A 1-night, 2-day trip to the Odai and Osugi areas of Yoshino-Kumano National Park! Enjoy real nature with mountain and river activities ♪

What is Yoshino-Kumano National Park?

Yoshino-Kumano National Park occupies a large area in southern Mie Prefecture.

It is an area where you can enjoy a rich variety of nature and scenery, with mountain ranges running from the north to the southwest, the Kitayama River and Kumano River in the south, and the Kumano Sea in the east. Osugidani, located in the northern mountainous area, is considered one of Japan's three major canyons and is also registered as a UNESCO Eco Park. In addition, the Kumano Kodo ``Iseji'' within the park is one of the world's most famous ``roads'' and is a World Heritage Site. Among them, the Kumano River in the south is known as the ``river pilgrimage route.'' We recommend ways to enjoy this area that remind you of the travelers who once traveled this path.

This place, where deep nature and history are intertwined, has a charm that makes you want to visit again and again.

Explanation of the areas covered in this course

Shown on the map are the spots you will visit on this course. (Total 8 locations)

This is a model course that covers the Odai/Osugi area. It is a one-night, two-day plan where you can experience mountain and river activities in OdaiTown, where more than 90% of the town's land is covered by forests, and enjoy the great nature and spectacular scenery with all five senses.

Model course on the first day

• Drive through the thrilling suspension bridge "Shin-Osugi Bridge"!
• Park your car at the Osugidani trailhead and head to Shishibuchi! Since the climbing time is long, it is safe to leave early in the morning.
• Taking a break while looking at the beautiful Miyagawa River on the riverbank of "Kyoradani Deai" ♫
• The spectacular view of Osugidani “Shishibuchi” is breathtakingly beautiful! I am moved by the mysterious scenery created by nature ♪
• Enjoy natural hot springs and creative French cuisine made with local ingredients at Okuise Forest Pier, a hotel surrounded by nature!

Model course on the second day

• SUP experience at Okuise Dam Lake! You will be impressed by the sight of the boat floating in the air!
• Lunch time at Ichifuji, where you can eat ramen made with Miyagawa's raw water and local ingredients.
• For dessert after your meal, enjoy ouchiyama soft serve ice cream from Michi-no-eki Okuise Odai! I also bought a lot of souvenirs♪

Drive through the thrilling suspension bridge "Shin-Osugi Bridge"!

The first day started with a climb to Shishibuchi, which is known as the spectacular view of Osugidani!

Osugidani is a valley that is sometimes counted as one of Japan 's three great canyons, and is a climbing spot where you can see untouched virgin forests, waterfalls, and highly transparent rivers.

​On the way to the trailhead, we cross this "Shin-Osugi Bridge" by car, but it's a suspension bridge that sways so easily that you can feel the sway even on foot, so it's thrilling! Another point is that part of your feet can be seen through.

The bridge is wide enough for one car to pass, and there is a weight limit of 14 tons. Please make sure there are no pedestrians and drive slowly to reduce vibrations to the bridge!

From the bridge, you can see the mountains of Osugidani and the emerald green Miyagawa River, so you can enjoy the beautiful scenery of nature while feeling the thrill.

In fact, the Miyagawa River has been selected as the best in Japan many times in the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism's first-class river water quality surveys, and the downstream area is visited by many people as a spot for playing in the river and fishing for sweetfish.

​In this climb, we will be walking along the headwaters of the Miyagawa River, so we will be able to see the crystal clear stream.

Park your car at the Osugidani trailhead and head to Shishibuchi! Since the climbing time is long, it is safe to leave early in the morning.

Park your car at the parking lot at the trailhead and let's go to Shishibuchi!

​It takes 6 to 8 hours round trip to Shishibuchi, and you need to descend the mountain before sunset, so it is recommended to leave early in the morning. As a guideline, it's a good idea to arrive​ ​at the parking lot between 6am and 7am.

