Last Update: Mar 22, 2024
Iiyama City
Northern Nagano’s Bucolic Hills & Valleys
Today, we’ll be getting off the beaten path again to examine Nagano Prefecture’s city of Iiyama. Truth be told, it was only recently that this part of Japan popped up on the radar for me. While I had some vague awareness of Iiyama being the jumping off point to go to Nozawa Onsen, it wasn’t until the local powers that be invited me up that I really got to know the city. After spending the better part of two days in Nagano’s northern reaches, I must say that I am a bit ashamed that I have not recommended Iiyama yet.
What makes Iiyama worth visiting is undoubtedly its abundance of nature. Surrounded by towering mountains and the all-important Chikuma River, Iiyama boasts a smorgasbord of seasonal beauty that is hard to rival. While much of the borough is buried under many meters of snow during winter, the entirety of Iiyama’s ecosystem springs to life as things start to thaw. It’s around this time that one of Iiyama’s most iconic flowers, the bright yellow nanohana, are in bloom.
Speaking of seasonal timings, there really is no wrong time to visit Iiyama. During the winter, the town has two events that are known respectively as the Iiyama Snow Festival and Kamakura Igloo Festival. The former boasts some amazing snow sculptures whereas…
