南牧村の概要
Located at the easternmost tip of Nagano Prefecture, Minamimaki is a rugged mountain area that lies between 1,000 and 1,500 meters above sea level. There is a relatively flat zone at 1,200–1,300 meters of elevation that has developed into a residential area and covered with farmland primarily used to grow highland vegetables. With average annual temperatures at a chilly 6.9ºC, the local people take advantage of the cold climate to grow the crops that thrive in this environment, and are rewarded with the second-highest highland vegetable sales in the prefecture.
Nobeyama is also home to famous dairy brands with plants that produce fresh and delicious Poppo Milk, yogurt, and more. The area is also popular among those seeking cooler temperatures in summer, whether for sightseeing or overnight sports camps. Plenty of skiers make their way to Minamimaki in the winter, ensuring that the town stays lively and bustling year-round.
Minamimaki is also the perfect destination for summer sports camps--particularly skaters but also baseball, volleyball, basketball, and track and field players looking to get in some high-altitude training.
The four seasons in Minamimaki
- Spring
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After the long, harsh winter, spring is the season of love for tiny birds.
White birch and Japanese larch trees begin to bud all at once, painting the forests a rich shade of emerald green. Wild grasses and flowers erupt in charming riots of color as they dance in the symphony of spring breezes, bright against the stark backdrop of still snow-covered Yatsugatake volcanic peaks.
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- Summer
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Summer is a fleeting joy in the Nobeyama Highlands.
The cosmos that bloom in the fall throughout much of the Japanese lowlands are a summer flower in the Nobeyama Highlands--making the brisk summer months even more invigorating and refreshing. Set your imagination free in the vastness of space as you look up at a blanket of stars in the summer night sky, drinking in the profundity of eons and eons of time.
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- Autumn
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A season of rich harvests
The Japanese larch turns a shimmering golden yellow as fall approaches, painting the mountainsides in vibrant colors as the local creatures busily hum about in preparation for the long winter. The autumn leaves of Yatsugatake are pure poetry, their harmonious hues soothing the souls of all who stroll among them.
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- Winter
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Expanses of silvery white as far as the eye can see.
There is a grand and deeply captivating beauty that can only be seen in places where the winters are long and harsh. Icicles dangle from the trees like delicate flowers, while the creatures of the forest wait with bated breath for spring to arrive. It is a deeply moving season, when the harshness and beauty of nature are one and the same.
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