Avenue of Metasequoias
The Avenue of Metasequoias is a tree-lined road in Takashima City, Shiga Prefecture, featuring approximately 500 metasequoia trees (dawn redwoods) along a 2.4-kilometer agricultural road. The trees were planted in the 1980s during a local afforestation and landscape beautification project on the Makino Plateau. Metasequoias, deciduous conifers native to China and rediscovered in the 1940s after being thought extinct, were chosen for fast growth, seasonal color changes, and distinctive conical shapes. The trees matured over decades, creating a natural corridor that gained popularity through photography and social media.
The avenue demonstrates how planned tree planting creates striking landscape features. The metasequoias' straight trunks and uniform spacing create strong visual perspective, enhanced by heights now exceeding 20 meters. The avenue shows dramatic seasonal transformations: fresh green foliage in spring and summer, vibrant orange and reddish-brown in autumn (typically late November), and bare branching in winter creating linear patterns against snow and sky. The agricultural Makino Plateau setting with rice fields and rural landscapes contributes to the pastoral aesthetic. The avenue integrates ornamental tree planting within functional agricultural infrastructure.
Visitors experience the avenue by driving, cycling, or walking the tree-lined road. The straight alignment and tree corridor create perspective effects for photography, particularly from the road center or elevated viewpoints. Autumn foliage season attracts highest visitor numbers during peak color, creating warm-toned natural archways. The rural setting provides agricultural landscape and mountain views. Parking areas allow stops to walk portions of the road, though visitors must mind farm vehicles and local traffic on the working agricultural road. Winter snowfall creates monochromatic scenes with snow-covered fields and bare tree silhouettes.
The Avenue of Metasequoias is accessible by car from JR Makino Station on the JR Kosei Line in approximately 15 to 20 minutes. Public transportation is extremely limited, making rental cars or tours most practical. From Kyoto, the drive via Route 161 takes approximately 90 minutes. Remote rural setting requires careful route planning with navigation. Admission is free as a public agricultural road, though parking may have fees during peak seasons.
