Japanese Alps
Peaks at 3,000 m, a turquoise river beneath the birches, carpenters' villages and thatched farmhouses: alpine Japan drives like a dream — right up to the Kamikochi barriers.
Suggested stay — 3 to 4 nights
Between Matsumoto and Takayama, route 158 crosses the heart of the Japanese Alps, a chain of 3,000 m peaks that is alpine in silhouette only: here the valleys hide onsen in the forests, snow monkeys along the rivers and Kamikochi, a mountain sanctuary where the Azusa runs turquoise beneath Mount Hotaka. Beware the famous trap: Kamikochi is closed to private cars — you park at the Sawando or Hirayu park-and-ride and finish by shuttle bus, a well-oiled system that keeps the valley pristine.
Takayama makes the perfect base: an old town of carpenters' houses, the morning market along the Miyagawa, sake and Hida beef. Fifty minutes' drive away, the gassho-zukuri farmhouses of Shirakawa-go raise their steep thatched roofs, UNESCO-listed — spectacular under snow, serene once the midday coaches leave. Three to four nights string it all together, adding Matsumoto's crow castle on the way, the country's finest original keep.
Don't miss
- Kamikochi: from Kappa-bashi bridge to Taisho pond along the Azusa (shuttle bus compulsory)
- Takayama's old town and its morning market on the Miyagawa
- The thatched farmhouses of Shirakawa-go, seen from the Shiroyama viewpoint
- Matsumoto Castle, an original black keep from the 16th century
Our tips on the ground
- For Kamikochi, sleep at Hirayu Onsen: a discreet spa village with the park-and-ride on site and the first shuttle before the crowds — you'll have Kappa-bashi to yourself at 7 am.
- Visit Shirakawa-go before 10 am or after 3 pm: in between, the coaches from Kanazawa and Takayama saturate the village.
- Outside the warm season, check the passes: route 158 stays open in winter via the tunnels, but snow tyres are compulsory from December to March and rental companies charge them as an option.
Our flagship guide — €29
Guide available“Japan on Your Own”, the complete edition, is out
10 chapters: day-by-day itineraries, driving and transport, a costed budget and checklists — the same method as our Namibia guide.
The guide is currently written in French — an English edition is in the works.
Before you go
Readers' questions about Japanese Alps
Is a car worth it if Kamikochi is closed to cars?
Yes, because the ban only covers the last 15 kilometres: the car remains the only way to link Matsumoto, Hirayu, Takayama and Shirakawa-go freely, poorly connected by public transport. The park-and-ride (¥700-800/day plus the shuttle) is a formality — and the car-free valley is precisely what makes it magical.
How long for the walk at Kamikochi?
The classic walk from Taisho-ike to Myojin-ike along both banks of the Azusa takes a leisurely 3-4 hours, flat, with suspension bridges and continuous views of the Hotaka. The real treks (Karasawa, the Yari ascent) take one to three days with booked mountain huts — the valley is magnificently satisfying in its short version.