Visit the Utsukushigahara-Kogen Highlands in Nagano Prefecture, Japan, with me and my border collie as we escape the concrete jungle for bright, blue skies broken by brief blankets of fog that envelop the grassy highlands featuring grazing cows, rocky cliffs, wide expanses of grassy pastures, and a beautiful sunset at a comfortable altitude of 2,000 meters!
The Utsukushigahara-Kogen Highlands (美ヶ原高原) are located 238 km northwest of central Tokyo. Depending on traffic conditions, it is typically a 3.5-hour drive via the following highways:
- Shuto Expressway → Chūō Expressway → Route 20 → Route 142 → Venus Line
Primary parking lot:
Summer Ragwort
Pentax K-1 II + D FA 28-105mm F3.5-5.6
105 mm ISO 100 for 1/250 sec. at ƒ/5.6
Summer ragwort or leopardplant (Ligularia dentata) is a flower native to Japan and China, which seems to be a favorite of the many dragonflies buzzing around the highlands of Utsukushigahara in Nagano Prefecture, Japan.
Grassy Highland
Pentax K-1 II + D FA 28-105mm F3.5-5.6
28 mm ISO 100 for 1/100 sec. at ƒ/13
The highlands of Utsukushigahara in Nagano Prefecture, Japan, rise to an elevation of 2,034 m (approx. 6,673 ft), offering a panoramic view of grazing pastures, the Northern Alps, and on a clear day, Mt. Fuji.
Depending on traffic, it is only a 4-hour drive from Tokyo via the Chuo Expressway. Free parking is available at the entrance to the highlands and includes a small cafe, restrooms, lodging, and EV charging points.
Winding Country Road
Pentax K-1 II + D FA 28-105mm F3.5-5.6
95 mm ISO 100 for 1/100 sec. at ƒ/13
From the parking lot of the michi-no-eki (roadside station) rest facility, visitors can stroll along this winding country road and enjoy watching dairy cows lazily graze, take in panoramic views of the grassy highlands, and on a clear day enjoy views of the Northern Alps in the distance.
This road is mostly flat and is only 2.4 kilometers long (1.5 miles) and meanders its way up to the Ougatou Hotel at the summit of the plateau. The aforementioned michi-no-eki is 2,000 meters (6,562 feet) above sea level making it the highest roadside station in Japan.
Mountain Ridges and Summer Clouds
Pentax K-1 II + D FA 28-105mm F3.5-5.6
28 mm ISO 100 for 1/50 sec. at ƒ/13
This south-westerly view from the edge of the Utsukushigahara-Kogen highlands in Nagano Prefecture Japan, which rises high above the Iriyamabe Mountains (mid-ground) where further beyond, we can see the Chuo Alps in the far distance.
At 2,000-plus meters above sea level, the Utsukushigahara Highlands catch the flow of cooler breezes flowing up the sides of surrounding cliffs and slopes bringing fresh, cool air, and occasional low-flying clouds that scuttle across the landscape bringing suddenly cold temperatures and a refreshing mist of fine water droplets.
Rocky Cliffs Overlooking Mountain Ranges
Pentax K-1 II + D FA 28-105mm F3.5-5.6
28 mm ISO 100 for 1/80 sec. at ƒ/11
South-westerly view from some rocky cliffs of Utsukushigahara-Kogen highlands in Nagano Prefecture, Japan. This shot includes the Iriyamabe mountains in the foreground, the city of Matsumoto in the mid-ground, and the lower (southern) region of the Northern Alps on the horizon.
The city of Matsumoto (mid-ground) in Nagano Prefecture is a sister city to: Salt Lake City, Utah, U.S.A. (1958); Grindelwald, Canton of Bern, Switzerland (1972); and Kathmandu, Nepal (1989).
Rocky Outcrop & Summer Sky
Pentax K-1 II + D FA 28-105mm F3.5-5.6
53 mm ISO 100 for 1/125 sec. at ƒ/11
South-easterly view from some rocky cliffs of Utsukushigahara-Kogen Highlands in Nagano Prefecture, Japan. This shot includes the Yatsu-Gatake Chushin-Kogen mountains in the mid-ground and the upper (northern) region of the Southern Alps on the horizon.
Soothing Mountain Mist
Pentax K-1 II + D FA 28-105mm F3.5-5.6
28 mm ISO 100 for 1/250 sec. at ƒ/3.5
At over 2.000 meters (6,562 feet) above sea level, the Utsukushigahara Highlands can become enveloped with low-flying clouds creating a moody atmosphere. On a hot summer day, the mist brings instant relief to the summer sun.
These highlands are easily accessible from Tokyo via the Chuo Expressway and the Venus Line highway. Free parking is available at the michi-no-eki (roadside station) rest facility.
