Must-See for Couples! A 2-Day, 1-Night Model Course to See a Sky Full of Stars in Achi Village, Nagano Prefecture in Japan

When you live in the city, opportunities to gaze at the stars become rare.

Many couples in Tokyo might find themselves saying,
"I want to go see a beautiful starry sky!"

For those people, I recommend Achi Village in Nagano Prefecture.

But it might seem a bit wasteful to visit Nagano just for Achi Village, right?

So, for such couples, I’d like to introduce
a 2-day, 1-night travel model course to Nagano that includes Achi Village.

Target Audience

 

• Couples planning a trip to view a beautiful starry sky
• People who want to do some sightseeing in Nagano, not just visit Achi Village
• People looking for delicious food spots in Nagano

 

What you’ll gain from this article

• Understanding of what to be careful about when going to Achi Village to see the stars
• Knowledge of a ryokan (Japanese inn) with delicious food
• Information about which areas to visit in Nagano besides Achi Village

 

This content will be useful for those planning a trip, based on what the author noticed and felt needed attention during their actual travel experience.
Note that this model course assumes you’ll be renting a car and departing from Tokyo.

 

 

Now, let’s get to the main topic.

 

Introduction to Destinations and Time Schedule

 

Roughly speaking, this is a model course where you’ll view the starry sky in Achi Village on the evening of day 1,
stay overnight at a nearby ryokan, and tour Nagano on day 2.

A plan to enjoy Achi Village and Nagano (Matsumoto) cuisine

Day 1	8:00	Rent a car in Tokyo.
	8:30	Head toward the ryokan via Chuo Expressway.
	14:30	Stop by a sake brewery (Ono Sake Brewery) for evening drinks.
	16:00	Check in at Hotel Yamabuki.
	16:30	Have an early dinner at the ryokan.
	17:30	Head to the gondola in Achi Village.
	19:00	Participate in the “Heavenly Paradise Starry Sky Night Tour” and gaze at the stars.
	20:30	Descend via gondola.
	22:00	Return to the ryokan.
		Free time. After washing away the day’s fatigue, enjoy evening drinks.
Day 2	8:30	Have breakfast at the ryokan.
	10:00	Check out from the ryokan.
		Head to Matsumoto Station for some sightseeing.
	12:00	Eat Shinshu soba at “Miyoda”.
	13:30	Stroll around Matsumoto Station.
	14:00	Visit Matsumoto Castle.
	16:00	Begin the journey home.
	21:00	Return the rental car.

 

Day 1 Schedule Details

Renting a Car

First, we rent a car, which is essential for this trip.

Since the main travel will be long-distance on expressways,
choosing a passenger car with sufficient engine displacement will ensure a comfortable journey.

I had planned to rent a Fit from Nippon Rent-a-Car, but
due to circumstances at the rental company, I was able to rent a Prius for the same price as a Fit.

The Prius was so stable during driving and had such low interior noise that
I thought I would rent a Prius-class car the next time I needed to travel long distances.

 

 

Taking the Chuo Expressway to Day 1’s Lodging (Yamabuki)

Let’s get on the Chuo Expressway and head toward our day 1 lodging.

There is one point I absolutely want you to be careful about.

That is estimating travel time.

The Chuo Expressway gets surprisingly congested during holidays.
You’ll often find yourself driving at around 20km/h continuously.
It makes you wonder if it’s really an expressway at all.

If you calculate the travel time from Tokyo (Ikebukuro in this case) to Achi Village using Google Maps,
it will show about 3 hours, but you should expect it to take twice that (6 hours).

 

 

Also, this is supposed to be an enjoyable date.
To avoid getting bored and irritated during the long journey,
it’s good to prepare some entertainment (movies, YouTube, etc.).
(Of course, the driver should focus on driving.)

It’s also recommended to bring a small blanket or towel to ensure your partner doesn’t get cold from the car’s air conditioning.

 

 

Stopping by a Sake Brewery (Ono Sake Brewery)

Once you’re past the Chuo Expressway, the rest of the journey is smooth sailing.

Before arriving at our lodging, we want to get some sake for our evening drinks.

Nagano is known for its clean water.

Clean water means delicious rice.

And delicious rice should mean delicious sake.

So, we simply can’t miss trying the local sake.

This time, we stopped by Ono Sake Brewery.
It’s conveniently located on the way to Hotel Yamabuki.

