A highland resort with a calm atmosphere away from the capital
Taking 3 hours from Shinjuku, the Kiyosato Plateau, which is located at the 1200m level at the southern foot of Mt. Yatsugatake, is a highland resort with a calm atmosphere which has a farm, an art museum and a shopping complex. There are plenty of activities with mountain climbing and trekking in summer, and skiing and snowboarding in winter. It is also popular as a tourist destination where you can spend time in the middle of Mother Nature on a wide outdoor expanse.
Popular tourist spots in Kiyosato
Within the woods on the plateau, Moeginomura Village where there are over 20 shops and restaurants is a symbolic tourist spot for the area. There is a merry-go-round along with a music box museum, and the field ballet which is performed in an outdoor space is a popular event held annually. Seisen Dormitory which is visited every year by a million people has facilities including accommodations, a farm, a museum and a church. The soft-serve ice cream at the restaurant Seisen-ryo Jersey Hut using fresh milk is a favourite choice which even attracts long lineups during the summer season.
Mt. Yatsugatake tourism
There are the Yatsugatake Mountains at the 3000m level in the Kiyosato vicinity. Mt. Yatsugatake has sites where you can enjoy Mother Nature such as Yamanashi Prefectural Makiba Park where you can enjoy encountering various animals, the distinctive red Higashizawa Ohashi Bridge which crosses over Kawamata Gorge and the Utsukushi Mori observation point from where you can view Kiyosato Plateau and Mt. Yatsugatake. At the roadside station Minami Kiyosato which sells fresh vegetables from the foot of Mt. Yatsugatake, there is also a restaurant and a BBQ space, and when you get off the lift car going up the side of the mountain, you will find Hana-no-Mori Park where you can try harvesting fruits and vegetables.