Uenomura Village is full of activities and sightseeing that the whole family can enjoy. Fall can be one of the best seasons to visit: the weather is cool but not cold, and the whole valley turns into a veritable picture book of reds, oranges, and yellows. Try this 1-day + overnight itinerary and see for yourself!
Itinerary
- Masuike Fishing Restaurant
- Forest Adventure ropes course
- Ueno Sky Bridge
- Mahoba No Mori Campground
Masuike Fishing Restaurant
This restaurant is run by a friendly older woman and her husband. They serve trout grilled, fried, teriyaki-ed, and even as sashimi, all fresh from the manmade ponds out back. But the real treat is that if you want to ensure your fish is extra fresh and have a little fun in the process, you can fish your own trout and have it prepared as your lunch. We visited the restaurant this past fall, and this is how it went.
The concept of fish-your-own meal is fairly common in Japan. These establishments called tsuri-hori are a popular destination for elementary school fieldtrips, but we confirmed for ourselves that they can definitely be fun for all ages.
The friendly owner set us up with simple fishing rods and a clump of bait that you break off into little pill-sized balls. The system works so that you pay for your meal and any extra fish you catch and want to take home, but that’s it. No rental fees for the equipment, so it’s very economical.
We put bait on our lines and swung them into the little pools. There were a ton of fish! All trout, or masu in Japanese, which is where Masuike gets its name. We went on a weekday later in the fall, and no one else was there, so we had the fish all to ourselves. We started catching them after a little bit of trial and error, and after about 45 minutes we had caught 5 fish!
We took our bucket inside and the owner kindly let us video her gutting and prepping the fish. I would not recommend watching this for anyone squeamish, but I found it kind of interesting.
We selected from a menu how we wanted our fish prepared, and we went ahead and ordered some of each kind. We had caught just enough fish for all of them!
The presentation of the fish was mouthwatering coming out of the kitchen, and it was even more delicious than it looked! Simple seasoning on some of them, and more elaborate on others, but for all of them, the fish itself was soft and flavorful. The sashimi had a chewy crunch to it, representative of fresh fish that was alive literally minutes ago, our server informed us.
The rice and little side dishes were excellent too. The owner told us that although a lot of restaurants these days get their Japanese salads and side dishes prepackaged from other stores to save time, she makes a commitment to preparing everything fresh herself. We could definitely taste the difference.
Overall a delicious experience, and something for the whole family: kids and adventurous adults can run around fishing while other members of the family can sit inside drinking tea and relaxing, and then everyone can enjoy the feast together. There were big windows in the dining area from which you could see down into the pool area, so non-fishers can observe from a dry distance.
Masuike Fishing Restaurant
| Address | 865-5 Narahara, Ueno, Tano District, Gunma 370-1617 |
| TEL | +81 274-59-2243 |
| Hours | 9:00 AM – 4:00 PM (closed irregularly) |
| Website | http://tm-masuike.com/ |
| Notes | Fishing equipment lent out free of charge. Trout caught can be prepared and served onsite. |
Forest Adventure
Next up is Forest Adventure, a type of outdoor park that originated in France.
Put on a special harness and ride a zip line from tree to tree or straight through the forest. And there are many other exciting attractions.
At Forest Adventure Ueno, small children can enjoy the Canopy Course. Bring the whole family to a place in nature with thrills and adventure for everyone.
| Time Required | 1 to 2 hours |
| Conditions | At least 110 cm in height, and no more than 130 kg in weight. |
| *Forest Adventure is different from the usual “athletic” equipment in parks. Rules must be followed to avoid accidents. We ask all visitors to follow the conditions required for safety. *At the Canopy Course, children 7 and younger must be accompanied by an adult (18 years or over). One adult may accompany up to five children. *Children 8 and over are allowed to ride alone, but we ask that accompanying adults observe them from the ground. *Come properly attired for activities (no sandals allowed). |
Forest Adventure Ueno
| Address | 1169 Katsuyama, Ueno, Tano District, Gunma, 370-1613 |
| TEL | Call ahead for reservations +81 90-8687-0055 |
| Open For Business | March thru November (check for details on official website) |
| Hours | 9:00 – 17:00 (may vary depending on the season) Reservation desk hours: 9:00 to 15:30 Closed on Wed & Thu (open when Thursday falls on a holiday) Open every day during summer vacation (July 15 to August 31) Hours and business days may change due to weather, so please call ahead |
| Entrance Fee | Canopy Course: ¥2,800 per person Kids Course: ¥2,000 (45-minute free play course) *Reservations recommended |
| Website | https://foret-aventure.jp/（Japanese） https://foret-aventure.jp/eng/（English） |
Ueno Sky Bridge
Uenomura’s famous Sky Bridge is a pedestrian bridge, so visitors can stroll across at their own pace, stopping anywhere along the bridge to enjoy the amazing view. Walking over 90 meters above the ground gives you a truly exhilarating sense of walking on air! The view is particularly beautiful in the fall, when you can look out at the fall colors all over the valley.
