We debated a lot between Hokkaido and going beyond Kyoto-Osaka. Given it was April which is neither snowy enough, nor early enough for spring flowers, we decided to extend days in Honshu region. Toyama is a good hub to visit places around Takayama, Nagano, Alpine route. The Alpine route with high snow walls are spectacular. Winter is good time for Nagano Snow Monkeys. Takayama makes a good stop if you are around during spring or autumn festival
Places to visit around Takayama, Nagano, Alpine route are detailed here
Takayama
We happened to be there during spring festival that is held on April 14-15, hence decided to go in. The town is like little Kyoto. There is nothing much to do beyond half a day unless you want to savour the slowness of small towns. The views from Osaka to Takayama were quite beautiful though. We took the relatively slow Hida train which was the only direct connection running once a day
The autumn festival is held on October 9-10. There are 11 different floats that get paraded in October. if you have the time, the night festival on day 1 is known to be the best among all activities
It was a rainy day, so most of the processions of the Yatais were cancelled. The mechanical puppet show on top of the Yatai (float/ chariot) happened inside the store houses. There was also a small procession of portable shrine on the streets and performances by local kids near the station
We could see front portions of Yatai for free in their storehouses. There is an exhibition where 3-4 out of the 12 floats are kept in rotation. The entry fee was steep at 1k yen
This site has maps with storehouse locations, local news and many other important information if you are intersted in visiting the town during the festival
Shirakawa-Go
An old heritage town with gassho styled houses with rice- reed roofs. The view around the town is quite scenic- with the river, snow clad mountains, snow topped rice fields and houses. It is 2 hours away from Toyama and Kanazawa. We took a highway bus which started right at Toyama station. Budget 3 hours if you want to walk leisurely and climb the observatory on top
Kanazawa- Castle and Gardens
We visited the castle from outside. The gardens had many cherry trees and moss-covered ground. It was small compared to our expectations and the rave reviews we had read. It was a week past full bloom, so we could imagine how marvelous it would have looked a few days before. The park entry is free during cherry blossom season
Tateyama- Kurobe Alpine route
Opens post April 15th till November. You must take 5+ modes of transport like bus, cable car, ropeway, walk to view the alpine mountains. While you can opt to stay and complete the course across multiple days, most people complete it in a day. It takes 5-6 hours including sight seeing time. Most stops have view points to absorb the scenic mountains
It had snowed heavily the day before, so the cable car was delayed by 2 hours. We were quite anxious on whether we could complete the course, so spent little time at each station. The main stops are Murodo snow wall and Kurobe dam. The highway bus from Bijodaira to Murodo was the best among all legs
Avoid getting luggage here- you will struggle across stairs and crowded cable cars. Opt for luggage transfer from your hotel instead of Toyama/ Tateyama station
You can start from Toyama station or Tateyama station. Ensure if take the ticket for Toyama- Tateyama train if starting from Toyama since it is not covered by the pass. The train from Shinano Omachi to Nagano is covered by JR pass, but takes 2.5 hrs compared to extra 30 minutes if you take express bus from Ogizawa to Nagano. You need to stop at Shinano Omachi if you opt for luggage transfer through Alpine route desk, note that it does not go to Nagano directly
Bookings open around March 1st and get sold out in hours. We had taken tickets with an hour’s difference since the cable car timings is fixed on your ticket. The other stops can take taken at any time as you need during the day. The ticket is valid for 5 days, but you cannot back track
Nagano Snow monkey park
Locally known as Jigokudani Yaen Koen (Hell’s valley given hot spring fumes). While winters are the best time to visit this place when it is snowing, the monkey are entertaining at all times of the year After a nice 30 mi hike through the forest, we could see probably more than 100 monkeys here- playing, meditating, sleeping, in all poses. You can spend hours admiring them
Nagano Zenkoji temple
One of the largest wooden temples and best temples of Japan- strongly recommend visiting this one. The cherry gardens behind the shrine were also amazing. You can climb on top of main gate to get a bird’s eye view of the city