{"id":172,"date":"2024-02-01T10:11:56","date_gmt":"2024-02-01T01:11:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.shiono-michi.jp\/en\/?page_id=172"},"modified":"2026-03-04T19:36:57","modified_gmt":"2026-03-04T10:36:57","slug":"course_oominetouge","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.shiono-michi.jp\/en\/course_oominetouge\/","title":{"rendered":"Omine Toge-goe Course"},"content":{"rendered":"\r\n
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\r\n Omine Toge-goe Course<\/span><\/h2>\r\n <\/div>\r\n
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\u25cfDifficulty: Family-friendly
\r\n \u25cfWalking Period: May to first snowfall
\r\n \u25cfTotal Length: Approximately 8 km (Kyodo-kan \u2192 Tsubakuro-iwa \u2192 Banba \u2192 Nakadori \u2192 Omine Toge \u2192 Nagasaki \u2192 Ichiba)
\r\n \u25cfTime Required: About 3 hours 40 minutes from south to north \/ About 3 hours 30 minutes from north to south
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Highlights
\r\n \u25cfWalk through the terraced rice fields below Ganiwara
\r\n \u25cfStroll the quiet streets of the Tsuchiya valley and enjoy fantastic views of the Northern Alps
\r\n \u25cfTravel the moss-covered, old stone stairs leading to the Tsuchiya Shrine
\r\n \u25cfTake in amazing views of the settlements strewn across the hillside of the Nakaya valley\r\n <\/p>\r\n

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The Omine Toge-Goe Course is the gateway to the old Chikuni Kodo. As both the easiest to access and the least remote of the Kodo\u2019s four total routes, it is an excellent place to start journeying on the less-visited side of the Shionomichi. The route follows the western bank of the Himekawa River, and travels a comparatively high percentage of paved roads, though the vast majority are quiet streets through pleasant settlements with little to no car traffic and wonderful views of the mountains and valleys in all directions. This path played an important part in a ritual procession conducted every seven years by priests from the Suwa Grand Shrine, and there are smaller shrines and stone monuments along the way that still attest to its important religious role.<\/p>\r\n <\/div>\r\n

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Elevation Profile<\/h2>\r\n
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Access<\/h2>\r\n

By Car<\/b>
Parking is available at the southern end of the course using the parking lot for the Otari-mura Yakuba (Otari Village Hall<\/a>),while the Harumachi-tei Park parking lot can be used at the northern end.

By Train<\/b>
It takes about 20 minutes on foot to reach the Tsubakuro-iwa rock and Miyamoto Bridge<\/a>, which mark the southern starting point of the walk, from Minami-Otari Station. Alternatively, local buses connect Ichiba, at the northern end of the walk, to Minami-Otari and Nakatsuchi stations.<\/p>\r\n <\/div>\r\n <\/section>\r\n\r\n

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Historical Landmarks & Points of Interest<\/h2>\r\n
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Miyamoto Suwa-jinja<\/p>\r\n <\/span>\r\n <\/dt>\r\n <\/dl>\r\n

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Hakusan-sha no Osugi<\/p>\r\n (Designated as an Important Cultural Asset by Nagano Prefecture)<\/span>\r\n <\/dt>\r\n

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Tsuchiya Kannon-do<\/p>\r\n <\/span>\r\n <\/dt>\r\n <\/dl>\r\n

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Tsuchiya Suwa-jinja<\/p>\r\n <\/span>\r\n <\/dt>\r\n <\/dl>\r\n

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Koshikake-sugi<\/p>\r\n (Designated as an Important Cultural Asset by Nagano Prefecture)<\/span>\r\n <\/dt>\r\n <\/dl>\r\n

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Hirakura Jo-shi<\/p>\r\n This is the site of the remains of an important pre-Edo period mountain castle known as Hirakura-jo<\/a>. Here Iimori Moriharu, who was aligned with Echigo\u2019s Uesugi Kenshin<\/a>, made his last stand against the invading forces of Takeda Shingen<\/a>, Uesugi\u2019s bitter enemy. Despite having requested reinforcements from the Uesugi clan, they arrived too late, and the castle fell in 1557.<\/span>\r\n <\/dt>\r\n <\/dl>\r\n

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Gyokusen-ji<\/p>\r\n Iimori Moriharu, who was killed in battle while defending Hirakura Castle<\/a> against Takeda Shingen<\/a>\u2019s forces in 1557, is buried on the grounds of this temple.<\/span>\r\n <\/dt>\r\n <\/dl>\r\n <\/div>\r\n <\/div>\r\n <\/section>\r\n<\/main>\r\n