Tonomine Kogen (Tonomine Highlands)

Tonomine Kogen 砥峰高原 is a beautiful scenic highlands area which is famous for the wild Japanese pampas grass which grows in the autumn. The highlands contain about 90 hectares of grasslands with winding paths throughout so you can enjoy the scenery from afar and up close.

We visited here in mid-November 2021 and the pampas grass was full. Tonomine Kogen is free to enter but the car parking fee is ¥500 during peak season. During the spring and summer seasons you can enjoy strolling the highlands and seeing a variety of flowers and lush green grass.

There is a restaurant serving basic Japanese food such as udon noodles and a cafe where you can relax on the wooden deck overlooking the field.

Various Japanese dramas and movies have been filmed at Tonomine Kogen including Norwegian Wood, the film adaption of Haruki Murakami’s novel.

Located in Kamikawa-cho, about 1h45min drive from central Kobe.