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Nagano | Kiso | Takayama | Gifu || Chubu Area: Hokuriku | Mt. Fuji | Pacific Ocean Coast
The Japan Alps cover a region known as Shinshu, between the north and south coasts of the Chubu Area. They have
10 peaks over 3,000m high and attract many climbers and hikers
during the summer months. Much cooler than the low-lying coastal
cities, the area is also popular for summer homes for those who
can afford them. Bus and rail tours to onsen
(hot spring) and other scenic resorts are popular during throughout
the varying seasons. There are few better things in life than
to enjoy a rotenburo (outdoor hot spring), sipping sake
(rice wine) amidst autumn's dramatic foliage. In winter, heavy
snows transform the entire area but don't keep people away. The
city of Nagano hosted the successful 1998 Winter Olympics so obviously the area
boasts lots of top-class skiing and snowboarding.
The venue for the annual Fuji Rock Festival is the Naeba
ski resort at the southern end of Niigata Prefecture (nowhere
near Mt. Fuji!). The event was first held at the foot of Mt. Fuji
in 1997 but was rudely interrupted by a typhoon. The venue moved
temporarily to Tokyo before finding a more scenic home in 1999.
The successful weekend of rock music in the beautiful Alps drew
some 50,000 people and looks set to become an annual fixture.
Other onsen resorts in the area that stretches from here beyond
Matsumoto in the south include Yuzawa, Kusatsu, Manza, Shiga Kogen and Yudanaka.
Shirakawa-mura |
A gassho-zukkuri house
in Shirakawa-mura |
Matsumoto (Raven) Castle |
Around Nagano
Nagano Prefecture is known as the 'roof of Japan'. The capital
city has little to excite the tourist unless they are lucky enough
to visit when the ancient Buddhist statues at Zenkoji temple are on display. This happens only once every seven years
and the last time was in 1998, so there's a bit of a wait for
the next time. The main statue, the Ikko Sanzon, is said to have been the first Buddhist image brought to Japan,
in 552 and to have miraculous powers. The temple was first built
in 642 and the present structure dates from 1707.
Some 20km to the east on the Nagano Line, Yudakawa onsen is famous for the wild monkeys who make use of the hot
springs to keep warm in winter. The Shiga Kogen highland runs from here southeast to
Karuizawa and has a mulitude of popular ski and onsen resorts, such as
Kusatsu and Manza. Kusatsu is one of the best-known onsen in Japan, with over 100
ryokan (inns) in the town center. It holds a hot spring festival in
August. The 1,000m elevation of Karuizawa has made it a summer
getaway for fashionable Tokyo socialites. Many wealthy people
have their holiday villas here and the area is overflowing with
expensive boutiques and restaurants.
To the west of Nagano is the popular Tateyama-Kurobe Alpine Route, which is a combination
of train, bus and ropeway. Tateyama is made up of three mountains - Oyama, Onanjiyama and Fujino-oritate
- and, along with Fuji and Hakusan, is one of Japan's three sacred
mountains. The Alpine Route connects Tateyama with Kurobe Dam, the highest in Japan and
fifth-highest in the world. Kurobe Kyokoku gorge, on the upper reaches of the river, is one of the deepest
in Japan and especially beautiful in autumn.
The prefectures second city is Matsumoto, whose castle is one of the best preserved in Japan and has been
designated as a National Treasure. It is also known as Ujo (Raven Castle) because of its unusual black color. Other attractions
include the Folk Arts Museum, the Japan Ukiyo-e Museum and Kaichi Gakko,
one of Japan's first modern elementary schools, built in 1876.
About 3 hours from Tokyo, 2 hours from Nagoya and just over an
hour from Osaka by express train, Matsumoto is a good base for
visits to other parts of the Northern Alps. Asama and Utsukushigahara Spas are
recommended palces to stay on the outskirts of the city.
Soba (buckwheat noodles) is a speciality of this region.
To the west of Matsumoto lies the highland valley of Kamikochi, thought by many to be the most beautiful spot in the Alps. On
the Azusagawa River and surrounded by mountains, such as the popular Hotakadake,
Japan's third-highest peak, it is a good point to start mountain
climbing in the Northern Alps.
Kiso
The Kiso region in the south of Nagano is famous for the beautiful
cypress forests of the Kiso Valley and the post-station towns
of Narai, Tsumago and Magome. These towns are located on what was the
Nakasendo, the main highway between Edo (now Tokyo) and the west during the
Edo Period (1600~1868). Prosperous in their heyday, they retain many relics
and some of the atmosphere of Japan's Golden Age. They are accessible
from Narai and Nagiso stations on the Chuo Line between Matsumoto
and Nagoya. Several stops on the Iida Line, which runs from Matsumoto
southwest to Toyohashi, such as Ichida or Benten are convenient
for access to the Tenryu River. The highlights of the boat trip on the river are the
Tenryu-kyo gorge, with its green water and steep granite cliffs, and fish
caught by the boatman and cooked for you there and then.
Takayama
Takayama in northern Gifu Prefecture has been a wealthy and refined city since the late-16th
century. Many old buildings have survived and some have been turned
into folk museums. Taking a rickshaw ride or just strolling along
the narrow streets gives you an idea of what a pre-modern Japanese
city was like. The Takayama Festival during Golden Week (April) and the Hachiman
Festival in October both draw a lot of tourists. Huge festive yatai (wagons
or floats) are paraded through the streets. The yatai
were originally built to appease the gods in a time of plague
but as a spirit of competition grew between wealthy merchants,
the yatai they sponsored became bigger and more ornate. The Hida-Kokubunji
temple was founded in 746 and is the oldest in the region. The
city is famous for shunkei-nuri lacquerware. As the Japanese government has succeeded in bringing more tourists from overseas, Takayama has seen a big increase in visitors in recent years. More than 130,000 foreign tourists visited in 2007, a 27% increase from the year before. The town has placed multilingual signs to help visitors find the many tourist attractions.
About 50km west of Takayama is the village of Shirakawa-mura. Set in a remote
scenic valley, the village is full of gassho-zukuri houses which have been relocated for preservation from other
villages in the region. The name gassho-zukuri means 'praying
hands' and refers to the steep eaves of the thatched rooves. This
design was to withstand the weight of winter snow and also for
the cultivation of silkworms. Many of these houses are two or
three hundred years old and some are used as inns. Access is by
bus or car only. About 30km north is the similar village of Gokayama. The
isolation of the villages means that they maintain an otherworldly
peacefulness. But because they are relatively unknown among Japanese,
this is one of the best places in Japan to get away from it all.
Gifu
The most interesting thing in this once-prosperous castle town
and post-station is ukai (cormorant fishing). During the months of May to October, fishermen
light torches on the prows of their boats, which attracts small
river fish as the boats drift downstream on the Nagara River.
Each fisherman has up to a dozen trained cormorants, each on a
leash tied to a ring around its neck to prevent it swallowing
the fish. He pulls in the birds to recover their catch and then
sends them diving back for more. The practice is not particularly
efficient but it dates back over 1,000 years and is a popular
tourist attraction. Gifu is also known for its paper crafts, especially
chochin (lanterns), ougi (fans) and kasa (umbrellas).
About 20km east of Gifu is Inuyama, whose castle dates from 1440, making it the oldest in Japan.
Nearby is Jo-an, one of the country's three finest teahouses. Other attractions
are Meiji-mura, an open-air museum of buildings from the Nagoya, the most popular port of entry for the region.
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