Near the southern tip of Nagano, by the small city of Iida, lay the Tenryu Riverlands. A collection of towns, villages, and fruit orchards stretching out on either side of the Tenryu River, this area has a lot more to do than you may at first think. Rafting, boat rides, fruit picking, and more await the traveler who makes it to this isolated region to reap its rewards.

— Where are the ‘Tenryu Riverlands’?

— How to Get There

— Introduction to Our Tenryu Riverlands Tours

— Pick-up Locations for Tours

Lying around 4 hours / 270km to the west of Tokyo, the Tenryu Riverlands are a world away from the hustle and hum of the city. It may take a little extra effort to get there, but those who do discover a place of natural beauty, traditional culture and lots of adventure on and around the river.

WHERE ARE THE ‘TENRYU RIVERLANDS’?

The name ‘Tenryu Riverlands’ refers to a scenic and culturally-rich region in the south of Nagano Prefecture – a region dominated by the Tenryu River, subsidiary waterways, farmlands, forests and mountains. Iida is the largest city in the riverlands, lying approximately 4-hours / 270km to the west of Tokyo, 2-hours / 120km to the north-east of Nagoya, and 2.5-hours / 165km to the south of Nagano City. For visitors heading to the region using the train network from locations including Tokyo and Nagoya – or further afield from Kyoto or Osaka – it will be easiest to take the Tokaido Shinkansen to Toyohashi Station and transfer to the JR Iida Line for the onward journey to Iida Station via Tenryukyo Station. One of Central Japan’s most scenic train journeys, the line follows the Tenryu River for much of the way, taking you deep into the heart of country and back to a place of tradition and adventure.

HOW TO GET THERE

While the Tenryu Riverlands take time to get to, the journey is simple from starting points as far away as Tokyo, Nagoya, Kyoto and Osaka. The Tokaido Shinkansen runs from Tokyo Station in the east to Shin-Osaka Station in the west. Among the stops along the line including Kyoto and Nagoya, Toyohashi Station acts as your gateway to the Riverlands. Running north from Toyohashi, the JR Iida Line runs almost 200km to Iida Station – the largest city in the Riverlands – along with stops at Hiraoka Station and Tenryukyo Station, and for much of that distance, follows the beautiful Tenryu River. Considered one of Japan’s most beautiful rail lines, it is best enjoyed using the Limited Express ‘Inaji’ service from Toyohashi. For example, for visitors coming from Tokyo to join our 2-Day Tenryu River Rafting, Tea-Picking & Tokimata Fireworks Festival Tour, the following service would get you to Tenryukyo Station in-time:

Tokyo: 08:33 – Toyohashi: 09:53 – Tokaido Shinkansen ‘Hikari’ service

Toyohashi: 10:08 – Tenryukyo: 12:24 – Limited Express ‘Inaji’ service

When coming from Osaka, Kyoto or Nagoya, this service would also get you to Tenryukyo in-time:

Shin-Osaka: 08:15 – Kyoto: 08:30 – Nagoya: 09:08 – Toyohashi: 09:36 – Tokaido Shinkansen ‘Kodama’ service

Toyohashi: 10:08 – Tenryukyo: 12:24 – Limited Express ‘Inaji’ service

*Train times are subject to change. Please reconfirm before starting your journey by inquiring with us or checking an official Japan Railways schedule.

One of Japan’s most beautiful rail journeys but largely unknown by international visitors, travelling the Iida Line is an experience unto itself and just another reason to go that little bit further to discover a deeper part of Japan.

INTRODUCTION TO OUR TENRYU RIVERLANDS TOURS

Nestled in the south of Nagano Prefecture, the Tenryu Riverlands are defined by the river from which it takes its name and a unique blend of tradition and adventure. For centuries, the Tenryu River served as a water road to the coast, stretching over 200km to the Pacific Ocean and in doing so, offering an alternate route into the mountainous heart of Japan. As such, life revolved around the river and distinct local industries and craft emerged.

