Tateshina Ranch Gondola Lift
Shirakaba (white birch) Highland is located in the eastern part of Nagano Prefecture, about 200 km northwest of Tokyo. It is a cool highland more than 1,500 meters above sea level. I visited this superb highland with my family in the early autumn this year.
To get to the most famous sightseeing spot named Gosen-en Natural Park, Tateshina Ranch Gondola Lift, also known as Shuttle Venus, is convenient. Connecting the mountain foot (about 1,530 meters above sea level) and the summit (about 1,830 meters above sea level) stations, its operating length is 1,260 meters. The height difference between the lowest and the highest points of the route is about 300 meters. The mountain foot station is located near beautiful Tateshina Ranch and a mysterious lake named Megami-ko (Lake Venus). It takes about seven minutes from the mountain foot to the summit station.The route was opened in 1985. Six-seater gondolas are operated. The current gondolas were introduced in 2003 as the 2nd generation ones.
After getting off at the summit station, we visited Gosen-en Natural Park. It was a flat highland with a dense forest and a foggy swamp. We enjoyed strolling and found Gypsy rose (Scabiosa japonica) and Japanese thistle (Cirsium japonicum) blossoms in a bush. Gypsy rose is a rare species, since it is only seen in grasslands of high mountainous areas in Japan. It had about a 4 centimeters across tiny blossom with a light purple color.
There were many pleasures in Shirakaba Highland.
To get to the most famous sightseeing spot named Gosen-en Natural Park, Tateshina Ranch Gondola Lift, also known as Shuttle Venus, is convenient. Connecting the mountain foot (about 1,530 meters above sea level) and the summit (about 1,830 meters above sea level) stations, its operating length is 1,260 meters. The height difference between the lowest and the highest points of the route is about 300 meters. The mountain foot station is located near beautiful Tateshina Ranch and a mysterious lake named Megami-ko (Lake Venus). It takes about seven minutes from the mountain foot to the summit station.The route was opened in 1985. Six-seater gondolas are operated. The current gondolas were introduced in 2003 as the 2nd generation ones.
After getting off at the summit station, we visited Gosen-en Natural Park. It was a flat highland with a dense forest and a foggy swamp. We enjoyed strolling and found Gypsy rose (Scabiosa japonica) and Japanese thistle (Cirsium japonicum) blossoms in a bush. Gypsy rose is a rare species, since it is only seen in grasslands of high mountainous areas in Japan. It had about a 4 centimeters across tiny blossom with a light purple color.
There were many pleasures in Shirakaba Highland.
Japanese thistle (left) and Gypsy rose (right)