My favorite nature spots in my own backyard

I've lived in Japan for almost a decade now, and the first half of that was in Tokyo. It was a big transition for me, who had lived the majority of my adult life in a town of about 100,000 in Australia. Drive 10 minutes out of that town, and you're surrounded by bushland – you'll encounter kangaroos, snakes, lizards, and the like. You can imagine just how big Tokyo felt by that standard, and how long it felt like you had to travel to get out of the metropolis. It's not impossible, of course – there are plenty of beautiful nature-filled locations in the city and surrounds, but it often required some planning for a green getaway.

Fast forward to Niigata, and now we're surrounded by nature. It really is a blessing to have a myriad of beautiful destinations around us that don't require a long drive or overnight stays to enjoy. These are some of my favorite nature-filled destinations here in the Niigata countryside, all in the Uonuma and Minamiuonuma areas.

Hakkaisan Ropeway

Yes, obviously the ropeway itself is a man-made thing, but the views you can enjoy from the top of the ropeway really give an indication as to how naturally stunning this part of Japan is. This photo was from May a couple of years back when we had some friends from overseas visit us, and they were just in awe of the scenery!

Address: 610 Yamaguchi, Minamiuonuma, Niigata 949-7121

The view from the Hakkaisan Ropeway is nothing short of incredible.

Tsukioka Park

Tsukioka Park is located in Uonuma, and it's a nice place to visit throughout the year – there is plenty of open space, kids play equipment, barbecue facilities and the like. The park really shines when the lilies are in bloom, though, and they're arranged in colorful rows. The combination of the flowers with the area's surrounding mountains as a backdrop is simply stunning.

Address: 2013ｰ3 Horinouchi, Uonuma, Niigata 949-7413

Iwappara Cosmos Park

If you love cosmos flowers during autumn, I think this park is probably the nicest cosmos destination I've seen in all of Japan. It's not the one with the most flowers, but I think if you combine the flowers they do have with the view you get, it comes out streets ahead of anywhere else. Best of all, on every single occasion I've visited this park I've been one of only a handful of people there. It's not crowded in the slightest and there's easy parking on-site.

Address: 643 Yoshidaira, Uonuma, Niigata 946-0121