Akasoba no Sato

A spectacular spot where the rare red buckwheat flowers blanket a vast 42,000㎡ field. On clear days, you can even take in sweeping views of the majestic Southern Alps beyond the red buckwheat fields.

The crimson-flowering red buckwheat was developed after the late Professor Teruo Ujihara, Professor Emeritus at Shinshu University, brought buckwheat growing at an elevation of 3,800m in the Himalayas back to Japan in 1987 and jointly developed it with Takano Co., Ltd. in Miyata Village, Nagano Prefecture. They succeeded in breeding a variety that would bloom red even in Japan's different climate and environment, and named it “Takane Ruby.” Since then, further breeding continued over many years, and in 2011, the even deeper red “Takane Ruby 2011” was introduced.

The best time to see the red buckwheat is from late September to mid-October. An opening event is held in mid-September, and the Akasoba no Sato Festival takes place in late September. During the season, a soba restaurant serving both red and white soba made with great care by local experts, as well as a farm stand selling local produce, is also open.