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Gosensui River: A Tranquil Mountain Stream in Nagano’s Highlands
御泉水川：長野県の高原に流れる静かな清流
Gosensui River (御泉水川) flows through the Gosensui Nature Garden, a 169-hectare (418-acre) section of the Gosensui Forest (御泉水の森), which is a nature preserve located at the base of the northern slope of Mt. Tateshina (蓼科山) in Nagano Prefecture, Japan.
This forest is home to rare alpine plants and serves as a habitat for wild birds, making it a popular destination for birders who want easy access to nature without the need for any mountain climbing gear. In summer, rhododendrons, azaleas, and many other flowers bloom, attracting visitors seeking to escape the urban heat. Shade is plentiful thanks to the Japanese larch woodlands that thrive in the high-altitude climate of the Nagano highlands.
Despite their needle-like leaves, Japanese larches (Larix kaempferi・唐松) are not evergreen trees, which was a surprise to me when I first learned it. They are deciduous conifers, meaning they shed their needles each fall and stand bare through the winter, unlike evergreen pines or firs. Their needles are bright green in spring and summer, as seen in my photo, and turn a brilliant golden color in autumn before dropping. You can see more of these trees in my earlier posts from September 2024:
The clear mountain water flowing through this small river is an important resource for the Shirakaba Plateau region, supporting both agriculture and the local resort village waterworks. Its source is a natural spring that collects rainfall from higher up the slopes of Mt. Tateshina.
Even in the height of summer, the water felt icy cold, which was quite refreshing and perfectly safe to drink. Naturally filtered through the mountain over many years before emerging at the surface, it has a clean, crisp taste. A small fountain near the river taps directly into this spring, allowing visitors to fill their bottles or enjoy a cool drink on the spot.
Next time, I hope to return when the larch trees turn golden and the forest is aglow with autumn colors!
- Location: Gosensui-Shizen'en, Nagano, Japan
- Timestamp: 2025-07-30・14:24
- Pentax K-1 II + DFA 28-105mm F3.5-5.6 + CP
- 28 mm ISO 100 for 0.3 sec. at ƒ/18
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A Summer Stroll Above Lake Megami with Dale-chan
山あいの小川で遊んだあと、女神湖を見下ろす草原でひと休み
My border collie, Dale-chan, was playing in the water of a nearby brook partly for fun, but also to cool off after our long afternoon walk under the summer sun.
Here she is posing at the top of a grassy slope (1,830 m/6,004 ft) that serves as a ski run during winter, with Lake Megami (女神湖, Megami-ko) visible in the background to the northwest. Lake Megami is a man-made reservoir originally built to support local agriculture, but later expanded to benefit the growing tourism industry in the area.
The water that feeds into and flows from the lake is part of an irrigation channel commissioned by Chōsaburō Rokugawa (六川 長三郎), a vassal of the Takeda Clan. Upon completion of the channel in 1646, Rokugawa was granted control over the water distribution to nearby farming villages, which was an authority that was passed onto his descendants for centuries.
Due to periodic water shortages, construction of the modern reservoir began in 1942. However, because of the region’s remote location, limited road access, and the effects of the war, the project wasn’t completed until 1966. Today, the lake still plays a vital role in securing the local water supply, while also serving as a popular tourist destination from spring through autumn.
Its clean, reflective waters mirror the surrounding highlands beautifully, especially when shoreline flowers bloom in spring and when the autumn foliage appears in surrounding woodlands. Visitors can also enjoy kayaking, rowing, or pedal boating in the summer months, making it a perfect escape from the heat.
In winter, the lake freezes over and becomes a unique filming location for car commercials and scenes that require vehicles to drive on ice. The automotive industry also uses the site to test tires and traction technologies under realistic winter conditions.
The name of the lake, 女神湖 (Megami-ko), literally means “Goddess Lake.” It takes its name from the nearby Mt. Tateshina, once called 女神山 (Menokami-yama), or “Goddess Mountain.” I often find that the characters used in place names can reveal fascinating hints about the geography or history of a location.
At first, it struck me as curious that a modern reservoir would carry a name with such ancient, mythical associations. But after learning that the lake’s name was revived in honor of the mountain that reflects upon its surface, it made perfect sense, especially since mountains are revered as deities in Japan’s Shinto tradition.
I hope I can take some time off work to return here with Dale-chan this autumn to capture new stills and footage of the colorful foliage mirrored on the lake’s calm surface.
