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In Episode 30 of the podcast I speak with outdoor guide Iida Taka about Oze National Park. Straddling four prefectures of the snow country – Gunma, Niigata, Fukushima and Tochigi – Oze National Park is relatively small at 373 squared kilometres however its smaller size is in fact one of its attractions. Known for its lakes, wetlands, moors and marshes, the park is ringed by mountains ascending over 2000 metres with areas of dense forest. As such, visitors to Oze can enjoy varied environments including unique flora and fauna within a confined area. 

Taka is an experienced outdoor covering many destinations in Central Japan including Oze National Park. Originally from Izu, Taka’s journey to becoming an outdoor guide involves stints in Australia, New Zealand and Canada before pursuing certification in Oze – a park she is very familiar with and keen to introduce to international visitors. Based in Nagano, Taka operates Nozawa Onsen Tours in the popular ski resort and hot spring town of the same name. Offering tours that reveal the long history and culture of the village, along with the surrounding environment, Taka reveals a side of Nozawa that many if not most international visitors miss.

We discuss the national park in the first half of the interview before moving onto the tours Taka offers at Oze and Nozawa Onsen in the second half of our chat. For more information, visit the Nozawa Onsen Tours website or Instagram - links are above - and of course you can find information, images and a map showing you where the national park is on the episode page of the Snow Country Stories Japan website. 

Outland Japan is a bi-weekly podcast hosted by Peter Carnell - a freelance tour guide based in northern Nagano – that transports you to rural, regional and the wilds of Japan in pursuit of stories that lie outside the neon hum of Tokyo and golden trimmings of Kyoto. Stories of travel, life and culture beyond the big cities. Follow the show on Instagram, Facebook and YouTube. Please note, prior to October 2024, Outland Japan was named Snow Country Stories Japan.