travel page


	This high area consisting of 23 ridges, 7 lakes, and 8 plains is collectively referred to as Mt. Norikura. The highest point is the Kengamine pinnacle, 3,026 meters above sea level. You can travel up the mountain along the Norikura Skyline, Japan’s highest-altitude mountain road, to a height of 2,700 meters without stopping.

	You can climb up to the Goshikigahara Plateau, which is still covered by virgin forest. To take part in any of the organized tours, a reservation is necessary. Accompanied by a pay guide, you can follow the tracks through the forest while receiving information on the plants and other natural features of the surroundings. There are two options: the ‘Japanese serow tour,’ which consists mainly of a tour of waterfalls, and the ‘Veitch’s silver fir tour,’ which consists of a tour of ponds. Roaring waterfalls suddenly appear in the midst of the forest while ponds lying in serene tranquility, formed from the snowmelt of Mt. Norikura, reflect the blue of the sky and the green of the trees, thus enchanting the watchers.

	The Oku Hida Hot Springs Village is the collective name for five scattered hot spring resorts. Immediately below the Northern Alps, the Shin-Hodaka Hot Springs are surrounded by nature on a grand scale. The Tochio Hot Springs, which serve as a “base point” of the village, have a homely atmosphere. Located in the center of Oku Hida, the Shin-Hirayu Hot Springs are flourishing. The Fukuji Hot Springs have a retrospective and nostalgic atmosphere. Having been prosperous throughout its long history, the Hirayu Hot Springs have an air of elegance. In this area, you can feel the clear air with your skin, listen to the murmurs of the rivers, and extend your arms and legs fully in a wide open-air bath, bringing a deep sense of relaxation.

	The observatory that is the closest to Mt. Yarigatake (3,180 meters high) and Mt. Hodaka (3,190 meters high) is accessible by Japan’s first double-deck gondola, which takes you to a place above the clouds, 2,200 meters above sea level. There, you can enjoy a grand panoramic view of the Northern Alps.

	Surrounded by refreshing greenery, the clear waterfalls cascade down forming a white veil. Innumerable waterfalls, large and small, make up the Forty-eight Waterfalls of Utsue, 800 to 900 meters above sea level, refreshing the minds and hearts of visitors. There is a mountain track at the site so a full tour of waterfalls can be made. At the observatory located midway, you can enjoy a splendid view of the Northern Alps.

	This is a famous temple of the Myoshinji school of the Rinzai sect. Its main object of worship is the Shakyamuni Tathagata and the temple is said to have been founded in the first half of the 14th century. The scripture house of the temple is the only national treasure of Hida. The octagonal revolving bookshelf inside it is said to be the oldest of its kind in Japan.