EXP | Minakami
Major outdoor adventures with a long-standing and truly invigorated community.
Minakami. Where the adventure begins. Or at least has for so many, and though I can’t claim it as my first adventure jump off point regarding rural Japan, it certainly opened my eyes much further to all the possibilities around me than I was already having.
Nagano gets so much credit for winter sports and luxury, and while I do actually tend to agree with that assessment, the attention it receives is largely that which could’ve been applied elsewhere if the elsewhere’s out there were better known.
Now, Minakami isn’t eactly unheard of. I think I remember seeing it on a list of top vacation destinations and it being somewhere around the #13 mark. So, it’s not, like, that remote. But it can give that vibe, despite only being a little over an hour from Tokyo via bullet train/local train combo.
Its very much an outdoors person’s place, with diverse year round offerings including but not limited to canyoning, bungie jumping, skiing, and downhill mountain biking. All of which are a total blast and easily accessible to all with an interest in those kinds of things.
So what’re you waiting for? Get out there and explore!
The Accommodation: Mominoki Lodge
I serendipitously ran into the owner of Mominoki Lodge, Zack, as I was taking my inaugural tour of Minakami with another friend there, Dex, and still remember him audaciously running down the street from quite some distance waving at us gregariously. He was such a friendly and outgoing spirit from go, and just happened to have recently bought a vacant ski lodge that he was fixing up. He showed me around, introduced me to his lovely family, and provided so many enlightening details.
Over the next year I checked in with him on progress, and gee whiz had things changed. What had been a rather large but not exactly daunting job had been taken to completion in spectacular form, something that is disturbingly not as common as you would like to believe.
Multiple rooms for privacy, multiple bathrooms for more privacy, a massive kitchen, a modern entertainment center with - notably - a Nintendo Switch that’s kept with an updated library of games, and much more, the place itself is quite nice and very cozy. But its also located right next to a river, a few minutes from ski resorts, and with the possibility of bringing in local chefs for dinner, so its got a whole lot of charm packed into it.
Last I spoke with them, their business was purring along quite nicely, with a notable tendancy for business retreats over individual bookings. So take that into consideration, but regardless of your needs, take a look - Mominoki is a very inspiring story.
The Experience: Bungie Jumping
Heights are my main phobia, which is why I keep seeking them. I have any number of reasons why the Great Outdoors are meaningful to me, but a big one of them is definitely conquering my own fears. So bungee jumping was a natural one, and Bungy Japan was more than willing to accommodate.
The Restaurant: Skinny Arms
I mentioned an acquaintance, Dex, above, and this is his place. He’s operated multiple restaurants in the wider Nagano area, often works with music festivals, and has a history in sports casting, and is a real inspiring and inspired kinda person. Skinny Arms is a great place to let loose, and you’re sure to meet some kindred spirits floating through to enhance yr experience and expand yr mind!