For detailed information on the parking lot location, please see the article by Koshi Iguchi from the Mie Travel Camera Club.

Also, there are limited seasons when you can enter Osugidani. Plan aheadOsugidani Climbing Center website Please refer to the. here You can also download the climbing registration form.!

*Climbing notification mailboxes are located at the trailhead and the Osugidani Climbing Center, but you can also submit them to the Osugidani Climbing Center by email or fax. Click here for details

*In order to protect the natural environment of Osugidani and maintain accident-free mountain trails, we ask for your cooperation in paying a mountain entry fee (1,000 yen per season). You will receive a souvenir upon delivery. Click here for details

Taking a break while looking at the beautiful Miyagawa River on the riverbank of "Kyoradani Deai" ♫

After submitting your mountain climbing notification at the Osugidani Climbing Center and paying your mountain entry fee, you will be able to depart.

​After walking for about an hour from the trailhead, you will arrive at Kyoradani Deai, the confluence of the tributaries and the main stream of the Miyagawa River. This is a perfect place to take a break, as there is a wide riverbed where you can see the Miyagawa River with excellent clarity up close.

We still have a long way to go, so let's have breakfast around here and take a short break.

The spectacular view of Osugidani “Shishibuchi” is breathtakingly beautiful! I am moved by the mysterious scenery created by nature ♪

After about 2 more hours of walking, we arrived at​ ​our goal, Shishibuchi.

The two towering cliffs and the emerald blue Miyagawa River flowing between them were breathtakingly beautiful.

Involuntarily "This is the spectacular view of Japan's three major canyons..." My voice leaked out. It seems to make you forget about the fatigue of mountain climbing and the stress of daily life.

I want to stare at this view for a long time, but I make sure to descend the mountain before it gets dark and head to my hotel for the day.

*If you don't have the time to do a day-climb, or if you want to enjoy the spectacular view of Osugidani even more, we recommend staying at the mountain hut "Momonokiyama no Ie," which is about an hour's walk from Shishibuchi. (By appointment only)

Enjoy natural hot springs and creative French cuisine made with local ingredients at Okuise Forest Pier, a hotel surrounded by nature!

After enjoying the spectacular view of Osugidani, check in to Okuise Forest Pier, your accommodation for the day!

Located in a location surrounded by the Miyagawa River and green mountains, you can choose from a hotel type Miyagawa Sanso or a cottage rental.

This time,​ ​we stayed at the hotel type Miyagawa Sanso.

You can enjoy the view of lush greenery from the room window, and enjoy the location close to nature.

After dropping off my luggage in the room, I immediately headed to Okuise Miyagawa Onsen, a natural hot spring within the hotel.

With a large public bath, an open-air bath, a seasonal wildflower bath, and a hot spring bath, this is the perfect hot spring to soothe your tired body from mountain climbing! The quality of the spring water has a high heat retention effect, so it was soothing for both mind and body.

After sweating in the hot springs, enjoy a creative French dinner made with carefully selected local ingredients at the in-house restaurant ``Anju''.

Ingredients include amago and sweetfish caught in the Miyagawa River, wasabi and wild vegetables from the mountains of Odai, and the meat used is Kiwa beef and game meat, and of course the taste is exquisite.

The first day ended after enjoying the great nature of OdaiTown and a delicious dinner.

While enjoying the star-filled sky and the sounds of animals, I went to bed early in preparation for tomorrow's activities.

SUP experience at Okuise Dam Lake! You will be impressed by the sight of the boat floating in the air!

On the morning of the second day, try SUP at the “Okuise Dam Lake Area”! This dam lake is connected to the headwaters of the Miyagawa River that flows through Osugidani, and is a beautiful dam lake with an impressive natural beauty and a shining emerald green color.

SUP is an abbreviation for stand-up paddle boarding, which is a water activity where you stand on a special board and paddle while standing.

This time, we will experience a 2 and a half hour course run by Verde Odai Tourism!

