【1/24-3/8 Weekend】Tour of the Snowbound Hidden Village – Akiyamago [One-Day Tour / Overnight Tour]
Coming Soon
This tour takes you through the mysterious winter wonderland of Akiyamago, a remote mountain village renowned for its heavy snowfall. You’ll visit the popular Kiyotsu Gorge Tunnel, where the entire tunnel itself is an art installation, and Akeyama Arts Center in Akiyamago, a facility that conveys the history and culture of the region through art.
For lunch, Katakuri house will prepare a heartwarming meal featuring plenty of local ingredients.
Come experience the harsh yet breathtaking beauty of Akiyamago in midwinter!"
For lunch, Katakuri house will prepare a heartwarming meal featuring plenty of local ingredients.
Come experience the harsh yet breathtaking beauty of Akiyamago in midwinter!"
10:00
Meet and Depart Echigo-Yuzawa Station, East Exit
50 min
10:50-11:40
The entire Kiyotsu Gorge Tunnel is a large-scale art installation
Ma Yansong / MAD Architects “Tunnel of Light” (Kiyotsu Gorge Tunnel)
Formed over 16 million years of geological history, Kiyotsu Gorge is one of Japan’s three great gorges. Inside the 750-meter-long tunnel, visitors can witness a stunning fusion of natural beauty and contemporary art. Each season offers a completely different yet equally breathtaking view of the surrounding landscape.
*Note: In case the Kiyotsu Gorge Tunnel is closed due to snowfall, the itinerary may be changed to visit other artworks instead.
*Admission fee is not included and must be paid individually on site.
*Note: In case the Kiyotsu Gorge Tunnel is closed due to snowfall, the itinerary may be changed to visit other artworks instead.
*Admission fee is not included and must be paid individually on site.
50 min.
12:30-13:20
Enjoy a wholesome lunch at Katakuri house, a renovated former school
［Lunch］Katakuri House
For lunch, you’ll be treated to a heartwarming meal made with wholesome, locally sourced ingredients that are gentle on the body. The dining venue, Katakuri house, is a renovated wooden school building that now serves as an inn. Former classrooms have been transformed into cozy guest rooms, the principal’s office into a relaxing hot spring bath, and the gymnasium into an interactive art installation—creating a space that both adults and children can enjoy.
After your meal, you can experience and enjoy the artwork “Tsumari Sugoroku” by Rintaro Hara + Yu Hara.
After your meal, you can experience and enjoy the artwork “Tsumari Sugoroku” by Rintaro Hara + Yu Hara.
13:20-13:30
Observe the incredible snowfall
Snowfall Observation Point
A snow gauge is installed on the grounds of Katakuri House to measure the depth of snowfall. How many meters deep will the snow reach this year?
14:00-15:00
Learn about traditional communal land systems, craftsmanship, and local beliefs
Akeyama Arts Center
The former Oakasawa Branch of Tsunan Elementary School, which was closed in 2021, has been reborn as a new cultural hub that carries on its history and shares the traditions and culture of Akiyamago through art.
Under the supervision of artist Fukasawa Takafumi, who has been conducting ongoing research in the region, the facility functions as a “school for reclaiming the power of human life.” Together with local residents, researchers, and artists, it explores and practices the traditional skills, knowledge, and spiritual beliefs related to communal land that have supported life in this remote mountain area.
*Note: Admission fee is not included and must be paid individually on site.
In case of temporary closure due to heavy snowfall, the itinerary may be subject to change.
Under the supervision of artist Fukasawa Takafumi, who has been conducting ongoing research in the region, the facility functions as a “school for reclaiming the power of human life.” Together with local residents, researchers, and artists, it explores and practices the traditional skills, knowledge, and spiritual beliefs related to communal land that have supported life in this remote mountain area.
*Note: Admission fee is not included and must be paid individually on site.
In case of temporary closure due to heavy snowfall, the itinerary may be subject to change.
35 min
15:30-15:40
Rest stop (or overnight stay for overnight course participants) at Katakuri House
It is also possible to stay overnight at Katakuri House. If you wish to include an overnight stay, please make your reservation through the Overnight Tour from the [Details] link below, rather than from this page.
60 min.
17:00
Tour Ends at Echigo-Yuzawa Station (You may also get off at Tsunan Town Hall on the way.)
16:00
【For Overnight (1 Night, 2 Days) Course Tour only】Stay in a cozy inn renovated from a closed school building
Katakuri House Check-in
Located in Akiyamago, a remote mountain village straddling Niigata and Nagano Prefectures, which can become isolated during the heavy snowfall of winter, this inn was created by renovating a 108-year-old elementary school that had long watched over the local children.
