Perfect for Family Trips! A Sightseeing Guide to Nasu Highlands, Where You Can Experience Magnificent Nature and Meet Animals

One of the biggest attractions of Nasu Highlands is its rich nature and scenic beauty.
Chausu-dake, which changes into vivid seasonal colors throughout the year, is especially impressive.
With a ropeway and well-maintained walking paths, Chausu-dake is easy to climb even for beginners.
The view of the Kanto Plain from the summit on a clear day is spectacular, so if you have the chance, it’s well worth trying.
Another distinctive feature of Nasu Highlands is its several ranches.
Many people probably associate Nasu with ranches.
You can interact with animals and enjoy ranch-specific experiences such as making dairy products.
These are memorable experiences you simply can’t have in everyday life.

Nasu Highlands has many leisure and cultural facilities, so it offers more than just natural scenery.
Zoos and safari parks in particular are highly popular spots that people of all ages can enjoy.
Highlights include interacting with animals and observing them in settings close to their natural habitats.
Some places also keep rare animals that you would not normally get to see, so they are worth checking out.
In addition, another feature of Nasu Highlands is its rich selection of cultural attractions.
There are museums and galleries dedicated to stained glass and teddy bears, and their carefully curated exhibits are sure to captivate visitors.

Nasu Highlands has long been known as a hot spring destination, and it is also home to Nasu Imperial Villa, the villa area for the Emperor and imperial family established in 1926.
It is famous for Nasu Onsenkyo, the collective name for the hot springs scattered throughout Nasu Town, and there are also plenty of accommodations where you can fully enjoy hot springs.
Natural hot springs still flow here today, and some facilities can even be used for day trips. You can enjoy a hot spring soak casually at a reasonable price.
One of the major attractions of Nasu Onsenkyo is being able to enjoy hot springs amid rich natural scenery.
They are sure to soothe your travel fatigue from deep within.

Nasu Animal Kingdom is home to about 600 animals of various species on a vast site about 10 times the size of Tokyo Dome.
It keeps rare animals even by nationwide standards, making it enjoyable not only for children but for adults as well.
The grounds are divided into Kingdom Town and Kingdom Farm, and a free Wan-Nyan Bus connects the two areas.
Kingdom Town is an indoor area centered on small animals where you can also interact with them. At Animal Stadium and Aqua Stage, you can also enjoy performances such as those by sea lions.

Opened in 1980 in the nature-rich Nasu Highlands.
About 700 wild animals of around 70 species gathered from around the world live here, mainly in free-range settings.
Visitors can tour the park by private car, rental car, bus, or the cage-style bus WILD RIDE.
From inside the vehicle, you can closely observe the living areas of carnivores such as white lions, lions, and tigers, as well as herbivores such as giraffes, hippos, and rhinos.

The stone building, modeled after a medieval noble residence, or manor house, that still remains in England’s Cotswolds region, is full of foreign charm.
Inside, visitors can admire many visually stunning works, centered on antique stained glass from the 1800s, including rose windows and TWO Angels by design master William Morris.
St. Raphael Chapel is especially notable, with walls entirely decorated in stained glass, and regular pipe organ performances whose sound enhances the solemn atmosphere.

One of the largest amusement parks in northern Kanto, the park is divided into seven areas: Coaster Plaza, Rock’n Roll Plaza, Galaxy & Star Plaza, Tropicana Park, Carousel Park & Victorian Garden, Forest and Water Fantasy Land, and King’s Court.
One notable feature is that you can enter with your dog. In addition to a dog run and dog cafe, there are attractions you can ride together, as well as cottages where you can stay with your dog.

A leisure park where you can experience great nature and interact with animals around Rindo Lake, the only lake in Nasu Highlands.
It also has an attached ranch, where you can enjoy unusual experiences such as milking Jersey cows, horseback riding, and alpaca walks.
At the snack corner in the park, you can also enjoy ranch-style menu items such as soft serve made with rich, high-quality Jersey milk.
There are also hands-on workshops for making butter, ice cream, and more. See, touch, and taste, and enjoy the full charm of the ranch.

