A scenic journey to Shimoguri no Sato, which is said to be the Tyrol of Japan‼︎

Shimoguri no Sato is located on a scenic highland with the majestic mountains of the Southern Alps right in front of you.
It is also called “Japan’s Tyrol” because its scenery is reminiscent of Austria’s Tyrol region.
Shimoguri no Sato is a beautiful village that looks like something out of a picture.
It’s a place I’d like to visit at least once.
This time, we will introduce in detail a scenic trip to Shimoguri no Sato, which is known as Japan’s Tyrol.

①What kind of place is “Shimoguri no Sato”, which was called the Tyrol of Japan?

Here we will introduce you to Shimoguri no Sato in detail.
Shimoguri no Sato is a village located in the southern part of Nagano Prefecture.
Shimoguri no Sato is located in Iida City, Nagano Prefecture, in the middle of a mountainous area at an altitude of 800 to 1000 meters.
This location is on slanted land with a maximum view of 38 degrees, overlooking the mountains of the Southern Alps.
In 2009, Shimoguri no Sato was selected as one of the 100 best Japanese villages.

➁This place has several names‼︎

Shimoguri no Sato has several aliases.
The most famous alias is “Japanese Tyrol”.
The reason why it was named “Japan’s Tyrol” is because Shimoguri no Sato resembles the Tyrol region of Austria.
It seems that Takeo Ichikawa, a professor emeritus at Tokyo Gakugei University, started calling it this way.
Because Shimoguri no Sato is located at a high altitude of 800 to 1000 meters above sea level, it is also called ″Japan’s Machu Picchu,” “Village in the Sky,” and “Hidden Village in the Sky.” In addition to the Japanese Tyrol.
All of these names are perfect for expressing the image of Shimoguri no Sato.

③Go to the Sky Village Viewpoint‼︎

In the fall of 2009, Shimoguri no Sato created the Tenku no Sato Viewpoint near the top, which offers a panoramic view of Shimoguri no Sato.
To get to Tenku no Sato Viewpoint near the top, park your car at the Hanbatei parking lot and walk for about 20 minutes to the view point.
A 20 minute walk along the promenade will take you to an observation deck built on the slope of the mountain.
When you climb up the observation deck, you can see a spectacular view that makes you imagine a village in the sky.

▲If you walk from the parking lot, you will arrive at the entrance to the mountain road at the viewpoint. There is a donation box set up here, and it seems that the money goes toward the maintenance costs of the mountain path and observatory.

▲″Cane of Kindness” Since I walk in areas with poor footing, a local person has prepared a wooden stick of just the right size that can be used as a cane.

▲There are handrails, but as you can see, the path continues to have poor footing.

▲It takes 20 to 30 minutes to reach the observation deck from the parking lot. It is a spectacular spot where you can see Shimoguri no Sato from above! !

④How many people currently live in Shimoguri no Sato?

According to an article in the Asahi Shimbun in December 2019, there are currently approximately 90 people living in the village of Shimoguri no Sato.
Of these, 8 were high school students or younger, 10 were parents, and 72 were over 60 years old.
As a result, there are currently fewer than 100 people in the village.

⑤History of Shimoguri no Sato.

❶The theory that people have lived there since the Jomon period.

It is said that people started living in Shimoguri no Sato from the Jomon period.
The reason is that Jomon pottery has been unearthed in Shimoguri no Sato and the adjacent Nakane district.
The Jomon period refers to the era more than 2,500 years ago.

❷The theory is that it was founded by a Heike samurai who lost a battle.

There is also a theory that Shimoguri no Sato was founded when Heike samurai escaped to this area after losing a battle.

❸The theory is that the Kamakura samurai who lost the battle founded the village.

Furthermore, there is a theory that Shimoguri no Sato was founded by Kamakura samurai who were defeated in battle.
The reason is that there is a surname that is related to Kamakura samurai.
The Kamakura period is the period before the Edo period.

⑥Access information to Shimoguri no Sato.

The address of Shimoguri no Sato is Shimoguri, Kamimura, Iida City, Nagano Prefecture.
Access information to Shimoguri no Sato is as follows.

❶For those coming by car.

〇Route from Chuo Expressway Iida IC to Shimoguri no Sato.

中央道飯田IC　⇒　三遠南信道　⇒Chuo Expressway Iida IC ⇒ Sanen Minami Shindo ⇒ National Routes 153 and 152 ⇒ Via Prefectural Routes 83 and 251　国道153・152号　⇒　県道83・251号経由

The distance from Chuo Expressway Iida IC to Shimoguri no Sato is approximately 40 km, and it takes approximately 1 hour and 10 minutes to get there.

❷For those coming by public transportation.

〇Route from JR Iida Station to Shimoguri no Sato.

JR Iida Station ⇒ Take the Toyamago line bus and get off at Kamimachi bus stop ⇒ Then take a taxi from the bus stop to Shimoguri no Sato

⑦Parking information for Shimoguri no Sato.

There are two parking lots at Shimoguri no Sato: Parking Lot 1 and Parking Lot 2.
Both parking lots are free.

⑧Information on toilets, vending machines, and meals.

At Shimoguri no Sato, restrooms, vending machines, meals, and lodging are also available.
Shimoguri no Sato has the image of being a village on the slopes of a terrifying plateau.
Currently, it has become quite a tourist destination, so you can stay overnight there.
The recommended accommodation is “Kogen Lodge Shimoguri”.

⑩Points to note when heading to Shimoguri no Sato.

There are some things to keep in mind when heading to Shimoguri no Sato.
The only thing is that the road along the way is quite narrow.
The road from National Route 152 to Shimoguri no Sato is a series of curves.
The road is winding, so please be careful of oncoming vehicles and drive safely.
There is no need to worry about parking, as there is a large parking lot that can accommodate a total of 50 cars.

Summary

This time, we introduced a scenic trip to Shimoguri no Sato in Tyrol, Japan.
Shimoguri no Sato in Nagano Prefecture is a village with a spectacular view that reminds you of Austria’s Tyrol or Peru’s Machu Picchu.
The view looking down from the Tenku no Sato Viewpoint observation deck near the top is truly a sight worthy of its name.
Shimokuri no Sato in Nagano Prefecture is one of the most scenic spots in Japan.
When you visit Nagano Prefecture, we highly recommend that you stop by Shimoguri no Sato.

▲Simoguri no Sato

Watch this place in the video! !