Akagi High Meadows

A refreshing resort town nestled in the Chugoku Mountains

Akagi, A town in touch with nature

Akagi is situated high in the Chugoku mountain range. There are lots of things to do all four seasons in Akagi. Come and enjoy sightseeing, culture, sports, and more! Dotted with ancient tombs, castle ruins, historic shrines, beech tree forests, beautiful swampland plants, and many more treasures just waiting to be discovered. So, whether you like skiing, camping, tennis, or just walking in the vast wilderness, there is always something for you and your kids to do all year around.

Akana Hachiman Shrine (Shrine to the God of War)

Akana Hachiman Shrine Traditional Festival

Every year, at the Akana Hachiman Shrine, on the first of November a traditional festival is held; ceremonies to please the gods and rituals to offer up honorary food to the gods are performed, and over 100 people, called the "Hayashiko", play drums in a progression to the shrine. When the flutes of the "Hayashiko" are sounded the hearts of the people reverberate with nostalgic feelings.

Statues of the Three Gods at the Akana Hachiman Shrine

These were made in the Kamakura period (1185-1333 CE) by the great Buddhist sculptor, Keikaku of the Yamashiro country (in the southern part of modern-day Kyoto prefecture). They are considered national treasures.

Akagi Specialties

Fill your palate with some of Akagi's best: high quality rice raised in good soil, local sake (rice wine), Imaya brand Akagi-grown Japanese beef, melons, apples, blueberry jam, Japanese potatoes, and more.

Apple Juice Our apple juice is made from 100% Akagi High Meadows apples.	Jam We make peony jam with a light scent of peony. Our blueberry jam and apple jam have the fresh taste of the High Meadows.
Akagi Beek Ours is the genuine article and highest-class Japanese beef nature has to offer.	Shiitake Mushrooms These happily grow in the mountains under the shade of the trees.
Japanese potatoes Delicious and perfectly healthy, our potatoes can be eaten many different ways.	Melons Our amazingly sweet melons are sure to meet with your satisfaction.
Japanese Vodka (Japanese Potato Liquor) Our vodka, made from real Japanese potatoes, praised as the king of potatoes, is a refreshing and tasty treat.	Sake (Rice Wine) Please enjoy the mild and smooth taste of our sake, specialty made from our sake rice fields.

Road Stop "Akagi High Meadows"

Whether you are looking for commuter information or wanting to take a rest on a long trip, we have many facilities to aid your travels. The beautiful natural landscape and friendly atmosphere we have created here always charms people visiting Akagi. The Akagi High Meadows is a retro western-style two-floor building that invokes nostalgic feelings. Whether sightseeing or just exploring a new area, we hope you remember us.

Flower Workshop

In the Flower workshop "Rowan" on the second floor, you can enjoy making arts and crafts, flower arranging, and much more. We house various herbs, dried flowers, and herbal goods, as well as an accessories corner. We also often teach arts and crafts classes.

Local Exchange Terminal

Both visitors and local people can exchange and learn at our Local Exchange Terminal on the first floor. You can check out the menu for our local specialties at our healthy and delicious restaurant, "Rowan", discover nature's treats at our "Specialty goods corner," get sightseeing and event information from our information room, and more.

Akana Peony Park

In the middle of May, on 3.5 acres of land, over 5000 peonies blossom in our beautiful garden. We house over 130 different kinds of peonies in the park. When the flowers are in full bloom we hold the annual "Peony Festival" where peony trees and other specialty goods are sold, and local folk entertainment is performed. Many people come from far and wide to see it every year.

Sightseeing Rural Experience Park
(Akagi High Meadows Apple Park)

With over 1000 trees, our apple park boasts Fujis, Golden Delicious, and eight other types of apples. Our apple trees are grown in a 'Y' shape in accordance with the Shimane Prefecture Agricultural Testing Center guidelines to provide the largest amount of sunlight to contact the trees, making for great tasting apples.

Akagi High Meadows Ski Area

Equipped with both a pair lift and a bunny lift, we have courses for those just starting out to novice courses. We also have a fun sled course as well. Everyone always has fun at our family ski area.

Refresh yourself by opening your heart to this museum of living nature!

Kijima Lake Campgrounds

There are lots of things to do in the refreshing fields around the Kijima Dam lakeside area. The campgrounds are open for 2 months from July to August. When the silk tree flowers blossom is the best season to visit the campgrounds. You can enjoy fishing for koi, herabuna carp, eel, etc. We also have barbeque facilities for your pleasure.

Akana Swampland Plant Communities
(Shimane Prefecture Nature Region)

In the middle of the Nagao reservoir and the surrounding areas you will find the largest Japanese Alder forest in Shimane prefecture, and in this vast forest you can discover wonders of nature growing in the swamplands, the "Akana Swampland Plant Communities." In the moist plains surrounding the Alder forest, it is known that the swamplands were once vast and wide, but because of the need to cultivate new rice fields, there are very few of these places left in the prefecture. The most beautiful things live here. In the deep green of the alder trees, the western-most community of wild-growing Bogbean in modern day Japan grows. Round leaf sundews, Bladderworts, and other carnivorous plants are also native to this area. In addition, the smallest dragonflies in the world, often called "the phantom dragonflies," can often be found in the swamplands. Come and experience the Butler butterflies and all the wonderful living creatures in the swamplands.

Bogbean

These beautiful white flowers spring up from long stems at the swamp bottom. The best time to see them is near the end of April.

Phantom Dragonfly

These are the smallest dragonflies in Japan (and the world), measuring in at just about 1.5cm in length. Be sure not to miss these wondrous creatures of the Japanese wilderness, although they might be hard to see.