Japan Travel | Stunning Autumn Colors: Kamikochi, Nagano (with Transportation Guide).

|Stunning Autumn Colors: Kamikochi, Nagano (with Transportation Guide). Kamikochi will be closed on November 15, so I went on the 8th to see its stunning autumn colors before it closed. The main attractions in Kamikochi are Kappa Bridge, Taisho Pond, and Myojin Pond. My walking route for the day was Kamikochi Bus Terminal → Kappa Bridge → Taisho Pond → Kappa Bridge → Myojin Pond → Kappa Bridge → Kamikochi Bus Terminal. At this time, the night buses from Shinjuku and the buses from Nagoya and Nagano are all suspended. Even the first direct bus from Matsumoto is full. So I chose to buy a train and bus combo ticket in [Matsumoto]. ✓ Take the train at 6:31 am to Shin-Shimashima Station, and transfer seamlessly to the bus to Kamikochi, [no reservation required]. ✓ Be sure to [reserve] the bus from Kamikochi to Shin-Shimashima for the return trip. Hiking route: ① Kappa Bridge → Taisho Pond, about 1h20min with photo stops, just in time to return to Kappa Bridge for lunch. ② Kappa Bridge → Myojin Pond, there are two routes, left and right, the left bank is farther, we took the left bank route and returned on the right bank route, the whole trip took about 3h. You will encounter horses on the way, be careful not to feed them~ Kamikochi is beginner-friendly for hiking, mostly boardwalks and gravel roads, mostly flat, suitable for leisurely hiking. About supplies: mostly at Kappa Bridge, there are cafes, restaurants, and souvenir shops, and it is the closest attraction to the bus stop. Kamikochi in autumn changes every day, with mainly yellow leaves, so don't expect too much from the maple leaves 🍁.