I made the painful mistake of forgetting to take photos of the brewery,
so if you want to know what the place looks like, please search on Google Maps or
check out their Facebook account.

Here is the sake that Ono Sake Brewery produces, "Yoakemae" (Before Dawn).
I thought the name was cool, which is why I decided to stop by.

Source: Official website

You can enjoy its dry, fruity taste.
Even though I usually prefer sweet sake, I became addicted to this fruity flavor and was very satisfied.

I also purchased Yoakemae’s namazake (unpasteurized sake) called Sumiagari, and I was very satisfied with that as well.
The carbonation characteristic of freshly opened namazake is delicious.

You can drink it almost like a carbonated soft drink.

It’s also available at their online shop, so please check it out if you’re interested!

I’ve gone on a bit of a tangent, but
with this sake, your evening will be even more enjoyable.

 

 

Checking in at Hotel Yamabuki

And so we arrive at our lodging.

The staff of Hotel Yamabuki will welcome you at the entrance.

※This photo was taken at night

You’re probably tired from the car journey.
Let’s take a break at the ryokan first.

 

Having an Early Dinner

Due to the need to board the gondola in Achi Village at 19:00 for the tour,
we start dinner at 16:30, or at the latest 17:00.

One of the reasons why I strongly recommend this ryokan (Hotel Yamabuki) is the "food".

The food is incredibly delicious.

Even though we plan to see stars in Achi Village,
we can’t miss out on tasting and enjoying the meals at this ryokan.

That’s why I emphasize the importance of allowing extra time for travel.

Dinner looks like this:

You eat around an irori (traditional Japanese hearth) in a private room.
It already looks delicious at this point.

An overwhelming amount of food arrives.

The sashimi is also exceptionally delicious.

 

I want to visit this ryokan again just for the delicious food.

 

 

Heading to the Gondola in Achi Village

Now we head to Achi Village, the main purpose of this trip.

Since Achi Village is located in the mountains, the weather can change quickly.

You might go there only to find it’s cloudy and the stars aren’t visible…
So pay close attention to the weather forecast.

From Hotel Yamabuki to the gondola in Achi Village is about an hour via expressway.

Make sure to allow enough time to reach the gondola.

Note that you’ll specify the gondola time when purchasing tickets for the "Heavenly Paradise Starry Sky Night Tour," which will be discussed later.
Adjust your arrival time at the gondola according to your schedule.

 

Participating in the “Heavenly Paradise Starry Sky Night Tour” and Stargazing

Now we participate in the tour.

Purchase tickets for the "Heavenly Paradise Starry Sky Night Tour" in advance.

Tickets become available two weeks before the date.

Due to limited capacity and popularity,
I recommend purchasing tickets exactly two weeks before your travel date.

We head up the mountain by gondola.
There’s a sense of nighttime adventure that’s exciting.

 

And so we arrive.

Everyone secures their own spot.
Since you’ll be sitting on the ground, it’s essential to purchase a leisure sheet (picnic mat) in advance.

Lie down on the leisure sheet and look up at the night sky.

When the time comes, the lights are dimmed to the narrator’s voice for the tour.

※Incidentally, when I participated, it was cloudy,
so I couldn’t see a sky full of stars. I’ll have to try again.

 

 

Returning to the Ryokan for Evening Drinks

After stargazing, we return to the ryokan to relax and recover from the day’s fatigue.

Enjoy a relaxing time with the drinks we purchased earlier in the day.

You might want to buy some snacks on the way back from Achi Village to the ryokan.

 

Day 2 Schedule Details

Having Breakfast at the Ryokan

The day begins with food.

Of course, breakfast is also delicious.

Again, we enjoy a elegant meal around the irori.

After this short but pleasant time, we check out of Hotel Yamabuki.

I want to come back just to eat the delicious food again.

 

Heading to Matsumoto Station for Some Sightseeing

It would be a shame to come all the way to Nagano and only visit Achi Village.

So, we’ll tour around Matsumoto Station, which is relatively easy to visit as a side trip from Achi Village.

If you’re not in a hurry, I recommend taking the local roads from the ryokan to Matsumoto Station for a leisurely journey.
Always using expressways can make the scenery monotonous.

 

Eating Shinshu Soba at “Miyoda”

If you leisurely take the local roads to the Matsumoto Station area,
you’ll probably arrive around noon.

