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Take a ride on one of the world's biggest gondolas to the top of Mt. Ryuoo. The Skyland Express Vessel holds an incredible 166 people. At the summit (1,930m) enjoy panoramic views and a marshland cove...

May is known as the Month of Crafts in Matsumoto and every year on the last Saturday and Sunday of May the Matsumoto Craft Fair is held at the Agata-no-Mori park. Here people from all over Japan come ...

The Tatsuno Hotaru Festival (辰野ほたる祭り)is held every year in mid-June at the town of Tatsuno. The mystical fireflies will be abundant, over 10,000 if lucky, in this area and it attracts people from far ...

The Gion festival is a celebration where people dedicate their prayers to calming down the god of storms. It has a long history, originating from the Yasaka-shrine in Kyoto around the 10th century. T...

Taking place over the first three days of September, the 'Owara Kaze no Bon Festival' sees dancers fill the streets of Yatsuo - in the south of Toyama City - as a prayer for a good harvest. On each d...

Wakaho is a district within Nagano city, a bit farther from the central area. In Wakaho there is Yushima Tenman-gu Shrine, nicknamed Yushima Tenjin. This shrine is not to be mistaken with the one in T...

Taking place around Mount Yokote or ‘Yokoteyama’, the Shiga Kogen Extreme Trail Run is an increasingly popular event held in mid-October. Entrants to the event can participate in the full 54km course...

Not to be mistaken with the Shiga Kogen Extreme Trail Run taking place in October, the Shiga Kogen 100 is held in mid-July and incudes three races: a 100km course, a 55km course, and short 21km cours...

Matsumoto Bon Bon is a music festival where various groups of locals come together and dance through the streets of Matsumoto on the first Saturday of August. The dance performed is a very ...