Venus Line (Kirigamine & Kurumayama) | Park, then get up close to the meadow flowers

One mid-July morning, I came to Kurumayama Shoulder to see the flowers. After parking, I walked over to the area outside the fence, and soon I wanted to spend a good while looking at the nearby flowers as well as the meadow in the distance.

A woman looking at Nikko daylilies from outside the fence at Kurumayama Shoulder in Kirigamine, with her red convertible in the car park.

SummerA mid-July morning

After taking in the meadow, I turned to the flowers nearby

On a mid-July morning, I drove the Venus Line in my red convertible, heading for the Nikko daylilies in Kirigamine. The road rolled over gentle hills, and I kept my eyes ahead, looking forward to the flowers. I parked in the Kurumayama Shoulder car park.

When I got out and started walking, the meadow was dotted with yellow flowers. I looked out across it first, then turned back to the flowers nearby. The photos I'd seen showed the meadow stretching out with flowers, but the ones up close were lovely too. Before I knew it, I'd come to a stop.

I crouched down outside the fence to look at the flowers. I'd come to the highlands, where I could see far into the distance, but now I was focused only on the flowers right in front of me. Stopping there let me see their shapes clearly. I loved both views, and it was hard to move on.

When the wind picked up, it stirred the flowers and my hair. I tucked the strands away from my face and looked at the flowers again; they were turned a little differently than before. I'd only meant to stay still and watch, but I'd been moving along with the flowers in front of me the whole time.

Once I stood up, I looked out toward the far end of the meadow. Having seen the flowers up close, I found myself more curious about the flowers spread across the meadow in the distance, too. When I tell my friend about it, should I start with how vast the meadow was? Or with the story of how I crouched down and couldn't bring myself to move on?

On the way back, I stopped at the roadside station by Lake Tateshina and chose a soft-serve ice cream. Outside, I took a bite while thinking back on the time I'd spent looking at the flowers. The drive through the highlands and the time I'd spent beside the flowers came back to me, and even that sweet little detour felt just right for the day.

The story sections are fiction inspired by this location. For accurate information, please consult official tourism and information websites.

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Kirigamine and Kurumayama Shoulder, Nagano Prefecture · Summer

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A sweet stop

Soft-serve ice cream at Tateshina Ice

At the Venus Line Tateshina Lake roadside station on the shores of Lake Tateshina, you'll find Tateshina Ice, a soft-serve ice cream shop. I stopped in after looking at the flowers, and even that sweet treat became one more pleasure on the trip.

Highlights

Nikko Daylilies at Kurumayama Shoulder

Nikko daylilies in Kirigamine are usually at their peak in mid-July. When I looked at the flowers up close at Kurumayama Shoulder, I found a joy I'd have missed if I'd only taken in the meadow from a distance.

Stopping for a Closer Look

At Kurumayama Shoulder, you can admire the flowers from outside the fence. I crouched down to look and was soon in no hurry to get back up.

Morning-Blooming Flowers

Nikko daylilies open in the morning and wilt by the next day. I hear that buds on a single stalk open one after another. Hearing that made me glad I'd come in the morning, especially after I'd spent so long admiring the flowers up close.

Road and stops

Venus Line

Flower-viewing spot: Kirigamine and Kurumayama Shoulder
Driving stops: Kurumayama Shoulder car park

Make a trip of it by wandering through the Kirigamine meadows and stopping at Kurumayama Shoulder to admire the flowers. Once I parked, I enjoyed the walk every bit as much as the drive.

Start at the Kurumayama Shoulder car park and admire the flowers from outside the fence. After getting out of the car, I found myself absorbed by the nearby flowers, too.

More Spot Guides

If you enjoyed this story, you might like these places too. I've gone back to each of them in different seasons, again and again.

Oyama, Shizuoka Prefecture — Ashigara Castle ruins Ashigara Pass Ashigara Pass is 759 m above sea level, reached from Oyama via Prefectural Route 365, the Kintaro Fujimi Line. You can see Mount Fuji from the Ashigara Castle ruins. On a clear winter morning, I’d like to take my time looking from its snowy summit down to its lower slopes.

Yamanashi Prefecture, around Lake Motosu Lake Motosu and Mount Fuji From the lakeshore near Koan Campground, you can look across Lake Motosu to Mount Fuji. On a calm winter morning, I found the mountain reflected on the water.

Kosai City, Shizuoka Prefecture Continuing Route 1 (Shizuoka, Lake Hamana and Suzuka Pass) On the Shizuoka stretch of Route 1, I stopped for a breather at Roadside Station Shiomizaka in Kosai City. From here, you can look out across Enshū-nada, part of the Pacific, and enjoy time outside the car too.

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