16:00-18:00
【For Overnight (1 Night, 2 Days) Course Tour only】Warm up your body at Ketto Onsen
Hot Spring Bath
The hot spring features a rare Boushō-sen (sodium sulfate spring), a type of spring that accounts for only about 4% of all hot springs in Japan.
This mineral-rich water helps dilate blood vessels and improve circulation, making it effective in the prevention of arteriosclerosis. Many famous hot springs known as “Chūfū-no-Yu” (“baths for preventing strokes and paralysis”) are of this same type.
This mineral-rich water helps dilate blood vessels and improve circulation, making it effective in the prevention of arteriosclerosis. Many famous hot springs known as “Chūfū-no-Yu” (“baths for preventing strokes and paralysis”) are of this same type.
18:00
【For Overnight (1 Night, 2 Days) Course Tour only】Warm up your body at Ketto Onsen
［Dinner］Katakuri House
Dinner features a variety of dishes prepared with ingredients unique to Akiyamago.
These creative Japanese-style dishes make use of the region’s traditional preserved foods and wisdom born from life in a snowbound land.
Each meal is prepared with heartfelt care, so you can fully enjoy your special time here.
These creative Japanese-style dishes make use of the region’s traditional preserved foods and wisdom born from life in a snowbound land.
Each meal is prepared with heartfelt care, so you can fully enjoy your special time here.
7:00
【For Overnight (1 Night, 2 Days) Course Tour only】Day2
［Breakfast］Katakuri House
Breakfast features Koshihikari rice harvested from the terraced fields of the local village, homemade miso prepared by local mothers, and an abundance of fresh local vegetables—a wholesome meal that will delight both body and soul.
8:00
【For Overnight (1 Night, 2 Days) Course Tour only】Departure from Katakuri House
30 min
8:30
【For Overnight (1 Night, 2 Days) Course Tour only】Stop at Tsunan Town Hall (transfer available to Minami-Echigo Kanko Bus bound for Tokamachi, departs at 8:35 a.m.)
40 min
9:20
【For Overnight (1 Night, 2 Days) Course Tour only】Tour ends at Echigo-Yuzawa Station
You can also transfer to the “Yukimi Gozen Tour” and fully enjoy “Winter in Echigo-Tsumari 2026.”
For tours departing on or after Saturday, February 21, you can transfer the following day to the “Yukimi Gozen & Winter in Echigo-Tsumari Tour” after disembarking.
If you wish to join this connecting tour, please make a separate reservation.
If you wish to join this connecting tour, please make a separate reservation.
Notice
・Itineraries are subject to change or cancellation due to natural disasters or road conditions.
・Some art works require a short walk after getting off the bus. Please bring shoes that are easy to walk in and take off, a hat and drink on hot days, and rain gear in case of rain.
・The arrival time at the final destination may be earlier or later. Please make your return Shinkansen reservations well in advance.
[How to Make a Reservation]
① For a one-day trip, click here.
② For a Overnight trip, click here.
Summary
| Dates | ① One-Day Tour Departure Dates: January 24 (Sat), 25 (Sun), 31 (Sat), February 1 (Sun), 7 (Sat), 8 (Sun), 14 (Sat), 15 (Sun), 21 (Sat), 22 (Sun), 23 (Mon, public holiday), March 7 (Sat), 8 (Sun) ② Overnight (1 Night, 2 Days) Tour Departure Dates: January 24 (Sat), 31 (Sat), February 7 (Sat), 14 (Sat), 21 (Sat), 22 (Sun), March 7 (Sat) |
|---|---|
| Admission | ① One-Day Tour: ¥10,000 (Includes bus fare, lunch, and consumption tax) ② Overnight Tour (1 Night, 2 Days): ¥33,000 (Includes bus fare, dinner, breakfast, lunch, and consumption tax) *Note: Admission fees for each artwork are not included in either course. |
| Deadline | ① Until the day before the operation date, or until full capacity is reached ② Until two days before the operation date, or until full capacity is reached |
| Origin / Destination | Echigo-Yuzawa Station East Exit Bus Terminal |
| Transportation | Chartered bus or jumbo taxi (Morimiya Kotsu Co., Ltd.) |
| Capacity | If there are no applications by 6:00 p.m. two days before the scheduled operation date, the tour will be cancelled. |
| Host | Travel planning and execution: Niigata Prefecture Governor's Registered Travel Agency Region-440, NPO Echigo-Tsumari Satoyama Collaborative Organization 3743-1 Matsudai, Tokamachi-shi, Niigata Prefecture, Japan Travel Agents Association regular member 025-761-7749 / officialtour@tsumari-artfield.com |
| Note |
[How to Make a Reservation]
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Recommended Tours / Itineraries
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