We offer three tours that depart from and arrive at Echigo-Yuzawa Station, touring Akiyamago, which is sometimes covered with over 4m of snow. Recommended for those who don’t have a car, those who are worried about driving on snowy roads, and those who want to enjoy “Echigo-Tsumari Winter 2025” to the fullest. You can take a relaxing day trip around Akiyamago, or stay overnight at Katakuri House to fully enjoy Akiyamago. Enjoy a course tailored to you.

Three tours around Akiyamago

①［Echigo-Yuzawa Sta. / Day Trip] Tour of Akiyamago, an unexplored region with heavy snowfall (no guide)

②［Echigo-Yuzawa Sta. / 2 Day Trip] Tour of Akiyamago, an unexplored region with heavy snowfall (no guide)

③［Echigo-Yuzawa Sta. / 2 Day Trip] Accommodation Plan at Katakuri House, which you can stop without a car (no guide)

 

 

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①［Echigo-Yuzawa Sta. / Day Trip] Tour of Akiyamago, an unexplored region with heavy snowfall (no guide)

Enjoy Akiyamago on a day trip with lunch included. In the Echigo-Tsumari Art Triennale 2024, you can enjoy “Akeyama Arts Center”, which digs deeper into the region through art, this winter. We will also stop at the magical Kiyotsu Gorge Tunnel, which is covered in snow. For lunch, enjoy Katakuri House’s cuisine made with plenty of local ingredients. At Katakuri House, meals are only provided to guests, so this tour is the only one you can enjoy on a day trip!　Don’t miss out on this valuable opportunity.

②［Echigo-Yuzawa Sta. / 2 Day Trip] Tour of Akiyamago, an unexplored region with heavy snowfall (no guide)

On the first day, you will depart together with the day tour mentioned above, and from the evening you can spend a relaxing time at Katakuri House. You can return to Echigo-Yuzawa Station early on the second day, which has the advantage of making it easier to make plans for the rest of the day. Those participating on February 22nd and 23nd (Saturday and Sunday) and March 8th and 9th (Saturday and Sunday) will be able to transfer to the official tour “Yukimi gozen & Echigo-Tsumari Winter Tour” after getting off at Echigo-Yuzawa Station on the second day.

③［Echigo-Yuzawa Sta. / 2 Day Trip] Accommodation Plan at Katakuri House, which you can stop without a car (no guide)

This is a compact accommodation plan that includes transportation from Echigo Yuzawa Station to Katakuri House, as well as the Kiyotsu Gorge Tunnel, and operates on weekdays. Those participating from February 28th (Friday) to March 1st (Saturday) and March 7th (Friday) to March 8th (Saturday) will be able to transfer to the official tour “Yukimi Gozen & Echigo-Tsumari Winter Tour” after getting off at Echigo-Yuzawa Station on the second day.

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Meeting point

Please meet in front of the Morinomiya Kotsu vehicle at the Echigo-Yuzawa Station East Exit Bus Terminal (parking lot on the right just outside the East Exit), and register. There will be no tour conductor or guide, but a crew member will be waiting for you holding a board that says “To Akiyamago.”

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Facilities and works located in Akiyamago

Katakuri House

Katakuri House is located in one of the world’s heaviest snowfall areas, straddling Niigata and Nagano prefectures, and is a small inn with just seven rooms, renovated from a 108-year-old elementary school. The elementary school that looked after the village’s children for 108 years closed due to the village’s depopulation, and was reborn as a lodging facility in response to the voices of local residents who wanted to preserve the building. Creative Japanese cuisine that uses plenty of wild plants and vegetables is popular.

Akeyama Arts Center

Inheriting the history of an elementary school that closed in 2021, this facility was named after “Akeyama”, which means common land in the mountains, and seven artists are developing works with the aim of becoming ”a school for humans to regain the power of life.”

Opening day
Saturdays, Sundays, and holidays from January 25th (Sat) to March 9th (Sun)

Opening hours
11:00～15:00（Last admission 14:30）

*There is a possibility of temporary closure depending on the weather.
*If you are coming by private car, a four-wheel drive vehicle and studless tires are required.
*There is running water on the roads in the village due to melting snow. Please come wearing rain boots.