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Chubu-Sangaku NP, Nagano
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Opened in 2012, the Gate arrived decades after the problem it helps solve: private-car restrictions on the Kamikochi road began in 1975 amid gridlock and environmental damage, becoming year-round in 1996.
A piece of the Azusa River greets visitors inside: the entrance hall’s sculpture is made from river driftwood, while a sweeping panorama of the snow-streaked Northern Alps hangs from the rafters.
Waiting for the shuttle can become a wildlife lesson: visitors may touch many taxidermy specimens of local bears, foxes, deer and other animals, then watch or listen to visitor-rule information in five languages.
At the Gate, a banner lays out Kamikochi’s five nature rules: don’t collect, feed or litter; don’t bring pets or non-native species; and stay on paths. Two more say no bicycles on mountain trails and no drones.
The adjoining bus terminal is more than a Kamikochi transfer: seasonal buses also connect Sawando with Shirahone Onsen and Norikura Kogen, giving this gateway two other mountain-bound branches.