This bridge connects Mahoba no Mori Campground with Fujido Limestone Cave on the other side of the valley, so it’s a useful route to know.
The bridge is fitted with bubble machines that shoot out streams of bubbles every half hour. It makes the view ever more fantastic, and it’s a great photo op too!
Ueno Sky Bridge
| Address | 665 Kawawa, Ueno, Tano District, Gunma 370-1614 |
| TEL | Call ahead for reservations +81 90-8687-0055 |
| Open For Business | March thru November (check for details on official website) |
| Hours | 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM Open year round Sometimes closed for bad weather |
| Price | ¥100 (across and back) |
| Soap Bubble Release | Every 30 minutes between 10:00 AM and 3:30 PM, April through November *Soap bubbles may not be released if the weather is bad. |
Mahoba No Mori Campground
After taking in the scenery from the bridge, it’s time to head Mahoba no Mori campground. The Sky Bridge is connected to Mahoba via a short pedestrian tunnel, so it’s very easy to get to.
Mahoba no Mori has everything you could need to enjoy the great outdoors as a family in perfect comfort. There are fully equipped cabins, campsites for tent camping, a covered barbeque area, a cafe restaurant, and more!
The cabins are particularly convenient. They look rustic on the outside, but they’re actually filled with every amenity you could want on the inside. Equipped with running water, electricity, heat, and AC, these cabins have kitchen areas with refrigerator and microwave, and bathrooms with showers. 4- and 8-person cabins both feature bunk beds with sheets and blankets provided. Shampoo, toothbrush, and other toiletries are also provided. The only thing they don’t provide is a bath towel, so it’s best to bring your own—they do provide hand towels though, which will work in a pinch!
The bunk beds were nice and cozy, and there were even reading lights in each bunk! Plus outlets close-by to charge your preferred devices—what more could you want?
The kitchen had everything you might need too: stove, electric kettle, fridge and microwave. You can borrow dishes from the main office. Cups, plates, and silverware are free for guests, and pots, pans, and larger items are available for a small rental fee (100 – 500 yen).
There’s even a little balcony in back. It’s the perfect place to sit and chat while taking in the lush greenery of the campground and surrounding mountains.
And for dinner? Mahoba has a super convenient all-included Japanese BBQ package: they provide the grill and the ingredients, and set it all out for you, so all you have to do is show up and start grilling! At ¥3,000 per person, the menu consists of local Uenomura meat and fresh veggies. The local specialty is inobuta pork, i.e. meat from an animal crossbred between a pig (buta) and a wild boar (inoshishi). It tastes like pork but slightly richer
Rice is provided as well. The only thing that’s not included is drinks, but, as there are everywhere in Japan, there are several vending machines on site. The facility staff will clean up the BBQ set when you’re done, so it’s really no work at all!
After spending a very relaxing night in our cabin, we went down to the Mahoba Cafe for breakfast (¥1,200 per person).
BBQ: starting at ¥3,000 per person
Breakfast: ¥1,200 per person
Mahoba no Mori
| Address | 1169 Katsuyama, Ueno, Tano District, Gunma 370-1613 |
| TEL | +81 274-59-2146 |
| Prices | http://uenomura-tabi.com/top/stay/mahoba/charge/ |
| Reservations | http://uenomura-tabi.com/top/stay/mahoba/reserve/ |
| Website | http://uenomura-tabi.com/top/stay/mahoba/ |
More Fall Itineraries
Fall Cycling Route in Uenomura: Down the Old Main Road
Take a leisurely bike ride down a scenic paved road through old Japanese neighborhoods and forested corridors bright with fall colors.
Fall Hiking in Uenomura: Mt. Kasamaru Loop Trail
This past fall we joined a hiking tour on an intermediate trail up Mt. Kasamaru. Vibrant fall colors and great views.