[Hyogo Prefecture Yabu City Prefecture] Take a trip to enjoy the best starry sky in Japan! 3 recommended spots

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Yabu City, Hyogo Prefecture, home to Yoka Town, which was ranked number one in Japan by the Ministry of the Environment as the "place where the stars shine the brightest," is one of the leading stargazing spots in Japan. This time, we will introduce three recommended spots!

Written by

North Kinki Regional Tourism Federation

We are a voluntary tourism organization that promotes the attractions of the northern part of Kinki, including Tamba, Tajima, Tango, and Wakasa. The flavors of Northern Kinki are not limited to crab, a representative winter sea delicacy, but also oysters, yellowtail, and pufferfish, as well as cockle, rock oysters, and white squid in summer, and mountain flavors such as Tamba chestnuts and Tamba black beans, and the summer fruit, sand dune melon. It is an area where you can enjoy gourmet food all year round. We would be happy to visit the vast Northern Kinki region many times and provide information that will help you take a railway journey.

Table of Contents
Enjoy hiking under the stars! Wakasu Highlands
The starry sky reflected on the Bekku terraces is a spectacular sight!
Stargazing while camping! Hachi Highlands
If you want to do some indoor stargazing, head to "Astronomical Museum Balloon Yoka" 🌟
Enjoy the nature of Yabu City during the day!

Enjoy hiking under the stars! Wakasu Highlands

Wakasu Highlands is rumored to be the campsite with the best starry sky in Japan.
Stargazing hikes are also held on Saturdays, Sundays, and holidays from around the end of April to around mid-November.
If you have a picnic sheet, you can lie down and enjoy the starry night sky.

Click here for more information about stargazing hiking!

Wakasu Highlands

667-0323 99-2 Wakasu, Oyacho, Yabu City, Hyogo Prefecture

Wakasu Highlands is a highland resort where you can enjoy skiing in both summer and winter. In the green season you can enjoy water jumping and snow skiing, and in the ski season you can not only ski and snowboard, but also enjoy sledding on a slope dedicated to sledding. After skiing or snowboarding, refresh your tired body in Wakasu Kogen Hot Springs, located inside the ski resort! The resort has also been ranked number one in Japan as the "place where the stars shine the brightest," as certified by the Ministry of the Environment. Starry sky hikes are also held on Saturdays, Sundays, and during long weekends from around the end of April to mid-November.

The starry sky reflected on the Bekku terraces is a spectacular sight!

The Bekku rice terraces are popular with many photographers due to the "upside-down Mt. Hyonosen " that is captured in photos taken in early May before rice planting begins, when the rice paddies reflect the mountain.
There are about 130 rice fields where you can see not only Mt. Hyonosen but also the stars reflected upside down.

Bekku Rice Terraces

667-1122 Betsumiya, Yabu City, Hyogo Prefecture

Bekku Rice Terraces are rice terraces that spread out on the middle slope of Mt. Hachibuse. Located at an altitude of 700m, this scenic spot overlooks Mt. Hyonosen, the roof of Hyogo, and is a pristine Japanese landscape that remains to this day. Nearby is Bekku no Ookatsura, a natural monument designated by Hyogo Prefecture, and the abundant spring water that flows from its base irrigates the vast rice paddies, creating a beautiful view of the rice terraces. Photographs of the upside-down Mt. Hyonosen reflected in the rice paddies taken from the Bekumiya rice terraces in early May before rice planting are very popular, and attract many photographers every year.

Stargazing while camping! Hachi Highlands

You can also see a starry sky at Hachi Highlands, one of the leading outdoor areas in western Japan!
Try stargazing while camping.

Hachi Highlands Ski Resort

667-1124 909-1 Nishiyokokado, Tando, Yabu City, Hyogo Prefecture

Hachi Highlands Ski Resort located at an altitude of 800 to 900 meters on the middle slopes of Mt. Hachibuse, is one of the leading outdoor areas in Western Japan. You can enjoy a variety of sports throughout the year, including mountain climbing, hiking, and paragliding, and in winter, skiing and snowboarding.

If you want to do some indoor stargazing, head to "Astronomical Museum Balloon Yoka" 🌟

Astronomical Museum Balloon Yoka is a facility where you can observe the heavens using an astronomical telescope.
It is built in Yoka Town, which was ranked number one in Japan as the "place where the stars shine the brightest" by the Ministry of the Environment.
The main telescopes are a refracting telescope and a reflecting telescope, and if an operator is present, you can touch the telescope yourself and adjust the focus.
There are also Hα solar observation devices that can observe prominences, and photography devices that can take celestial photographs by connecting a camera to a telescope.
Inside the museum, photos of stars, the moon, and more are on display, and visitors can learn by touring the facility and viewing the exhibits for free.

For more information about Astronomical Museum Balloon Yoka, click here!

Astronomical Museum Balloon Youka

667-0021 2142-3 Yoka, Yoka-cho, Yabu-shi, Hyogo Prefecture

Astronomical Museum Balloon Yoka is a facility where you can observe the heavens using a telescope. Photographs of the stars, moon, and more are on display inside the museum, and you can learn by touring the facility and viewing the exhibits for free.

Enjoy the nature of Yabu City during the day!

Enjoy sightseeing in Yabu city during the day! There are many sights to see in Yabu city, including Tendaki Falls and Yabu Shrine.
For an area guide of Yabu City, please see this article.

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Written by

North Kinki Regional Tourism Federation

Kyoto

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