Miyota: Festival Culture, Photography and Highland Vegetables

Miyota combines traditional festival customs with a photography-focused lifestyle center, curling and the cultivation of highland vegetables. This gives the town a range of themes to explore when choosing a destination: you can take an interest in festivals, plan a visit centered on photography and dining, or discover local produce. When planning your trip, it is worth considering festival dates, your preferred activities and travel arrangements separately.

Festival Culture and Traditions

The Ryujin Festival begins with an opening ceremony at the Shinrakuji grounds, which is connected to the Ryujin legend. The festival then continues at Ryujin no Mori Park, located in central Miyota. In this way, the festival links the Ryujin legend with a procession from Shinrakuji to the central park. If this festival is important to your travel plans, check the current dates in advance.

The traditional Kannomizu festival is associated with the Kusagoe district and the period around January 20, during what is known as the Great Cold. The custom includes water ascetics running through the district: they are doused with water, wear only loincloths, and carry their straw-made headgear to Kumano Shrine. While the Ryujin Festival is defined by the sequence between two locations, Kannomizu centers on the ritual actions of the water ascetics.

Photography and Dining at MMoP

Opened in Miyota in 2021, MMoP is a photography-focused lifestyle center. The villa-style complex includes the Miyota Photography Museum, cafés, restaurants, a home furnishings store, a delicatessen and wine shop, and other facilities; there are eight in total. This brings photography together with dining and shopping at a single complex. Visitors can therefore explore more than just a museum: photography sits alongside dining and shops. Individual tenants may change.

Highland Vegetables from Miyota

Agriculture is also part of Miyota’s character. At an elevation of 800 meters, crops including lettuce, cabbage, Chinese cabbage and broccoli are grown as cool-climate highland vegetables. Numerous farm shops in town sell freshly harvested vegetables to visitors and residents. Those interested in local produce can buy it directly at these farm shops. The elevation and the crops mentioned give the subject a concrete connection to the town, complementing its cultural highlights with an agricultural perspective.

Getting There and Curling

Miyota also has a historic curling rink that has been in operation since 1995. Visitors can try curling there. If this experience is a fixed part of your itinerary, confirm current visitor arrangements in advance.

To travel from Tokyo, take the Hokuriku Shinkansen to Karuizawa, then transfer to the Shinano Railway. Travel times are 80 minutes to Karuizawa and a further 15 minutes to Miyota. As journey times can vary with timetables, check the connection before you depart.

Discover more destinations: Karuizawa, Tateshina.

Go to the main travel overview: Kitasaku District.