Kirigamine Kogen In Suwa
About the Kirigamine Camera
Kirigamine is a high plateau above Lake Suwa, rising to around 1,900 metres at Kurumayama, its highest point. It sits inside the Yatsugatake-Chushin Kogen Quasi-National Park, and unlike most land at that altitude in Japan it is open grassland rather than forest, which gives it very long sightlines.
This camera broadcasts from Vivalde no Oka, a cottage estate on the plateau. On a clear day the view reaches the Japanese Alps, and Mount Fuji appears beyond the nearer ridges. The name means 'mist peak', and the plateau earns it: cloud rolls across the grassland often enough that the view can close down and reopen within an hour.
The seasons here are distinct. Nikko-kisuge day lilies turn the slopes yellow in July, autumn browns the grass, and winter brings deep snow and skiing. Because the plateau is roughly 1,200 metres above the lake, conditions on this camera are frequently nothing like those in Suwa city below.
Highlights & Nearby
- •Watch for: mist crossing the grassland, the Japanese Alps on a clear day, July day lilies, winter snow cover
- •Nearby: Lake Suwa, Kurumayama, Shirakaba-ko, the Venus Line road
- •Note: about 1,200 m above Suwa city, so conditions here often differ sharply from the lakeside
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the Kirigamine camera live?
Yes. It streams the plateau continuously.
How high is Kirigamine?
The plateau sits around 1,600 to 1,900 metres, with Kurumayama the high point at roughly 1,925 metres.
Why is it grassland and not forest?
Kirigamine is an open highland meadow, unusual at that altitude in Japan, and it is what gives the plateau its long views.
When do the day lilies bloom?
Nikko-kisuge flower in July, when the slopes turn yellow.
