Nasu



Nasu (那須) is a sprawling rural town in northern Tochigi Prefecture, Japan. Parts of it are within the boundaries of Nikko National Park.

Tourist Information Site
Nasu Tourism Association has a Japanese-only guide site with integrated Google Translate.

Get in
Nasushiobara (那須塩原) on the JR Tohoku Shinkansen line is the nearest station, about 1 hr 15 min from either Tokyo or Sendai. A free bus shuttles passengers to some hot spring resorts from here; alternatively, it's 10 minutes on the JR Tohoku Main Line to Kuroiso (黒磯) station.

Get around
Because of its hilly terrain and the large area it covers, Nasu is probably best seen by car.

See




Do
Nasu is highly volcanic and there are no less than seven hot springs in the Yumoto (湯本) area alone. The Nasu Onsen Ryokan Association has a handy booking engine, but alas, only in Japanese.

Mount Nasu is a good spot for hiking and, in winter, skiing and snowboarding is available at Mount Jeans ski resort on the slopes of the mountain.

The Nasu Kogen (Nasu Highland) region is home to numerous "attractions", some more dubious than others, including a Monkey Park, Teddy Bear Museum, Car Museum and Animal Kingdom, where dogs can be rented by the hour (complete with authentic New Zealanders hosting a sheep shearing show).



Drink

 * Nasu Kogen Brewery, in the Nasu Kogen area has a variety of locally brewed beers. Though not inexpensive (around ¥3000 for a six-pack), the beers are excellent.

Go next

 * Nasushiobara
 * Otawara
 * Nikko
 * Shirakawa
 * Tanagura
 * Nishigo
 * Sakura
 * Sukagawa
 * Koriyama