Nasu: Forests, Onsen and Mountain Views

Nasu offers a wide range of reasons to visit: a large forest area, onsen with a long history and views from Mount Chausu. If you are looking for a holiday rental in Nasu, you can choose your destination based on the experiences you want to shape your stay—from forest walks and cultural discoveries to mountain scenery and hot springs.

Forest Trails and Nature Experiences

Nasu Heisei-no-Mori Forest covers 560 hectares and was donated to the public by the Imperial Household in 2008. You can explore the area on your own or join a guided walk with a nature specialist in the Forest Learning Zone of the Nasu Heisei-no-Mori Field Center. Advance reservations are required for these walks. This lets you choose between an independent visit and a guided nature experience.

The Field Center also offers creative activities, including making keychains, clothes hangers and hand cream. These activities have a different focus from the walks: here, the emphasis is on making things yourself, while the guided tours explore the forest with a nature specialist. In the Forest Recreation Zone at the entrance to the Field Center, the trails are fully wheelchair-accessible; several lead to Komagome Waterfall.

Culture, Legends and Onsen

The Yugyo Willow Tree and Sessho Seki Trail connects Nasu Yuzen Shrine with Sessho Seki. Along the way, it passes places associated with Matsuo Basho. Local folklore also gives Sessho Seki special significance: the site is linked to a nine-tailed fox. Those interested in cultural traditions will find a different way to experience Nasu here than on a stay focused mainly on forests and mountains.

Nasu Hot Spring Village includes onsen that are said to date back to the 8th century and are among the oldest in Japan. This cautious account is part of the site's history: the springs are associated with a long tradition. The Nasu Hot Spring Village area also has forest trails and, in autumn, opportunities for trekking through valleys. Nature experiences and a visit to the onsen area are therefore distinct reasons to travel here.

Mount Chausu and Getting There

The Nasu Ropeway connects its lower station to the ninth station of Mount Chausu in about four minutes. The ropeway offers views of the Nasu Plain. On a clear day, you can also see Mount Bandai, the Nikko Mountains, the Kanto Plain and Mount Tsukuba from the summit of Mount Chausu. The views are another reason to include the mountain in your itinerary; the distant views listed are visible in clear weather.

Nasu Hot Spring Village can be reached from Tokyo by bullet train, followed by a bus from Nasushiobara Station. This is a practical way to reach the onsen area when planning a trip to Nasu. When choosing your holiday rental, consider whether forests and mountain scenery, the culture surrounding Sessho Seki, or Nasu Hot Spring Village will be the main focus of your stay. These priorities can help you plan your trip around the experiences you want, without assuming any particular type of accommodation.

Explore More Places

You can also discover Yaita, Nikkō, Oyama, Sano, Utsunomiya, Ōtawara, Nasushiobara and Mashiko on the following destination pages: Yaita, Nikkō, Oyama, Sano, Utsunomiya, Ōtawara, Nasushiobara and Mashiko.

For the broader travel overview: Tochigi Prefecture.