famous road
Venus Line
A 76 km free touring road across Nagano's Kirigamine and Utsukushigahara highlands, rolling over open alpine meadows at up to 1,959 m. One of Japan's best-loved drives for bikers and grand tourers.
14 km · about 25 min drive
AsiaJapanNagano
Okaya
Nagano, Japan · Asia
About Okaya
Okaya is worth a stop: 5 minutes from Shimosuwa, 14km from Venus Line.
Okaya is in Nagano, Japan, with about 54,000 people. You drive on the left here. The nearest town is Shimosuwa, about 4 km away.
Okaya Station (岡谷駅, Okaya-eki) is a railway station in Honchō, Okaya, Nagano Prefecture, Japan, jointly operated by JR Central and JR East. It is managed by JR East.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is there to see near Okaya?
Within an hour or so of Okaya: Venus Line (14 km), Matsumoto Castle (21 km), Mishaka Pond (22 km), Bessho Onsen (34 km).
Are there any good drives near Okaya?
The nearest famous roads are Venus Line, Norikura Skyline and Usui Pass.
Where is Okaya?
Okaya is in Nagano, Japan, about 4 km from Shimosuwa.
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Quick Information
- Population
- 54,286
- Continent
- Asia
- Country
- Japan
- Region
- Nagano
- Timezone
- Asia/Tokyo
- Coordinates
- 36.0566, 138.0451
Emergency & Services
Essential numbers in Japan
Japan Helpline (24h English assistance): 0570-000-911. An International Driving Permit (1949 convention) is required to drive.
Full driving guide for JapanTags
Worth the detour from Okaya
7 notable places within an hour's drive.
castle
Matsumoto Castle
One of Japan's premier historic castles, known as the Crow Castle for its striking black exterior, dating to the 16th century.
21 km · about 25 min drive
photogenic
Mishaka Pond
A small irrigation reservoir whose acidic, iron-rich water holds a still green surface mirroring the birch and larch on its bank. It became famous as the subject of a Higashiyama Kaii painting.
22 km · about 25 min drive
landmark
Bessho Onsen
A thousand-year-old spa at the foot of the Nagano hills, ringed by ancient temples including a rare octagonal three-storey pagoda. Three small public baths still serve the village for a few coins.
34 km · about 40 min drive
landmark
Shirahone Onsen
A hot-spring hamlet high in the Norikura foothills where the sulphurous water turns milky white on contact with air. It sits on the mountain road between Matsumoto and Kamikochi.
39 km · about 45 min drive
national park
Kamikōchi
A high alpine valley beneath the Hotaka range, with the Azusa River running clear beneath Kappa Bridge. Private vehicles are banned; drivers leave cars at Sawando or Hirayu and take the bus in.
43 km · about 50 min drive
mountain pass
Norikura Skyline
A toll mountain road climbing to 2,702 m at Tatamidaira, the highest paved road in Japan. Private cars are barred, so drivers park at Hirayu and transfer to the shuttle bus for the final ascent.
45 km · about 50 min drive
Driving roads near Okaya
5 named roads, passes and coastal drives within 100km.
- Right hereVenus LineA 76 km free touring road across Nagano's Kirigamine and Utsukushigahara highlands, rolling over open alpine meadows at up to 1,959 m. One of Japan's best-loved drives for bikers and grand tourers.
- 45 kmNorikura SkylineA toll mountain road climbing to 2,702 m at Tatamidaira, the highest paved road in Japan. Private cars are barred, so drivers park at Hirayu and transfer to the shuttle bus for the final ascent.
- 63 kmUsui PassHistoric pass on the old Nakasendo route between Gunma and Karuizawa, packed with 180-plus corners and the brick Megane-bashi viaduct. Another Initial D battleground beloved by drivers and rail historians alike.
- 79 kmTateyama Kurobe Alpine RouteA spectacular mountain traversal through the Japanese Alps using cable cars, buses, and ropeways past towering snow walls and dams.
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