A group of hot springs led by Nasu Yumoto Onsen, said to have been discovered around 1,400 years ago and considered the oldest in Tochigi Prefecture. Eight hot springs are scattered along the slopes of Chausu-dake, which rises in the northwestern part of Nasu Town. Each spring has different water quality and benefits, allowing visitors to enjoy hot spring hopping. Records also remain of historical figures such as Minamoto no Yoritomo and Saint Nichiren bathing here, showing that it has long been a famous hot spring area.
Accommodations are diverse in both type and price range, from traditional high-class ryokan inns and modern hotels to affordable no-meal lodgings.

Tochigi Prefecture is an area with a thriving dairy industry thanks to its favorable natural environment, including abundant greenery and clear air.
This ranch is located in Nasu Highlands, one of the most popular sightseeing spots in Tochigi Prefecture. It is open year-round and admission is free.
Animals such as cows, sheep, goats, horses, donkeys, and rabbits live here in an environment that is close to nature. Visitors can interact with them through feeding and horseback riding experiences.
Other activities include rainbow trout fishing, archery, and putter golf.

An outlet mall lined with around 130 shops across a wide range of categories.
It offers more than just shopping by promoting a resort lifestyle, sharing information on its website and elsewhere about spots where you can enjoy the surrounding nature, glamping facilities, and more ways to enjoy Nasu.
There are also stores within the facility that showcase the appeal of Nasu. At Loco Style Market, for example, you can find freshly harvested vegetables, eggs, pudding, and other items made by local farmers and producers, letting you enjoy flavors unique to Nasu.

Around 630, a hunter named Karo Saburo Yukihiro chased a white deer deep into the mountains and discovered hot springs flowing in a valley. The shrine was founded when he built one on this site.
The grounds are filled with highlights, including Yamato Sazare-ishi mentioned in the lyrics of Japan’s national anthem, a giant sacred tree estimated to be 800 years old, and the Third Torii Gate, known as a powerful spiritual spot because it was donated by Nasu no Yoichi.
Original amulets are also worth checking out, such as the Ichiya Hicchu-mamori for victory prayers featuring Nasu no Yoichi and the Stress Relief Amulet shaped like a sake bottle.

A lava rock enshrined in Nasu Highlands at the foot of Chausu-dake in the Nasu mountain range, which stands at an elevation of 1,915 meters.
It sits amid a desolate landscape scattered with rocky boulders, creating a distinctive atmosphere.

An observatory located at an elevation of 1,048 meters with sweeping views of the majestic Nasu mountain range.
From here, a vast panorama of the Kanto Plain stretches out below, and on clear days you can even see the graceful ridgelines of the Yamizo Mountains.

The main peak of the Nasu mountain range, located at the northern end of Tochigi Prefecture, and also called Chausu-dake.
Known as one of Kanto’s representative active volcanoes, it still emits white volcanic smoke today.
The main fumaroles are on the western slope, where they echo with loud roaring sounds across the surrounding area.

A ranch with over 130 years of history, surrounded by rich nature.
Guided by the concept of living in harmony with nature, the ranch carefully raises about 500 dairy cows on its vast 834-hectare grounds, with a strong focus on soil preparation for the homegrown grass and corn feed given to the cows.

Nasu Imperial Villa was established in 1926 as a place for rest and retreat after Emperor Showa’s marriage.
The grounds contain a rich forest home to a wide variety of plants and animals, including rare species, and to mark the 20th year of the Emperor Emeritus’s reign, about 560 hectares, roughly half of the imperial villa grounds, were transferred from the Imperial Household Agency to the Ministry of the Environment.
It later opened in May 2011 as Nasu Heisei no Mori in Nikko National Park.

Shika-no-Yu, the original spring of Nasu Onsen, is said to have opened in the first half of the 7th century.
According to legend, it began when the hunter Karo Saburo Yukihiro followed a wounded deer he had failed to shoot deep into the mountains and found it healing its wounds in the hot spring.
Later, it was also said to be a popular therapeutic bathing spot often visited by feudal lords staying in Edo.
Although it was rebuilt in 1941, it still retains its traditional appearance, and the rustic wooden building feels as though time has stood still.
There are many inns around the area, so it would also be nice to stay overnight and enjoy it at a relaxed pace several times.

