NaganoLeisure

Azumino Chihiro Park (安曇野ちひろ公園)

Flow of the course

About 80 min here

About 30 min to the next stop

Next stop: Lunch at a rest stop overlooking a wide prairie — also where you handle park admission

About this spot

A spacious park in Matsukawa Village, developed in honor of picture-book artist Chihiro Iwasaki. The grounds feature a lawn plaza and scattered groves of trees, offering both open space for children to run freely and shady spots to escape the sun. The Azumino Chihiro Art Museum (安曇野ちひろ美術館) is located within the park, and you can stop by if you'd like to take your time viewing original picture-book illustrations. True to its location at the foot of the Northern Alps, the sky here feels wide open, and the morning breeze is cool, making it a great place to get moving before the afternoon's water play. Since the busiest hours tend to come later in the day, mornings here are relatively calm.

Tips

The park's open plaza is free to enter. The Azumino Chihiro Art Museum (安曇野ちひろ美術館) inside the park charges a separate admission fee and has set closed days, so check the opening days and fees in advance if you plan to go inside. Shade and sun are clearly divided across the grounds, so a hat and drinks are essential. Parking is available. Since you'll likely work up a sweat before the water play, changing clothes before leaving the park will keep your car ride more comfortable.