Neighbouring sites

About Echigo-Matsunoyama

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Sansho House is located in the Echigo-Matsunoyama district, known for heavy snowfall with the average height of accumulated snow during winter exceeds three meters. People have been cultivating small pieces of land amongst mountains to produce rice on terraced rice field, contributing to make “the original landscape of Japan” and resulting in awards like “best 100 terraced rice fields in Japan” and “best 100 villages in Japan”. Beech forests are home for rare animals and plants such as ruddy kingfisher and oriental dollarbird. Matunoyama Ones, known as one of the three medicinal onsens in Japan, has high salt content; temperature; and moisturising effect.

Recommended sites to visit in neighbourhood

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Onsen (hot spring)

There are lots of different onsen for you to experience across the Echigo-Tsumari region. Matsunoyama onsen located in the same district as the Sansho House is known as one of the top three medicinal onsens in Japan.

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Bijin-bayashi (beech tree forest)

The forest of 90-year-old beech trees standing gracefully are called Bijin-bayashi (meaning “beautiful person’s forest”). You can enjoy different scene on each day in four seasons seasons. The forest is within10 minutes drive from the Sansho House and popular amongst visitors and keen photographers from all across Japan.

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erraced rice field

Terraced rice field is rice paddy cultivated along the slopes of a mountain making a kind of giant staircase. There are lots of terraced rice fields dotted in the Matsudai and Matsunoyama districts in Tokamachi-city and you can enjoy different landscapes in four seasons. Terraced rice field has been appreciated as the distinctive landscape of a farm village. “Terraced rice field of Hoshitoge” in Matsudai district in particular is one of the must-see terraced rice fields amongst visitors and keen photographers and located about fifteen minutes drive from the Sansho House.

Details of onsens can be found from the following links: