Shinkansen? Yeah, it’s stupidly fast.
Tokyo to Maibara in just a little over two hours. Civilization, you never cease to amaze me.
So here’s today’s little photo adventure: destination — the Metasequoia avenue in Makino, Takashima City, Shiga Prefecture.
If someone asks, “What the heck are you going there for?” the only honest answer is: “Metasequoia.”
That’s it. Full stop.
Just for that one thing, I dragged myself out of Tokyo for a full day trip.
(Quick nerd note: its scientific name is Metasequoia glyptostroboides. You’re welcome for the completely useless trivia.)
Today’s Route: Maibara → Nagahama → Omi-Shiotsu → Makino Metasequoia
Tokyo → Maibara on the Shinkansen
Quick wander around Nagahama station area
Local train: Nagahama → Omi-Shiotsu (transfer) → Makino
Hop on the community bus to the Metasequoia avenue
Shinkansen to Maibara, then somehow ending up in Nagahama
I woke up stupidly early, hopped off the bullet train at Maibara, and immediately transferred… to Nagahama.
Why?
Beats me. My ADHD brain saw a train that terminated at Nagahama and went, “Sure, why not?”
Next thing I knew, the mysterious “Hey, Nagahama is kinda touristy, right?” circuit fired in my head and I was already on board.
Nagahama turned out to be a surprisingly charming little town.
But let’s be real — today’s mission was 100% Metasequoia. So after a quick peek around, I sprinted back to the station like a man on a very specific tree-related quest.
(Oh, and fun fact: the Nagahama Hikiyama Festival is a UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage. I felt slightly less guilty about my detour after remembering that.)
Finally… the Metasequoia Avenue in Makino
The ride from Nagahama via Omi-Shiotsu to Makino took nearly an hour.
Totally worth it. (Said no one who values their time.)
I rolled into Makino Station after lunch. The place was dead quiet. For a second I genuinely wondered if I’d gotten off at the wrong stop — until I realized almost everyone was coming from the Kyoto/Ōtsu side. Almost nobody gets off from the Omi-Shiotsu direction. I was basically the only weirdo.
Fifteen minutes on the community bus (Makino Kōgen Line) and boom — I was standing in front of the trees I came all this way to see.
The moment the bus rounded the corner, I actually whispered, “Okay… yeah. This was worth it.”
Golden-red Metasequoia glowing under a crisp December blue sky, stretching straight into the distance like nature’s own runway.
This. This is exactly what I came for.
Bus info (for fellow tree pilgrims):
Route: Makino Kōgen Line (community bus)
From: Makino Station
To: Makino Pick Land (get off and the avenue is right there)
Time: about 15 minutes
I spent the rest of the afternoon walking the avenue with my trusty Canon EOS Kiss X7i and the 18-200mm zoom. The further I went, the fewer people and cars there were — pure photography heaven.
It just keeps going… and going. Same beautiful view the entire way.
If someone asked me, “Is a day trip from Tokyo to see the Metasequoia worth it?”
I’d look them dead in the eye and say:
“Nope. Absolutely not.”
Then I’d add, “Shiga has way better autumn spots. Don’t make my mistake.”
I stuck around hoping for a gorgeous sunset glow on the trees… but it just got dark. No lights, no magic, just “oh, it’s nighttime now.”
Time to go home.
For the return trip I decided to walk back to Makino Station instead of waiting an hour and a half for the next bus.
My legs hated me, but my step counter loved me: 17.1 km total for the day.
Pokémon were definitely hatching.
Shoot date: December 10, 2017
Location: Makino Metasequoia Avenue, Takashima City, Shiga Prefecture
Camera: Canon EOS Kiss X7i + EF-S 18-200mm f/3.5-5.6 IS
Weather: Clear skies
High: 9.5℃
Low: -0.3℃
Steps walked: 17.1 km
Would I do it again?
…Ask me after I forget how tired my legs were.