It’s time for the long-awaited lunch.

For lunch, you might want something light and refreshing.

That’s where soba comes in.
Nagano is famous for its Shinshu soba.

This time, we went to Miyoda Matsumoto branch.

Being lunchtime, we waited in line for about 30 minutes to an hour.

Of course, we ordered Shinshu soba.

The wait made it taste even better.

 

Strolling Around Matsumoto Station and Visiting Matsumoto Castle

With our stomachs full, we stroll around the Matsumoto Station area.

This is indeed Nagano.
It’s hard to tell from the photo, but
the water in the river is crystal clear and transparent.
It’s surprising to find such a clean river right in front of the station.

Since this alone might not be enough for a satisfying trip,
we visited Matsumoto Castle.

At first, I was reluctant, thinking "it’s just another castle," but
when we arrived, I was taken aback.

Isn’t it incredibly beautiful?

It’s magnificent.

We paid the entrance fee and went inside.

The lawn is well-maintained and very beautiful.
Matsumoto Castle standing amidst the spacious lawn and trees is spectacular.

It wasn’t just another castle.
I’m glad we came.

 

Returning Home via the Chuo Expressway

After enjoying sightseeing around Matsumoto Station, it’s time to head home.

The Chuo Expressway is undoubtedly congested on the return journey as well.

Although perhaps not as bad as on the way there, you should expect it to take about the same amount of time.

If you want to return the rental car in Tokyo by 21:00,
you’ll need to leave Matsumoto for Tokyo around 16:00.

There’s been a lot of driving since yesterday, and fatigue can build up.
I recommend allowing as much extra time as possible for the return journey.

 

 

 

The Good Points of This Model Course

 

Let me list the good points of this model course.
It might end up being mostly about food…

• The food at the ryokan (Hotel Yamabuki) was exceptionally delicious
  • Although a bit expensive (about 20,000 yen per person), the satisfaction level was worth it
• The sake purchased at the brewery was delicious
  • As I mentioned earlier, the namazake (Sumiagari) was really delicious
• The townscape around Matsumoto Station is beautiful! It was great for walking and sightseeing
  • It’s moderately developed
  • You feel a sense of unity with nature that you can’t experience living in Tokyo

I haven’t written much about Achi Village…

I wanted to write that the starry sky in Achi Village was beautiful! But
unfortunately, it was rainy when I visited Achi Village…

 

 

Lessons Learned from the Achi Village Trip

 

There are many lessons learned, so please refer to them.

• The Chuo Expressway was incredibly congested, making car travel difficult
  • It’s best to avoid peak times if possible
  • Plan your schedule assuming travel will take twice as long as estimated
  • Actually, I left Tokyo much later on day 1, which disrupted my plans
    (couldn’t visit the sake brewery on day 1, had to rush through dinner at the ryokan, it was hectic)
  • Rest assured, this model course has been reconstructed based on my lessons learned
• We didn’t have much time to relax at the ryokan before and after visiting Achi Village
  • This partly overlaps with the first point
  • If you want to focus all your energy on stargazing in Achi Village,
    it might be a good idea to find lodging closer to Achi Village
• We couldn’t see a sky full of stars in Achi Village
  • This sums it up
  • This is just luck…
  • Consider planning a 3-day, 2-night trip to Nagano and going to
    Achi Village on either day 1 or day 2, whichever has clear weather, as a risk hedge
  • Considering that Nagano is vast and can be enjoyed even over 3 days and 2 nights,
    if you have time to spare, adopting the above plan might be good

I’ve written quite a lot.

 

 

Summary

In this article, I introduced a model course for
a 2-day, 1-night trip to Nagano focusing on visiting Achi Village.

This is a plan that anyone can easily utilize
if they have two days off.

Note that I’ve reconstructed this model course based on my own failures.

Perhaps for those who have lived in Tokyo for a long time, it’s common knowledge that
"the Chuo Expressway is congested during holidays."

Born and raised in the countryside, I had no idea…

If this lesson helps someone,
it might give meaning to writing this article.

Why not try a short trip to Nagano yourselves?

 

https://gonkunblog.com/goto-sado/812

 

https://gonkunblog.com/travelfukuokaoita/498/

 

https://gonkunblog.com/minitravel-tochiba/441/

 

https://gonkunblog.com/chiba-travel/1120/

 

If you have any opinions or comments, I would appreciate hearing them.