Layers of Mountains and Light
Pentax K-1 II + D FA 28-105mm F3.5-5.6
28 mm ISO 100 for 1/250 sec. at ƒ/3.5
This shot was taken at an altitude of 2,025 meters (6,644 feet) looking north of the Utsukushigahara Highlands (Nagano Pref., Japan). The majority of nearby mountains rise up to about 1,600 or 1,700 meters giving visitors to the highlands a bird’s eye view of the landscape.
Lone Windblown Tree
Pentax K-1 II + D FA 28-105mm F3.5-5.6
88 mm ISO 100 for 1/160 sec. at ƒ/6.3
The Utsukushigahara Highlands in Nagano Prefecture, Japan, rise to an altitude of over 2,000 meters (approx. 6,562 ft) where winters are harsh with deep snow, and summers with strong, bright, sunny skies followed by sudden walls of dense fog as the stratus clouds are forced up and over the mountain top.
This lone, windblown tree, among many others on the plateau have all been pruned and groomed by westerly winds with such a constant force that the very few trees that can grow are all leaning to the east.
I took this shot using the roadside fence to draw the viewer’s eye into the scene and used a shallow depth of field to direct the eye back to the tree where the focal plane lies.
Border Collie and Grazing Cows
Pentax K-1 II + D FA 28-105mm F3.5-5.6
37 mm ISO 100 for 1/160 sec. at ƒ/6.3
This shot was taken about an hour before sunset, which bathed the entire plateau in warm, soft light, and was taken just before stratus clouds blowing in from the west hit the Utsukushigahara Highlands (Nagano Pref., Japan, at approx. 2,000 m/6,562 ft) and enveloped the highlands in a cool mist.
In hindsight, my shutter speed should have been a bit faster and then compensated for that with a higher ISO.
Grazing on the Mountaintops
Pentax K-1 II + D FA 28-105mm F3.5-5.6
28 mm ISO 100 for 1/200 sec. at ƒ/4.5
Watching the dairy cows casually grazing, seemingly free of any stress or threats, was incredibly soothing and relaxing to watch. This scene brought back memories of young cows grazing in the pasture south of our milk barn when I was a wee lad.
The constant formations of stratus clouds struggling to gain enough momentum to swoop over the plateau created an exciting backdrop to this scene of serenity.
I took this shot using a tripod since I was losing light. Although the cows were only moving every so slightly, I probably should have chosen a slightly higher shutter speed.
Surviving Grove of Trees
Pentax K-1 II + D FA 28-105mm F3.5-5.6
58 mm ISO 100 for 1/160 sec. at ƒ/5.6
Heading back down to the parking lot, I noticed this small grove of small trees that have apparently survived more than a several winters here where snow becomes too deep for livestock to survive, let alone saplings.
These hardy trees may have offered some shelter to each other that allowed them survive the winters and ripping winds.
Silhouette of Grazing Cattle & TV Antennae
Pentax K-1 II + D FA 28-105mm F3.5-5.6
63 mm ISO 200 for 1/160 sec. at ƒ/5.6
The contrast of lush green grounds, and huge billowing clouds caught my eye for this scene. I especially like the silhouette of grazing cattle perfectly standing on the ridge. The modern TV, radio, weather, and cell phone antennas poking slightly above the clouds in the upper-left of the scene posed a nice contrast with grazing cattle on the ridge.
The golden hour skies with constantly moving clouds forced me to raise the ISO to 200, and slightly lower shutter speed to 1/160 sec. to catch the motion of the clouds and cattle on the ridge. I would have preferred an ƒ-stop of 8, 11, or 16 to catch more of the scene in focus. But then I worried that the resulting slower shutter speed would have introduced less sharpness and the higher ISO would have introduced more noise.
It’s hard to say if I took the shot correctly from a technical standpoint. However, on small screens, I think the image is satisfactory. However, I wouldn’t include this shot in my portfolio or in a printed edition.
Golden Hour on Plateau
Pentax K-1 II + D FA 28-105mm F3.5-5.6
31 mm ISO 200 for 1/160 sec. at ƒ/11
Looking north, the setting sun has cast a warm glow across the plateau through the breaks in the clouds.
Towering Antenna Overlords
Pentax K-1 II + D FA 28-105mm
105 mm ISO 200 for 1/200 sec. at ƒ/7.1
Towering Antenna Overlords
Pentax K-1 II + D FA 28-105mm
88 mm ISO 200 for 1/15 sec. at ƒ/11
In these shots, the rising clouds settled back down around the highest point of the plateau completely obscuring from view the antennae maintenance staff buildings, and the hotel that sits next to the antennae.
Without any context, the towering steel and aluminum towers appeared to me as the pointed tips of exotic high-rise skyscrapers poking out above the clouds. These cold, man-made, utilitarian structures stand in stark contrast with the gentle, wide-open natural landscape that flows across the scene like a mighty wave of greenery only to be broken at the edges by the specks of grazing cattle far off in the distance.
