Following the first part of the article, I’m excited to bring you the second part.

Day 3

To Tsumagoi Panorama Line

We started our morning in Nagano City, got ready, and checked out.

Our first destination was the Tsumagoi Panorama Line. We headed towards Ueda City, taking Prefectural Route 35 south. This road is simply fantastic, offering a delightful driving experience. With well-paved surfaces, light traffic, winding sections, and straight stretches, it packs a variety of driving scenarios.

The drive was so exhilarating that it lifted our spirits from the morning. With the windows and sunroof wide open, we soaked in the air-cooled sound as we arrived in Ueda City.

We then drove the 911 north on Route 144 towards the Sugadaira Highlands. Every road in this area offers a pleasant drive. We took a detour around the villa area before heading to the northern course of the Tsumagoi Panorama Line. It’s always a fantastic road to drive on.

Occasionally, there are patches of dirt on the road from tractors, but as long as you watch out for those, it’s smooth sailing.

To Mount Haruna

We considered heading towards the Shiga Highlands, but the weather forecast predicted rain. So, we decided to aim for Mount Haruna instead. We took a break for a foot bath and lunch at the roadside station Yamba Furusato-kan along the way.

We had visited Mount Haruna before, approaching from the south, but this time we took the northern route, known as ‘Ura-Haruna’. This Ura-Haruna route is incredibly enjoyable. It’s a very rewarding drive, especially fun with a powerful car.

The road is wide, with a gentle uphill stretch that goes on and on. There’s hardly any traffic, making it a road where you can drive to your heart’s content.

We quickly ascended to the shores of Lake Haruna. Unfortunately, due to the weather and fog, we couldn’t see much of the view, but it had its own charm. We planned to take the main course, Prefectural Route 33, eastward, but the fog was so dense that it was deemed too dangerous, so we turned back.

From here, we set off towards our accommodation in Saku City, but without a concrete plan. We consulted our touring map to decide on a route to Saku City.

To make the journey more interesting, we decided to try the mountain crossing route from Minamimaki Village. According to Google Maps, it looked like a narrow road, but we figured the compact body of the 964 would handle it just fine.

We first navigated through the dense fog on K54, heading towards North Karuizawa. From there, we headed south, using the roadside station Oasis Nanmoku as a landmark. After a brief stop at the station, we tackled the mountain crossing before it got dark.

We expected to reach Saku City via K93. Passing through several villages, we made good progress westward. As the mountains drew closer and the road became more challenging, we encountered an unexpected sign.

Yes, it was the usual ‘Road Closed’ sign.

Suppressing the urge to see what lay ahead, we reluctantly turned back.

Having lost too much time, we returned to Tomioka City and took the highway to our hotel in Saku City.

Day 4

Driving Around Yatsugatake

This day was completely unplanned. After waking up, we looked at the touring map to consider our route. Although we’ve driven around the Yatsugatake area many times, there are still many roads we haven’t explored.

We decided to head for Mugikusa Pass on the Märchen Highway via Route 299. We’ve taken K480 past Lake Matsubara several times, but this was our first approach from the north side, Yachiho Highlands.

The 911 climbed steadily in altitude.

For some reason, every car we encountered ahead of us kindly let us pass, so we flashed our hazard lights in thanks and overtook them without hesitation. The drive was so smooth that our pace naturally increased. The Tiptronic shifted between 2nd and 3rd gears, effectively transmitting torque to the rear wheels. The sensation of the entire car rotating around the traction-loaded rear tires is unique to the 911.

The parking lot at Mugikusa Pass was packed, so we continued on to Tateshina. The route remained as splendid as ever.

We passed through Tateshina Highlands and headed south on the Yatsugatake Echo Line. After a break at the roadside station Kobuchizawa, we aimed for the Fujimi-daira Observatory. Unfortunately, the weather was poor, and we couldn’t see anything, so we quickly moved on.

We drove the 911 along the Yatsugatake Highland Line and Yatsugatake Ranch Line. Although these roads are usually crowded during weekends or the autumn foliage season, they were surprisingly empty this Sunday.

We enjoyed a leisurely drive and headed back towards Saku City.

Next, we went to Tateshina Town and took K40 to Lake Shirakaba. On the second day, we had traveled south on the Daimon Highway, Route 152, but this time we chose the adjacent K40.

This K40 is quite a remarkable road. It’s a two-lane road that cuts through the forest, with a gentle uphill slope. There are occasional hairpin turns and medium-speed corners, making it a very enjoyable drive.

From Lake Shirakaba, we followed a Panamera Turbo with PCCB leading the way, using Route 152 to head south. We arrived early at our accommodation in Suwa City today.

Day 5

Back to Venus Line

Today marks the final day of our tour. Upon waking up, the weather was decent, so we decided to head back to the Venus Line.

This time, we approached from Suwa City via K424. While K40 is a great road, K424 also offers enjoyable winding sections. We headed towards Kirigamine, passing by the Kirigamine Wetland Plant Community.

As always, it’s cool here, and the air is fresh. We took a moment to refresh ourselves with the crisp morning air of the highlands. We casually drove back and forth on the Venus Line, then headed towards R142 via Wada Pass.

With a sense of longing, we left the Venus Line behind.

To Takabocchi Highlands

One of the places I’ve always wanted to visit in Nagano is the Takabocchi Highlands. From here, you can overlook Lake Suwa, and on a clear day, even see Mount Fuji—a breathtaking spot.

There are several ways to reach Takabocchi Highlands, and the roads are not easy to navigate. Initially, we chose the route from the south, which involves heading north from Okaya City, but it’s extremely challenging.

First, finding the road leading to Takabocchi Highlands is difficult and quite a task.

You end up driving on narrow, winding farm roads that are so tight you can’t even make a proper U-turn, which is quite exhausting. It was manageable with the compact 964, but it’s best to avoid this route with modern Porsches.

We finally found the road to Takabocchi Highlands, only to discover it was closed (tears).

We had no choice but to turn back and switch to the western approach route. By this point, we were determined to reach the top no matter what.

We began our ascent from the cliff-side intersection at the Alps View Shinonome Road. The narrow road atmosphere was palpable from the start. However, we couldn’t let this deter us. We continued climbing, but the destination seemed elusive. Due to the low-speed ascent, the engine wasn’t getting enough cooling air.

The oil temperature gauge gradually rose, pointing slightly above the middle. It’s rare for a well-maintained 964 to exceed the middle mark, but it didn’t go any higher.

Looking in the rearview mirror, I saw a brave soul ascending in a 2-meter-wide Mercedes GLE. While the 964 could easily pass oncoming cars, the GLE seemed to struggle.

With sweaty palms, we finally reached the summit. There, someone was flying a radio-controlled glider, and I was captivated by their skillful piloting. The view was breathtaking, making the challenging climb worthwhile.

We captured the panoramic view of Lake Suwa in photos, vowing to return to Nagano, and concluded our 4-night, 5-day tour.

The total distance covered was 1,784 km, with a fuel efficiency of 10.3 km/L.

Route Map of This Trip