Fun for the Whole Family: Exploration Underground and Among the Treetops

Explore and enjoy several unique environments, all in one day. This 1-day itinerary features a naturally formed limestone cave, a manmade cave housing one of the largest power plants in the world, and a chance to zip line through the treetops in a forest ropes course. Fun and illuminating for children and adults alike, and all in the same scenic village! Plus enjoy a BBQ lunch with a river view.

1. Fujido Cave – the largest limestone cave in Greater Tokyo!
2. Forest Adventure ropes course
3. Terrace BBQ lunch at Roadside Station Ueno
4. Kannagawa Hydropower Plant

1. Fujido Cave

Fujido is the largest limestone cave in the Kanto Area (i.e. Greater Tokyo Area). This 2.2 kilometer cave is full of wondrous naturally formed rock structures. It’s cool in the summer and relatively warm in the winter, so it’s a great spot to escape the harsher temperatures at certain times of year.

We bought our entry tickets at the Fujido ticket office right on the other side of the Sky Bridge. It’s about a 10 minute uphill walk to get to the cave from there.

After passing through the entrance to the cave, we walked down a manmade tunnel to get to the cave proper. It’s a little spooky, so it’s perfect to get you in the right mood. At the end of the tunnel, a spiral staircase will take you up into the natural cave.

The cave is lit up with different colored lights throughout, many of them constantly changing.

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As we traveled through the cave, we stumbled upon endless cool rock formations and interesting passage ways. Many of them have been named, and there are signs throughout with titles and explanations (including some English explanations!) Explorers of old thought the stalagmites in the area looked like Buddhas, which is why you see so many Buddhism-inspired names throughout the cave. There is even a pillar that supposedly grants wishes to those who touch it seven times. Plus some sinister spots as well.

After 40 minutes of exploration …

…we finally reached the exit!

There is another short walk back to the ticket office, but the path back offers great views of the valley. Get ready to get to know these gorgeous trees even more at our next stop!

Fujido Limestone Cave

Address	665 Kawawa, Ueno, Tano District, Gunma 370-1614
TEL	0274-59-3117
Hours	April – October: 9:00 AM〜4:30 PM November: 9:00 AM~4:00 PM December – March: 10:00 AM~3:00 PM *Times may change due to time of sunset Open year round *Closed in case of heavy snow or typhoon
Price	Adults: ¥800 Elementary & middle school children: ¥500

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.

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

Address	1169 Katsuyama, Ueno, Tano District, Gunma 370-1613
TEL	+81 90-8687-0055 *Call ahead for reservations
Hours	9:00 to 17:00 (may vary depending on the season) Reservation desk hours: 9:00 to 15:30
Open for business	March thru November (check for details on official website)
Closed	Thursdays (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
Time required	1 to 2 hours
Entrance fee	Canopy Course: ¥2,800 per person Kids Course: ¥2,000 per person (45-minute free play course) *Entrance fee subject to change depending on the season *Reservations recommended
HP	https://foret-aventure.jp/（Japanese） https://foret-aventure.jp/eng/（English）

Terrace BBQ lunch at Roadside Station Ueno

After all that excitement, it was time for a BBQ lunch. Roadside Station Ueno has a souvenir shop, restaurant, and covered terrace BBQ facilities. The all-included BBQ package provides an electric BBQ grill, necessary dishes and utensils, and a platter of meat and veggies for grilling, all for just ￥1,800 per person. Note it’s reservation only, so make sure to call and book at least a day in advance (or further ahead for busy times like long weekends).

The terrace has picnic tables and overlooks Uenomura’s famously clean and clear river. Above the river we had a clear view of the forest turned bright green with new spring leaves.

The staff explained to us how to us the grill. It was super easy, just turn a knob to adjust the heat. We turned it on with the cover closed for a couple minutes to warm it up, then started laying on the ingredients. There were fresh veggies including local shiitake mushrooms, and the village’s pride and joy, inobuta pork. This rich and flavorful meat comes from a cross between domestic pigs and wild boar.

Bowls of rice were also provided, as well as sauce and seasoning for the food. Drinks are not included with the set, but you can buy them from the souvenir and snack area inside the same building. When you’re done eating, there’s no need to clean up. Just let the restaurant staff inside know when you’re heading out.

It was refreshing to BBQ in the cool spring breeze, and the food really hit the spot. After we finished grilling and eating, we bought some miso-flavored soft-serve from the ice cream window by the parking lot for dessert. Yum!

Roadside Station Ueno

Address	131 Katsuyama Ko, Ueno, Tano District, Gunma 370-1613
TEL	+81 274-59-2665
BBQ/Restaurant Hours	11:00 AM to 3:00 PM (closed on Thursdays) *Hours may change during winter months, so be sure to call ahead. *Advance reservations required. Call the above number and ask about the tebura terrace BBQ.
BBQ set price	¥1,800 per person

Kannagawa Hydropower Plant

(Closed until further notice)

With full bellies, we headed to Kawa no Eki Riverside Visitors Center and boarded an exclusive bus to our next destination: the Kannagawa Hydropower Plant. The ride took about an hour as we rode deep into the village’s southwestern mountains. The plant is located in a manmade cavern 500 meters (1,600 ft) below the ground.

Currently under construction, the plant is one third of the way to becoming the world’s largest pumped-storage hydroelectric power plant. It pumps water from the Ueno Dam reservoir into an upper reservoir in Nagano, and then utilizes the extra flow as water streams back down to Uenomura along the Minamiaiki River. This generates large amounts of power very quickly, to supply extra electricity during peak times.

When we visited, we got to see the 2 large complete units that are currently in operation. TEPCO, the plants owner, plans to build 4 more units in the coming years, which is why the cavern that houses the plant is so vast.

Visits to the Kannagawa Hydropower Plant must be booked in advance.

For reservations contact: Uenomura Local Industry Information Center

TEL	+81 274-20-7070
Phone/Office Hours	Mon – Fri: 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Office	310-1 Narahara, Ueno, Tano District, Gunma 370-1617 (within the Kawa no Eki Riverside Visitors Center plaza)
Bus boarding location	Same as above
Entrance fee	Free
Tour schedule	Every Wednesday except during the New Years holiday
Time required	2 hours (1-hour tour of the plant plus 30 minutes each way on the bus)
Tour start time	Wednesdays at 1:00 PM (please arrive by 12:50)
	Note that tour will not be held if there are less than 5 participants. *The power plant is currently closed, but scheduled to reopen

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