Michi-no-Eki Utsukushigahara Kogen

Michi-no-Eki Utsukushigahara Kogen is a high-altitude stop. The car park sits at about 1,930 m, and the station is usually described as the highest michi-no-eki in Japan. It shares its building with the ticket desk of the Utsukushigahara Open-Air Museum, a sculpture park spread across the plateau. Most people arrive by car at the end of the Venus Line, the high road that runs from the Tateshina area past Kirigamine.

The observation terrace sells soft-serve ice cream and oyaki, the stuffed dumplings Nagano is known for. Upstairs, the Comporte restaurant serves meals made with local ingredients. The museum is a separate, paid attraction. You can stop for the view and a snack without buying a ticket. On clear mornings the plateau can sit above a sea of cloud, but weather at this height changes fast and the air is cold even in summer, so bring a jacket.

This is not a year-round stop. The station closes for the snow season, and the 2026 season runs from 25 April to 15 November. Hours are 9:00 to 17:00, with the restaurant open 10:00 to 16:00. Sources disagree by a few days on the closing date each year, so check before planning a late-autumn drive.