Takashima, Shiga Prefecture
Driving Metasequoia Avenue A straight road through the trees, by car and on foot
I’d been looking forward to driving through the avenue I’d seen in photos. When I actually turned onto the road and saw the trees stretching into the distance, I couldn’t help exclaiming. Come along for an autumn drive between the trees in Makino, followed by a walk beneath them.
This is the day I drove into the avenue in my red convertible. The autumn trees made me want to keep looking up even after I got out. Come take in the branches with me.
AutumnLate November
I wanted to keep driving—and found myself looking forward to the way back, too
The view changed as soon as I turned onto the avenue. Trees lined both sides of the road, continuing as far as I could see. It made me so happy to be driving into a place I’d only ever seen in photos. I couldn’t help letting out an excited little exclamation, still looking ahead with my hands on the wheel.
With the roof down, autumn air flowed straight into my red car. As the shadows of the branches swept across the road, it sank in that I really was driving between the trees. Looking ahead, I could see one tree after another. Without even thinking about it, I wanted to drive a little farther.
After driving through the avenue, I decided to take a walk and enjoy it on foot, too. The trunks felt closer than they had from the driver’s seat. When I looked up, the branches spread high overhead, and the avenue I’d just driven stretched away from where I stood. It was the same place I’d seen from the car, but it felt like discovering a different view.
I tried framing a shot on my phone, but with a nearby tree in the frame, I couldn’t capture how far the avenue stretched. Then I aimed farther down the road, but the branches I’d been looking up at wouldn’t fit in the frame. I guess I was trying to fit a little too much into one photo. I lowered my phone and followed the view with my own eyes, from the trees closest to me all the way down the avenue.
I’d heard that the avenue began with trees planted as part of a farm project for schoolchildren. It made me look at the trees I was walking among in a new way: they had a beginning, too. As I watched their straight trunks, I felt these weren’t trees lined up just for photographs; they’d grown here over time.
Even after I got back to the car, I wanted to drive through the avenue one more time. On my way here, I’d been excited to arrive; on my way back, I was looking forward to the drive through the trees itself. I’d love to come again when they’re full of leaves. I got back in, faced forward, and put my hands on the wheel.
The story sections are fiction inspired by this location. For accurate information, please consult official tourism and information websites.
Local specialty
Rice-flour bread at Michi-no-Eki Makino Ossaka-tōge
At Michi-no-Eki Makino Ossaka-tōge, in the same Makino area, the specialties include rice-flour bread and freshly made, authentic soba. After taking in the avenue, I found myself wanting something sweet or some bread as my next treat. Next time I’m in Makino, I’d like to stop here, too.
Highlights
See it by car; take a walk beneath the trees
The tree-lined avenue runs for about 2.4km along the prefectural road. You can enjoy it from your car, then get out and look up at the trunks and branches on foot. I walked after driving through, and the trees felt so much bigger than they had from inside the car.
Planted as part of a farm for schoolchildren
The avenue began with trees planted in Shōwa 56 (1981) as part of a farm project for schoolchildren. Once I knew how it began, the trees felt a little more familiar as I looked up at them.
The avenue and getting there
Koaraji–Makinozawa Prefectural Route
- Length of the avenue
- About 2.4km
- Number of metasequoias
- About 500 trees
The avenue continues through Makino Pickland. From Kinomoto IC, the suggested route heads south on National Routes 8, 303, and 161; it takes about 30 minutes by car. I wanted to leave myself time for a walk after the drive, too.
The map opens on Makino Pickland, the destination listed in the avenue guide. As you plan your trip, leave time for a walk among the trees, 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.
