Here's your chance to get up close and personal with Asama-yama – so close, you could almost touch it. Formed in 1783 by Asama's last violent eruption, this 'Hurled by Demons' park has a surreal landscape of jagged, hardened magma juxtaposed with verdant fields: volcanic soil is extremely fertile. Best accessed with your own wheels, the park is on the Onioshi Highway Toll Rd linking Naka-Karuizawa with Tsumagoi to the north. Ask at the Karuizawa Tourist Association office for bus details.
Asama-yama Magma Stone Park
Nagano Region
Contact
Address
Lonely Planet's must-see attractions
24.5 MILES
Founded in the 7th century, National Treasure Zenkō-ji is home to the revered statue Ikkō-Sanzon, said to be the first Buddhist image to arrive in Japan …
-
17.63 MILES
Among gorgeously forested mountains and believed to be the home of the God of Water, Fire and Agriculture, this site has housed a shrine of some form for…
-
21.11 MILES
Japan's most famous ukiyo-e (woodblock print) artist, Hokusai, spent his final years in Obuse. There's an audiovisual presentation on his life in the…
-
'Umi' Museum of Contemporary Art
7.96 MILES
This light-filled gallery showcases an impressive collection of contemporary work by Japanese artists who have found fame abroad in genres such as oil…
-
20.23 MILES
Pleasant in winter when shrouded in snow but less appealing when seasonally bare, Jigokudani Monkey Park is wildly popular. Made famous by the 1992 film…
-
9.38 MILES
On the border of Gunma and Nagano Prefectures, about 4km east of Karuizawa on Rte 18, you'll find the Usui Pass, historically an important point on the…
-
23.49 MILES
Listed as a World Heritage Site in 2014, Tomioka Silk Mill provides a look at the history of silk production, with some English-language narration…
-
Utsukushi-ga-hara Open Air Museum
26.56 MILES
Atop Utsukushi-ga-hara-kōgen plateau you'll find this seemingly random sculpture garden with some 350 pieces, mostly by Japanese sculptors. The…
Nearby Nagano Region attractions
7 MILES
This property, one of the first Western hotels in Japan, welcomed guests from 1906 to 1970. An exceptional example of elaborate Meiji-era architecture, it…
2. 'Umi' Museum of Contemporary Art
7.96 MILES
This light-filled gallery showcases an impressive collection of contemporary work by Japanese artists who have found fame abroad in genres such as oil…
9.38 MILES
On the border of Gunma and Nagano Prefectures, about 4km east of Karuizawa on Rte 18, you'll find the Usui Pass, historically an important point on the…
12.74 MILES
Yubatake is the main attraction in the town centre and the source of hot-spring water in the area. Its milky-blue sulphuric water flows like a waterfall…
13.25 MILES
Fans of the iron horse will love this rail graveyard–locomotive museum, with rolling stock, stations, carriages, simulators and years of Japanese rail…
17.63 MILES
Among gorgeously forested mountains and believed to be the home of the God of Water, Fire and Agriculture, this site has housed a shrine of some form for…
20.23 MILES
Pleasant in winter when shrouded in snow but less appealing when seasonally bare, Jigokudani Monkey Park is wildly popular. Made famous by the 1992 film…
21.11 MILES
Japan's most famous ukiyo-e (woodblock print) artist, Hokusai, spent his final years in Obuse. There's an audiovisual presentation on his life in the…