About this location: Achi Tenku no Rakuen Stargazing
Achi Village in Nagano is certified by Japan's Ministry of the Environment as the «No.1 starry sky in Japan,» one of the country's premier stargazing destinations. The Star Village Achi «Tenku no Rakuen Night Tour» takes visitors by gondola up to Fujimidai Highlands at 1,400 m, where lights vanish and the entire sky fills with stars. The Milky Way during new moon and the winter constellations are jaw-dropping.
Key features
- Night Tour — a 15-minute gondola ride to 1,400 m for stargazing, drawing about 140,000 visitors a year
- Milky Way at New Moon — around new moon from April to October, the summer Milky Way's core is visible to the naked eye like a cloud
- Perseid Meteor Shower (August) — Japan's busiest meteor shower, the best stargazing timing of the year
- Winter Constellations (November–February) — Orion, the Winter Hexagon, with the clearest air and exceptional transparency
- Heavens Sonohara Ski Resort — ski runs in winter, star tours at night, mountain biking in summer — varied year-round
Photography Guides
