Odairasanso

Mountain hut at 1,960m in old-growth forest, a short way down the forest road on the Nagano side of Kitazawa Pass in the Southern Alps. It stands at the trailhead of the Yabusawa–Juko New Trail, the shortest route up Senjogatake, and also serves as a base for Kaikomagatake. The bus stop at the pass is about ten minutes' walk up the road, and the stretch in front of the hut is a free-boarding section of the forest-road bus. Shigeyuki Takezawa opened it as Odaira Goya in 1962 and renamed it in 1982. Power comes from a generator; after lights out at 7pm oil lamps take over, and a wood stove warms the rooms in cold weather, keeping an old-fashioned atmosphere. Stays are room-only with bedding, in shared rooms — there are no private rooms — and must be booked by phone. The tap beside the entrance carries drinkable spring water from Senjogatake, and a small shop next to the building sells drinks and original goods. Camping nearby is prohibited, and the hut closes outside its season.