While traffic on the river is much reduced in modern times, very quietly, it is now emerging as a place of adventure with whitewater rafting and other outdoor activities establishing the Tenryu Riverlands as a place where tradition meets adventure. We offer the following tours in the region:

1-DAY TOUR FROM MATSUMOTO: TENRYU RIVER RAFTING AND FRUIT PICKING

1 Day Tour

1-Day Tour from Matsumoto: Tenryu River-Rafting & Fruit-Picking
Period	late-April to November
Time	8:00
Meeting Place	Matsumoto Station
Price	¥135,000 ~/ Group

Highlights

— Pick your own seasonal fruits at a local farm amongst beautiful scenery

— Enjoy lunch at a local venue offering a number of beloved Japanese soul-foods

— Get a look at the Tenryu River Gorge from above and enjoy the lovely view

— Raft for over 10 Kilometers down the Tenryu River with a fun-loving rafting instructor

Offering pick up from Matsumoto (other locations available upon request), this tour will take you from central Nagano to the southern reaches of the prefecture. With warmer weather than the rest of Nagano, this region is blessed with numerous fruit and vegetable farms, and guests on this tour will get the chance to go one of those farms and pick fruit of their own choice to eat. Afterwards, lunch at a popular local venue will be followed up by an afternoon of rafting. Fun for everyone, rafting on the Tenryu river offers excitement while still being accessible for beginners. Your rafting instructor will make sure you have a good time and your guide will be there to ensure you understand everything that is going on. Available from Spring through Autumn, this is a tour you won’t want to miss if you love the great outdoors and nature’s bounty – see the tour page for full details.

2-DAY TOUR: TENRYU RIVER-RAFTING, LOCAL BBQ & TEA-PICKING EXPERIENCE INC. HOT SPRING HOTEL

2 Day Tour

2-Day Tour: Tenryu River-Rafting, Local BBQ & Tea-Picking Experience inc. Hot Spring Hotel
Period	mid-May – September
Time	Day1: 12:30-21:30 Day2: 10:00-16:20
Meeting Place	Tenryukyo Station
Adult Rate	¥50,000〜

Highlights

— Start your tour with the excitement with an afternoon of rafting on Tenryu River including the fun of white water and other activities led by a qualified instructor followed by a tempting local BBQ dinner to round-out a day of fun!

— Indulge in a tempting local BBQ dinner to round-out a day of fun!

— Enjoy an overnight stay at a traditional ‘onsen’ (hot spring) guesthouse including breakfast

— Follow the river deep into the heart of the region on your second day with a Tenryu Rhine-Kudari boat ride followed by tea-picking in the beautiful terraced fields of Nakaisamurai – one of Nagano’s most beautiful yet least visited landscapes

Operating from April until September, this engaging two-day tour takes you along the Tenryu River deep into the Tenryu Riverlands starting with river-rafting and barbeque dinner on the first day, followed by a traditional river boat and tea-picking on the second day in one of Nagano’s most scenic locations, the terraced tea fields of Nakaisamurai. All guided by a local guide and including accommodation a hot spring hotel overlooking Tenryu Gorge, this is one tour that is fun for all ages – see the tour page for full details.

PICK-UP LOCATIONS FOR TOURS

Looking to escape from the city for a little while? Already in rural Japan and looking for another experience to complete your stay? In either case, we can offer pick up from your preferred location in the following areas:

— Nagoya (And Surroundings)

— Nakatsugawa

— Kiso Valley (Nakasendo)

— Matsumoto

— Hirugami Onsen

— And more!

We understand that many of the meet up points listed for the above tours can be difficult to reach. With many of the stations listed being remote and on lines that only have a limited number of trains departing each day, travelers who are not yet used to getting around in Japan may have concerns about arriving on time. For that reason, we offer our pickup service to facilitate the ease of your trip to the Tenryu Riverlands, especially for larger groups of guests who will find it more difficult to book seats on trains or buses.

Additionally, our pickup service can be used to string together multiple destinations in the area. For example, if you are looking to visit a hot spring town in rural Japan for a 1-night stay, followed by a rafting trip the next, we can handle transport on each day for your group to ensure a smooth and enjoyable excursion. Please feel free to contact us for pricing and details!