949-7403
Tel: 025-794-2266

Saifukuji Temple(Kaisando)

A Buddhist temple famed for its Kaisando (hall dedicated to the temple’s or sect’s founder) is adorned with a set of artworks considered the greatest achievement of the “Japanese Michelangelo,” Ishikawa Uncho. This set of works has been designated a tangible cultural property by Niigata Prefecture, and the hall is described as the Echigo region’s answer to the magnificent architectural complex at Nikko. The sculpture of the Zen master Dogen vanquishing a fierce tiger, which covers the entire ceiling, is truly breathtaking. 174 Oura, Uonuma, Niigata 946-0033
Tel: 025-792-3032

AutumnandWinter

Cascading Clouds

SeasonLate September-October, early in the morning

Watch the magnificent natural spectacle of cascading clouds morphing constantly as if they’re alive. The view never looks the same no matter how many times you see it.

Shiori Pass on National Route 352 near Lake Okutadami

A 1 hr. 6 min. drive from Uonuma Jozo

Cascading Clouds: Nearby Attractions

Lake Okutadami

Lake Okutadami, one of Japan’s largest reservoirs, delights visitors throughout the year with its changing scenery. You can enjoy the natural spectacle even more by taking a tour boat around the lake. This spot also serves as the gateway to Oze, and many hikers come here during climbing season. 1317-3 Aza-Otori, Yunotani Imogawa, Uonuma, Niigata 946-0082
Tel: 025-795-2242

Yunotani Hot Springs

A group of hot springs in the Yunotani district of Uonuma. There are six hot springs along the route from the Koide district to Okutadami, one of which is over 1,300 years old. These vary considerably in their mineral composition and offer many different health benefits. There is even a curative radium spa, which is a rarity anywhere in Japan. Some of the hot springs have facilities for day visitors — great for a leisurely soak after a long day on the road. Accommodations
Phone individual hotels for information

Oze

SeasonMay-October
(closed early November-late April)

One of the largest alpine wetlands in Japan. During spring and summer the moor bursts into glorious color as the alpine plants bloom, while in fall it becomes ablaze with gold quite different from the autumn hues of the trees.

One of the largest alpine wetlands in Japan. During spring and summer the moor bursts into glorious color as the alpine plants bloom, while in fall it becomes ablaze with a gold quite different from the autumn hues of the trees.

Getting from Uonuma to Oze

Miike, Hinoemata-mura, Minami Aizu-gun, Fukushima 967-0531

A 2 hr. 30 min. drive from Uonuma Jozo

Oze: Nearby Attractions

Lake Ozenuma

This area offers a view of magnificent Mount Hiuchigatake — the highest mountain in northern Japan — and beautiful Lake Ozenuma. Visitors in early summer are greeted by the glorious sight of cotton sedge and Nikko day lilies in bloom. This spectacular vista is like a garden in the sky, and it will long linger in your memory. You’ll definitely want to come back.

Oze Marshland

One of the largest wetlands on Honshu. In spring it attracts large numbers of hikers to admire the mizubasho (Asian skunk-cabbage) that grow along the Shimo-no-ohori River, a popular scenic spot. In fall the entire marshland is cloaked in autumn colors — harbinger of the changing seasons. These iconic sights of Oze Marshland make it well worth a visit.

Frosty Trees on the Uono River

SeasonJanuary-March

When the temperature dips below zero in winter, frost forms on the tree branches as the mist from the Uono River freezes — a phenomenon known in Uonuma as shiga. The ethereal sight of branches all covered in white is another of Uonuma’s winter attractions.

The cherry trees along the Uono River

An 11 min. drive from Uonuma Jozo

Ski Areas and Winter Events in Uonuma

Ski Areas in Uonuma

Uonuma has several ski areas where you can rent the slopes just for you and yours. So ski to your favorite music! Indulge in an activity other than skiing! Or arrange an once-in-a-lifetime surprise! It’s completely up to you. Have a great time of your life on Uonuma’s ski slopes.　※Rental plans differ depending on the ski area. Contact individual ski areas for information.

Winter Events in Uonuma

Uonuma hosts many events in winter; this is the snow country, after all. And they come in quite a variety, like the dreamy One Hundred and Eight Lights festival, when the snow-covered mountain ridges are set ablaze. There’s even a rite to ensure conjugal bliss: recently wed husbands are doused in water in the cold depths of winter. For details please contact the Uonuma City Tourist Association. Uonuma City Tourist Association
Tel: 025-792-7300

Eco Museum
　Nature Guide

Niigata Prefectural Asakusa Sanroku Eco Museum

This museum has an “Eco Field” where visits can observe 152 species of animals and insects, 53 species of birds, and 172 species of plants. There is also an exhibition room that offers a multisensory experience of nature through seeing, listening, touching, and smelling. And there are lots of games to play too, all making use of the environment around Mount Asakusa. A fun place for the whole family.

1501 Asakusayama, Oshirakawa, Uonuma, Niigata 946-0303

A 38 min. drive from Uonuma Jozo

Nature Guide Shokichi Sakurai

Mountaineering expert Shokichi Sakurai served as guide to Kyuya Fukada, author of One Hundred Mountains of Japan, on his ascent of Mount Hiragatake and the Three Peaks of Echigo. A lover of the mountains since his youth, he is on the executive of the Koide Mountain Association and the Uonuma Mountaineering Association, and is founding president of the Okutadamikyo Nature Guides. In 2014, he was awarded a Greenery Day Award by the Minister of the Environment for his contributions to environmental preservation. He is still active today sharing Uonuma’s natural attractions with tourists and children.