The starting point is Sakura no Sato Park, which is about 10 minutes by car from Okuise Forest Pier, so it is easily accessible.

​All tools can be rented, and the staff will give detailed lectures, so even beginners can enjoy it with confidence.

After the lecture, we headed out onto the water!

The sight of the mountains and sky reflected on the water's surface spreads out before your eyes, and the beauty takes your breath away, thinking, "I can do SUP in such a wonderful location!"

We proceeded slowly while being guided by a guide, andarrived at the turning point in the forest.

It's a quiet place where you can hear the sound of the river and the chirping of birds, and the area is surrounded by greenery! It feels like exploring an unexplored region. Once you get used to it, you can lie down and look at the vast blue sky...♪

The SUP experience where you can feel close to nature is an activity unique to this location!

If you go further upstream, you may even see the shadow of a boat reflected on the riverbed, giving the impression that it is floating in the air!

I hope you can take a miraculous photo that you can brag to your friends about!

Lunch time at Ichifuji, where you can eat ramen made with Miyagawa's raw water and local ingredients.

After enjoying the SUP experience for a full two and a half hours, I was already hungry.

Let's have lunch at Ichifuji, a popular long-established ramen shop in OdaiTown.

The specialty of this restaurant is definitely their Chinese noodles. The soup is generously made with Miyagawa water and Kishu seafood, and the rich Japanese soy sauce taste is addictive.

​There are plenty of ingredients that cover the soup, filling your stomach.

Champon and Gomoku Chinese Soba are also popular menu items, so be sure to try them out when you come to OdaiTown!

For dessert after your meal, enjoy ouchiyama soft serve ice cream from Michi-no-eki Okuise Odai! I also bought a lot of souvenirs♪

After eating delicious ramen, it's dessert time at the nearby "Michi-no-eki Okuise Odai"♪

This time, we ordered "Ise GreenTea soft serve" from the takeout specialty store "Magokoro Yatai" located at the entrance of Michi-no-eki!

Ise GreenTea is blended with Mie's representative local milk "ouchiyama Milk", making it a masterpiece where you can enjoy the exquisite balance of rich vanilla flavor and tea flavor!

ouchiyama milk comes from cows raised in the great outdoors of Oku-Ise, and Ise GreenTea is also made from 100% tea leaves grown in Mie Prefecture, so the soft serve ice cream is packed with Mie's natural blessings.

*Okuise is a general term for the mountainous area west of the Ise area, and refers to TaikiTown and OdaiTown areas.

​After enjoying dessert after your meal, it's time to choose souvenirs♪

At the "Direct Sales Corner" right after entering the entrance, there are many vegetables and handmade items grown in OdaiTown and the surrounding area, all of which are reasonably priced, so you'll be spoiled for choice!

In fact, OdaiTown is a place where you can get high-quality tea, so much so that it won the "Town" award at a national fair. There was also a corner with a wide selection of tea from OdaiTown!

Select tea, shiitake mushrooms, and sweetfish that are specialties of OdaiTown ♪

Frozen sweetfish are sold with roe depending on the season.

Head back home with memories of your trip and special products from OdaiTown as souvenirs. It was a very satisfying trip with nature activities, gourmet food made with local ingredients, and souvenirs♪

How was it?

In this article, we have introduced a plan to enjoy activities in the Odai and Osugi areas of Yoshino-Kumano National Park for 2 days and 1 night. One of the great appeals of this area is that you can experience​ ​some of the best nature in Japan up close, such as Osugidani and Miyagawa River. Please come and experience this area for yourself.

Mie Kanko introduces other model courses for enjoying Yoshino-Kumano National Park. If you are interested, please take a look at the Yoshino-Kumano National Park special website.

Additionally, the special website for Mie Prefecture National Quasi-National Park introduces four national and quasi-national parks within Mie Prefecture. Each area has its own natural charms, so please take a look at them as well.

Click here for my map showing the spots I visited this time ↓