Driving Date Route in Early Summer!
Get Impressed by Visiting
Lovers’ Sanctuary Places full of Mystery of Nature
A romantic atmosphere is surrounding by the river and lightning bugs. (Wara Hotaru)
Bond between you can your partner can be strengthened at this Lovers’ Sanctuary!
This time we are going to introduce a driving date route for couple to sense the attractiveness of Gujo by seeing the water and river stream. We will visit some lovers’ sanctuary places and see Wara lightning bugs too.
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Sogisui
Spring water selected to be the best 100 waters in Japan!
Sogisui is selected by Ministry of the Environment to be the best 100 waters in 1985. It is also a significant spot in Gujo as a city of water. Cool & clear water coming up from a small shrine making the surrounding area cooler. Sogisui has a multipurpose, phased structure, like a boat. You can feel how people in the past used water. A red Shimizubashi Bridge right next to Sogisui is perfect for taking a memorable photo. You can take the stairs down to Kodaragawa River to take a rest at the riverbank.
Chill water coming from the shrine makes the air cooler
Shimizubashi Bridge with a remarkable red parapet is one of the best photo spots in Hachiman.
You can find Sogisui after walking down the cobblestone slope.
Yanakamizu-no-komichi (Yanaka Water Lane)
Take a break at one of the most famous water spots
Take a break at one of the most famous water spots, a must-go Yanakamizu-no-komichi.
Yanakamizu-no-komichi is a cobblestone path showing the flow and swirl of water by paving around 80,000 boulders from Nagaragawa River and Yoshidagawa River. Old Japanese houses lining up besides water path under the swaying willow trees is a good place for taking a rest. Some kids are entering the water and some local people are chatting. You can see the lives of local people at this water lane.
Taka walk and take a rest under the willow trees along Yanakamizu-no-komichi.
Lights at night are making it a fantastic world.
Visitors can see a tasteful water town by having a walk here.
Igawa-komichi Lane
Water used by the locals in their real lives
If you want to enjoy the townscape, we recommend you go to Igawa-komichi. Igawa-komichi is a water lane located next to Former Hachiman Government Building Memorial Hall with width of 1 meter and length of 120 meters. You can see many kinds of carps and river fish swimming in the water lane. As the water lane is located near to local houses, the locals are setting traps for catching Ayu (Sweetfish) in the water stream. It makes you feel the summer in Gujo. How about taking a walk while seeing this beautiful water streams and feeling lives of the local people?
It is a walking path to feel the life of old-style Japanese people.
Igawa-komichi is down the stairs behind the Former Hachiman Government Building Memorial Hall.
Seeing the carps and fish swimming in the water lane.
Meiho Spa Yuseikan
High quality hot spring makes your skin smoother
After having fun at Gujo Hachiman, let’s go hot spring at Meiho Spa Yuseikan on Meiho-kogen! You can enjoy a blissful time by having a hot spring in this open-aired bath and feeling the natural breeze. You can also heal your tiredness by having a day trip bath in an alkaline simple hot spring. After bathing, you can rest at the Japanese style rest place and taste some local cuisine at the restaurant.
Feel the nature in Meiho at this open-aired bath.
The quality of alkaline simple radioactive hot spring is good for your body.
At restaurant Yuyu, you can try Rank A5 barbecue Hida beef lunch set, Kei-chan (Stir fried chicken with miso sauce) lunch set and Meiho ham steak lunch set.
Miyama Limestone Cave
The largest limestone cave in Japan! Let’s explore this 3D maze limestone cave!
After relaxing at a hot spring, let’s go cool down at a fantasy limestone cave! Miyama Limestone Cave is a pit-house type limestone cave which also called a “3D maze type limestone cave”. You need around 30 to 40 minutes to walk through this limestone cave and enjoy this mysterious view created by nature. After going out from the cave, a mountaintop observatory tower which is selected as a “Most romantic spot for proposal” in 2014. There are “Shiawase-no-kane (Bell of Happiness)” and “Chikai-no-fence (Fence of oath)”, so this place is also called a Lovers’ Sanctuary.
A mysterious limestone cave created by nature. You can explore this spacious maze.
Hang your lock with your loved one on the Fence of Oath, you will surely be happy forever!
After passing through the limestone cave, you will see the beautiful scenery from the mountain top.
Roadside Station Wara
Resting at a roadside station with calm scenery
Odango (Rice dumpling) at Roadside Station Wara is perfect after a limestone cave exploration. Chinchiroya at the souvenir shop is selling the famous snack, Choju-dango. This tofu based soft Choju-dango is created by owner Mr Ohsawa. Many customers come again and again as it is really delicious! Local agricultural products and processed goods are only for sale here at the specialty shop. If you feel tired, just take a break and feel the countryside under this peaceful atmosphere at Wara.
Choju-dango, made from tofu, is chewy. Sauce with gentle taste makes it a popular product here.
Seasonings made from local ingredients can only be bought here at Roadside Station Wara.
Different vegetable is lining up at the specialty shop every day.
Wara Hotaru
Thousands of lightning bugs making this fantasy in the dark
Our last destination is seeing Hotaru (Lightning bug). Thousands of Hotaru can be seen near Waragawa River from mid-June. Beautiful yellow lights flying on the river makes you feel calm and quiet. Despite it is already early summer, it is still cool near to the river. Don’t forget to bring your cardigan. Come and see this dance of romantic lights!
Thousands of lights dancing on the clear stream in this world of fantasy.
Wara Hotaru can only survive with clear water, so they are living near Waragawa River.
Adult lightning bugs can only survive for 1 to 2 weeks. They are flying powerfully on the summer river.
Map of surrounding area
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