- Location: Gosensui-Shizen'en, Nagano, Japan
- Timestamp: 2025-07-30・14:00
- Pentax K-1 II + DFA 28-105mm F3.5-5.6 + CP
- 45 mm ISO 200 for 1/200 sec. at ƒ/11
- Location: Gosensui-Shizen'en, Nagano, Japan
- Timestamp: 2025-07-30・14:01
- Pentax K-1 II + DFA 28-105mm F3.5-5.6 + CP
- 45 mm ISO 200 for 1/200 sec. at ƒ/11
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Breathing with the Forest: Bearded Lichen in Nagano’s Highlands
御泉水自然園に見つけた「清浄な森」の指標・ナガサルオガセ
This photo was taken along the edge of a small marsh in Gosensui Nature Garden (御泉水自然園), located on the slopes of Mt. Tateshina in Nagano Prefecture, Japan.
The lichen seen here is Usnea longissima (ナガサルオガセ), also known as bearded lichen, Methuselah’s beard, or old man’s beard. This pendant lichen hangs in soft, trailing strands from tree branches, giving the forest a mysterious, almost otherworldly appearance.
What first caught my eye was the way the sunlight illuminated the wisps of yellow-green lichen as they swayed gently in the breeze, standing out in contrast against the dark conifers in the background.
In researching more about this species, I learned that bearded lichen is considered a natural barometer of air quality as it thrives only in forests with clean, unpolluted air. Toxic chemicals quickly overwhelm its delicate metabolic functions, making it a sensitive indicator species for clean forest environments.
At first, I assumed the lichen was harmful to the trees, much like parasitic vines that can choke off sunlight and weaken their hosts. In reality, the opposite is true. Bearded lichen does not damage the trees it grows on. Instead, its presence is often linked to older or weakened trees, where gaps in the canopy allow more sunlight to reach the branches. This extra light creates the right conditions for the lichen to grow.
I also learned that bearded lichen reproduces by fragmentation: small pieces break off, carried by the wind, and establish new colonies when they land on a suitable host.
I don’t often come across bearded lichen during my alpine adventures. In fact, the last time I saw it in the wild was in September 2021, on the slopes of Mt. Nyukasa, which is about 50 kilometers (31 miles) south of Gosensui Nature Garden.
Next time I encounter this graceful lichen, I’ll pause to appreciate its beauty and take a few extra deep breaths of the fresh, clean alpine air.
- Location: Gosensui-Shizen'en, Nagano, Japan
- Timestamp: 2025-07-30・12:59
- Pentax K-1 II + DFA 28-105mm F3.5-5.6 + CP
- 58 mm ISO 100 for 1/250 sec. at ƒ/4.5
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Exploring the Mossy Wetlands of Gosensui Nature Garden
御泉水自然園の苔むす湿原と夏の涼しさを求めて
Reaching Gosensui Nature Garden from Yokohama took just three hours by car via the Chuo Expressway, made possible with an early pre-dawn start.
Established by Nagano Prefecture in 1973, the garden was designed to give visitors easy access to a serene forest environment. Raised boardwalks wind through the area, making it accessible for families with strollers, elderly visitors, and those using wheelchairs.
One section of the garden features wetlands fed by a natural spring, where the forest floor is carpeted with wildflowers, moss-covered stones, boulders, and fallen logs. The cool, damp air and vibrant greenery create a refreshing atmosphere, even in the peak of summer heat.
Photographing the moss at ground level can be a bit challenging from the elevated boardwalk. Luckily, on this weekday afternoon, my border collie and I had the garden entirely to ourselves, giving me the freedom to take up space and carefully compose my shots.
The second image of the large moss-covered boulder, which was illuminated by shafts of sunlight, was easier to frame, though balancing the extreme contrasts between bright highlights and deep shadows required patience and careful exposure for smoother post-processing.
- Location: Gosensui-Shizen'en, Nagano, Japan
- Timestamp: 2025-07-30・13:10 & 13:22
- Pentax K-1 II + DFA 28-105mm F3.5-5.6 + CP
- ① 63 mm ISO 200 for 1/125 sec. at ƒ/10
- ② 80 mm ISO 400 for 1/160 sec. at ƒ/5.6
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Exploring the Mossy Wetlands of Gosensui Nature Garden
御泉水自然園の苔むす湿原と夏の涼しさを求めて
Gosensui Nature Garden, located on the slopes of Mt. Tateshina at an elevation of 1,830 meters (6,004 feet) in Nagano Prefecture, Japan, offers a serene escape into Nagano Prefecture’s highlands.
Upon entering the garden and paying the modest entrance fee, I was immediately welcomed by the fragrance of blooming wildflowers. Dozens of Ceylon Blue Glassy Tiger butterflies, with their striking brown, white, and blue patterned wings, fluttered gracefully from blossom to blossom, feeding in the summer light.
- Location: Gosensui-Shizen'en, Nagano, Japan
- Timestamp: 2025-07-30・12:59
- Pentax K-1 II + DFA 28-105mm F3.5-5.6 + CP
- 105 mm ISO 200 for 1/400 sec. at ƒ/5.6
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