January 2003: Sudden New Year's Day dam tour in Nagano (Minowa Dam - Azusa River 3 dams)

The time required is taken as a rough estimate, but it may vary considerably since it ignores the time spent in the area. Please consider it as a guide only.
*Touring the dam can be dangerous. Please follow the instructions of road signs and on-site information signs. This site assumes no responsibility for any problems that may occur during the dam tour.

Comment

There are two things to keep in mind when touring dams on New Year's Day. First, the exhibition hall attached to the dam site is closed on New Year's Day, and second, there are very few gas stations open for refueling. Even if it is inevitable that the exhibition hall is closed, it makes me feel uneasy, thinking that I might run out of gas if I cannot refuel. It makes me feel very uneasy. A dam tour usually covers a lot of distance. And since you will be driving deep into the mountains, it is not easy to refuel when you think it is time. However, gas stations near highway interchanges and service areas are always open. Therefore, we recommend that you refuel in advance.

This time, after seeing the sunrise on the first day of the year, we decided to go for a drive on snow-covered roads. But before we knew it, we were on a dam tour, so it was a completely unplanned visit. So, it was a very difficult trip because we did not have enough fuel and the route was not efficient. That being said, I myself really like this kind of unplanned trip.

Once again, the itinerary was made rather out of the ordinary. In fact, we did not go to Minowa Dam from Iboku Interchange, we were stuck in a heavy traffic jam at Matsumoto, and we went to a buckwheat noodle shop in Hata-machi after 14:00. I don't know the name of the restaurant or its detailed location, but I remember that it was on Route 158, on the right from Matsumoto, and that the soba noodles were very good.

Reference Schedule

Recommended accommodations for this drive