Our friends at Five Sense reported earlier this morning that service granting access to Kamikochi has resumed along Route 158. Even so, heavy rainfall and flood warning remain in place in Matsumoto and nearby urban areas.
According to the Alpico Group’s homepage:
“Route 158 has been closed due to rain, but will reopen from 8am (2021/8/16) with the following departures:
From Shinshimashima: 8:40~
From Kamikochi: 10:40
PLEASE NOTE: Due to damage to the tracks of the Kamikochi line, train service to Kamikochi has been suspended. As a result, a substitute bus service is now running between Matusmoto Station and Niimura Station.“
News that local transportaton services are coping with the extreme weather is welcome. However, anyone planning on traveling in the area should be aware of the following caveats.
ADVISORY ON TRAVEL:
- Weather warning remain in effect for much of Matsumoto and the surrounding area with many roads and rail lines linking Matsumoto to other urban centers now out of service due to heavy rainfall.
- More heavy rainfall is expected in Nagano Prefecture today meaning that further disruptions are likely.
- Matsumoto has recently experienced a spike in COVID-19 cases resulting in the alert level being upgraded to LEVEL 5.
- Given the unstable nature of the weather situation, exacerbated by the ongoing COVID crisis, we strongly discourage travel to the area as well as cross-prefecture travel in general at this time.
Sources of Information:
Nature Guide Five Sense, Kamikochi blog: https://fivesense.guide/blog/fivesense-info/31204/
The Alipco Group:
For Information on bus service to Kamikochi