Japanese Black Wagyu Cow
Pentax K-1 II + D FA 28-105mm F3.5-5.6
105 mm ISO 200 for 1/10 sec. at ƒ/13
This shot was taken during golden hour just as the sun was setting behind me. Most of the cows on this plateau are Holstein and Jersey heifers raised for dairy farms, while a small number of Japanese black wagyu cattle are raised for beef.
This Japanese black wagyu cow is taking a break from a long day of grazing on the lush grass covering the highlands of Utsukushigahara in Nagano Prefecture.
Sun Setting on Plateau
Pentax K-1 II + D FA 28-105mm F3.5-5.6
95 mm ISO 100 for 0.6 sec. at ƒ/20
Looking west, the sun has dipped below the horizon lighting up the sky with reflections of warm, soothing tones. The wild mountain flowers in the foreground include lots of Japanese thistle (Cirsium japonicum), ladybells (Adenophora), and some wild strawberry.
This shot was intentionally underexposed to preserve the highlights with foreground shadows lifted in post processing.
Lone Tree on Grassy Plateau
Pentax K-1 II + D FA 28-105mm F3.5-5.6
88 mm ISO 100 for 3.0 sec. at ƒ/11
Gentle winds pushed the clouds up onto these highlands, suddenly vanishing distant mountain ranges and nearly disappearing the cows grazing on the hillside right behind this lone tree.
The sudden change in light, fog, soft breezes shaking the foliage, and condensation of dew on the front of the lens made it difficult to shoot sharp images with sufficient exposure.
Fog Bell Tower at Sunset
Pentax K-1 II + D FA 28-105mm F3.5-5.6
105 mm ISO 100 for 4.0 sec. at ƒ/20
Due to the number of accidents involving hikers who became lost in the thick fog on the plateau, this 6-meter tower (approx. 20 feet) was originally built in 1954 with a bell at the top, which was runt to help guide climbers back to safety and away from the edges of the plateau where steep drop-offs pose a risk to life and limb.
The current structure was rebuilt in 1983 and now stands as a fond symbol of the Utsukushigohara-Kogen Highlands and is a popular photographic subject. After chatting with the person to the left of the tower, I learned he had recently purchased a new mirrorless camera and was shooting a time-lapse video of the setting sun with the tower as his main subject.
Below is a list of the equipment I took with me on this photo shoot.
Camera Gear:
DSLR
Pentax K-1 Mark II (K1-II)
Standard zoom lens
Pentax D FA 28-105mm f3.5-5.6ed DC WR HD Lens
Tripod
Manfrotto MT190CXPRO4 (carbon fiber legs with quick locking clamps)
Ball head
Manfrotto Cloud XPRO Series Ballhead BHQ2 with 200PL locking plate
Video Gear:
Mirrorless camera
Canon EOS M50
Ultra Wide Angle Zoom Lens
Canon EF-S 10-18 mm f/4.5-5.6
Adapter
Canon EF-EOSR Mount Adapter
Prime lens
SIGMA 16mm F1.4 DC DN | Contemporary C017 (Canon EF-M Mount, APS-C Size, Mirrorless Only)
CP filter
PolarPro 67mm QuartzLine Circular Polarizer Filter
Gimbal
Zhiyun Weebill-S
Microphone
RODE Road Wireless GO Wireless Microphone System WIGO
Filters & Filter Systems:
PolarPro QuartzLine ND 64 Filter - 67mm (ND64 6-stop reduction in light)
PolarPro QuartzLine ND1000 Filter - 67mm (ND1000 10-stop reduction in light)
PolarPro QuartzLine ND100k Filter - 67mm (ND100K 15-stop reduction in light)
PolarPro QuartzLine Circular Polarizer - 67mm
PolarPro Summit | Landscape Filter System Custom Kit (Core, Thread Plate, ND4-GR filter, ND8-GR filter, Circular Polarizer)
Pack:
F-stop Tilopa 50L Adventure and Travel Camera Backpack (Essentials Bundle: backpack, rain cover, internal camera unit)
F-stop Tripod Bag (large)
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Music Tracks Licensed for this video through Epidemic Sound. Visit this link to subscribe:
“Softly, Gently” composed by Jonatan Järpehag and performed by Epidemic Sound.
“Bookmarks” composed by Jakob Ahlbom and performed by Ever So Blue.
“Paradisio” composed by Niclas Gustavsson and performed by Sum Wave.
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References:
Utsukushi-ga-hara Open-Air Museum
Utsukushigahara Highlands Tourism Council
The Japan Alps Guide Center
Mapcarta
Wikipedia
Nagano Prefecture Industry and Labor Department Promotion Bureau
Fishing Chaos
Venus Line
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