A secluded hot spring ryokan standing in a mountain valley at an elevation of 1,300 meters in the deepest part of Nasu Onsenkyo. It is also known as a place where General Nogi Maresuke visited every year for therapeutic bathing during the Meiji era, and the inn displays exhibits related to him.
Its pride is its hot spring, said to have the greatest volume of water in Nasu Onsenkyo. Starting with the natural open-air bath Kawa-no-Yu, created by damming a hot spring river flowing from the inn’s own source on the mountain behind it, guests can enjoy four open-air baths of various sizes with free-flowing spring water, without heating or adding water, although partial heating is used in some seasons.

A steakhouse run directly by a long-established butcher shop with more than 70 years of history, offering high-quality local Japanese beef such as Tochigi Wagyu and Nasu Wagyu at reasonable prices.
Located along Nasu Kaido Road, it is a popular restaurant loved by both tourists and locals alike.
Tochigi Wagyu is known for its melt-in-your-mouth texture and aromatic marbling.
Among the highlights, the steak menu featuring A5-ranked sirloin and fillet is truly exceptional.

A nostalgic country-style restaurant in the satoyama landscape of Nasu Highlands.
In a charming old folk house complete with a large irori hearth and engawa veranda, you can enjoy handmade okowa, freshly pounded mochi, and seasonal country cooking.
The glutinous rice essential for making the okowa and mochi comes from safe and delicious rice grown by local farmers.

A highland bakery featured in many media outlets, including the Akarenga Bread Festival Gold Award and Cambrian Palace.
Its cute storefront, which looks like something out of an animated world, is also very popular with locals.
Since its bread is also served in restaurants, the bakery is particular about its ingredients, using carefully selected materials as much as possible, such as wheat flour from Nasu Highlands, eggs from local free-range chickens, and original cheese cream, in pursuit of great taste.

With an excellent location next to Nasu Imperial Villa, this resort hotel offers abundant dishes made with local ingredients, natural hot springs, and guest rooms wrapped in tranquility, making it easy to spend a relaxing time.
On the grounds are a hotel building with Western-style rooms, Japanese-style rooms, and deluxe rooms, as well as cottages for group trips or stays with dogs, so you can choose according to your travel style. The hot spring baths overlooking Nasu Highlands include a large public bath, open-air bath, and sauna, with the men’s and women’s baths switched daily.

A hotel located almost in the center of Nasu Highlands, which spreads across northern Tochigi Prefecture. Surrounded by magnificent nature, with the Nasu mountain range to the north and the Kanto Plain to the south, guests can enjoy meals made with local ingredients, take part in activities, or relax in the hot springs or spa, spending their vacation however they like.
The hotel’s 314 guest rooms come in a variety of types, including rooms with balconies where you can feel the changing seasons of Nasu Highlands up close, rooms where you can enjoy French dinner and breakfast served in your room, and spacious Japanese-style rooms for relaxed stays.

A resort hotel located at the highest elevation in Nasu Highlands. From the guest rooms and lobby of this hotel built at 900 meters above sea level, you can look out over the magnificent nature of Nasu Highlands and spend a special time while viewing seasonal scenery.
The hotel’s proud open-air bath features natural sulfur spring water sourced from Shika-no-Yu, which boasts a history of 1,300 years, and is known for its cloudy, slightly thick water. Soaking in the bath while gazing at a sky full of stars in the clear air is sure to blow away your daily fatigue.

A resort hotel standing on a lush green highland.
Its Northern Italian-style exterior, lobby decorated with luxurious chandeliers, and courtyard fountain all create a refined atmosphere.
The guest rooms include comfort rooms filled with natural light and furnished with European classic interiors, as well as twin rooms, fourth rooms, Japanese-style rooms, and semi-double rooms, covering a wide range of guest needs.

A large-scale resort complex in Nasu Highlands with nine different accommodation facilities spread across its vast grounds, including the Oriental Garden, where guest room buildings surround a central pool for a full resort feel, and the cottage-style Fukuro no Mori, where you can enjoy abundant nature.
There are three hot spring areas exclusively for guests. Yudokoro Hinoki is a luxurious open-air bath where not only the tubs but the entire building is made of cypress wood.
With the fragrance of cypress and sulfur spring water that warms you to the core, relaxation is guaranteed.