Kamikochi
A remote highland valley in the Hida Mountains of western Nagano, reached only by bus or taxi since private cars are kept out. Trails follow the clear Azusa River past Kappa Bridge, beneath the peaks of the Hotaka range.
- Where
- Matsumoto, Nagano, Japan
- Grade
- Well known
- Worth
- 10 points collected on site, plus 1 for its grade
- Coordinates
- 36.2470, 137.6333
Get the Kamikochi stamp
Open LOQAH when you are at Kamikochi. It checks where you are once, at that moment, and the stamp is yours: confirmed on site in gold and struck with the date. It goes into your Nagano volume with your photos and a note.
Near Kamikochi
Matsumoto Castle 30 km
One of Japan's premier historic castles and a National Treasure, originally known as Fukashi Castle. Its black-walled keep, nicknamed Crow Castle for its colour, rises over a moat with the Japanese Alps behind it.
Tateyama Kurobe Alpine Route 37 km
A 37-kilometre mountain route through the Northern Alps between Tateyama in Toyama and Omachi in Nagano, opened in 1971, climbing through a height difference of up to 1,975 metres. It is travelled by cable car, ropeway and bus, past the Kurobe Dam and, in spring, high walls of snow.
Shirakawa-go 66 km
A mountain village in Gifu Prefecture known for its gassho-zukuri farmhouses, whose steep thatched roofs look like hands pressed together in prayer. With Gokayama in Toyama, it forms a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Jigokudani Monkey Park 92 km
A steep valley in Joshinetsu Kogen National Park where wild Japanese macaques soak in hot spring pools, most memorably in winter snow. The name means Hell's Valley, for the steam and boiling water that rise from cracks in the frozen ground.
Kenroku-en 94 km
A strolling garden built over the Edo period by the Maeda lords and counted among the Three Great Gardens of Japan. About 10 hectares of winding paths, a large pond, tea houses and one of Japan's oldest fountains; in winter, ropes fan out from the pines to bear the snow.
Higashi Chaya District 94 km
Kanazawa's best-preserved geisha quarter, a few lanes of wooden teahouses with fine latticed fronts from the Edo period. Some still host geisha entertainment, while others now hold cafes and shops selling gold leaf, a Kanazawa speciality.
21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art, Kanazawa 94 km
A round, glass-walled museum of contemporary art in the centre of Kanazawa, designed by the architects SANAA. Its best-known work is Leandro Erlich's Swimming Pool, where people appear to stand underwater beneath the surface.
Kanazawa Castle 94 km
A large, partly restored castle, headquarters of the Kaga Domain, which the Maeda clan ruled for 14 generations until the Meiji Restoration. Its white walls and pale lead-tiled roofs sit beside Kenroku-en, once the castle's private outer garden.
More famous places to visit in Nagano
Questions
Where is Kamikochi?
Kamikochi is in Matsumoto, Nagano, Japan. The nearest other LOQAH stamps are Matsumoto Castle (30 km), Tateyama Kurobe Alpine Route (37 km), Shirakawa-go (66 km).
How do I get the Kamikochi stamp?
Open LOQAH when you are at Kamikochi and get its stamp. The app checks where you are once, at that moment, and the stamp goes into your Nagano volume, confirmed on site, with the date.
I have been to Kamikochi before. Can I still have the stamp?
Yes. Add it from Earlier trips in your Nagano volume, with the date if you know it, or import your Google Timeline and LOQAH matches the places you were.
Collect your first stamp.
LOQAH is free on iPhone and Android, in India and 20 more countries, with more countries on the way. Stand at a place, collect its stamp, and keep every trip in a passport that grows.