Toyone: Starry Skies, Hot Springs, and Blossom Season

Hot springs, stargazing tours, traditional festivals, and expansive spring blossoms offer different themes for planning a trip by season. Seasonal offerings and their respective conditions can help you choose when to travel based on your interests.

Stars and Hot Springs

湯～らんどパルとよね offers eight types of hot spring baths. These include an outdoor bath surrounded by greenery; two water qualities alternate depending on the period. The bathing options thus include both different types of baths and changes in water quality.

From September to November, Peak Observatory offers special stargazing tours for a maximum of three groups. Check the seasonal details again before your trip. The Tenku Stargazing Society offers tours with explanations in Japanese about the stars of the Mikawa region, as well as telescope observations; program schedules may change. If you are interested in the night sky, the stated scope of these offerings differs: the Society's tours include explanations in Japanese and telescope observations, while tours at Peak Observatory are limited to a maximum of three groups.

Festivals and Blossom Season

The Sakauba Hana Festival takes place at Hachiman Shrine, lasts all night, and is designated an Important Intangible Folk Cultural Property of Japan. The tradition is more than 700 years old. Dates vary each year; check them if you would like to include the festival in your travel plans.

The Shibazakura Hill at Chausuyama Kogen covers about 2.2 hectares, where around 400,000 moss phlox plants bloom. The usual flowering season runs from mid-May to early June, although exact dates vary from year to year. A Shibazakura Festival is held during the flowering season; its dates may also vary each year.

The hill is part of the seasonal transformation at Chausuyama Kogen: the area used as a ski resort in winter becomes a flower-covered hillside in spring. Planting on Shibazakura Hill began in fiscal year 2007 as part of a five-year plan to make Chausuyama Kogen a spring excursion destination.

Mountains and Trails

Chausuyama lies on the border between Toyone in Aichi Prefecture and Neba in Nagano Prefecture. At 1,415 meters, it is the highest mountain in Aichi Prefecture. Hagitaro-yama lies to the south. From there, the panoramic view extends to the Southern Alps and, on clear days, to Hamamatsu and Nagoya.

There is a lift at Chausuyama Kogen; check the operating schedule before your visit. Several sections around the Shin-Toyone Dam have been developed as walking trails and are suitable for hiking. Some roads are currently closed. Therefore, check local access conditions before visiting.

Recreation and Regional Cuisine

Green Stage Han no Ki offers trout fishing, a large maze, and charcoal grilling. Seasonal offerings are available from spring through autumn; reservations are required for grilling. Check current availability before your trip.

At the restaurant in Michi-no-Eki Toyone Green Port Miyajima, you can enjoy homemade dishes made with fresh vegetables and sturgeon raised in Toyone's clear natural waters. The shop there offers blueberries and products made from them. Alongside starry skies, scenery, and festival culture, these culinary offerings provide another distinct focus for your trip.

Discover more destinations: Handa, Nagoya, Chita District, Ama, Anjo, Kariya, Ōbu, Tahara

For the regional travel overview: Aichi Prefecture.