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The original was posted on /r/japantravel by /u/paiyan_ on 2024-11-09 15:33:16+00:00.

Sharing with the hope that some of the info below collated from my recent solo trip may be of benefit to future travelers and fellow journey-people keen to explore some different areas of this beautiful country!

I thought I’d change it up slightly for my 17th trip to Japan and venture out into new areas that I’ve not had the opportunity to visit before, but also push the boundaries a little with doing more hiking / trail-walking where I could. To most, some of these places would be on the frequently visited list by first-timers but I have to admit that I’ve always tried to avoid the crowds and main tourist must-dos for many years now!

Main agenda of trip – photography. Total duration of travel – 18 days, 18/10/2024 to 04/11/2024.

Areas covered; Takayama, Toyama, Tateyama-Kurobe Alpine Route, Kamikochi, Matsumoto, Karuizawa, Kusatsu Onsen, Chuzenji / Nikko, Urabandai, Tokyo.

I did have access to a rental car for a portion of the trip to drive Japan’s Romantic Road and to get to the more off-the beaten track areas. Driving the mountain routes (touge) is also immensely fun and being able to take in the glorious autumn scenery while you’re moving along makes it so worth the while. It also opens up a whole new dimension of access to random areas of the countryside that you wouldn’t be able to enjoy while sitting in a bullet train; little roadside stops, fruit stalls where you can purchase freshly plucked apples, some of the best handmade soba I’ve ever tasted, the list goes on!

I’ll skip sharing info for Tokyo as I feel others have already covered this excellently. This will be a long share, thanks for reading!

Itinerary:

Day 1 – Takayama

Landed at Nagoya (Chubu Centrair International Airport) and ventured straight out to Hida Takayama. It’s an easy 3 hour-ish train ride from the airport out to Takayama and I managed to arrive at about 2PM. Tip: try to get a window seat on the left side of the Wide View train as there is a particularly beautiful section of the river that runs along the train route which seems to always be very calm (amazing deep turquoise colour and reflections).

Dinner recommendation – Jakson Curry & Coffee. For those about to visit and return visitors, you have to give this place a go. Genuinely one of the best curries I’ve had across Japan so far. Go early (they open at 5.30pm), you won’t regret it. Japanese menus only FYI but staff are very helpful and will take you through the menu items.

Day 2 – Takayama

Hit the usual touristy spots to see if anything had changed from my last visit (I have a very soft spot for Takayama, this was my 10th time visiting). Noted on arrival that the new train station is finished and does look much flashier than the original one! The city still has a great vibe and has always been excellent for exploring on foot. Try to get out early and beat the bigger tourist crowds if you can; Sanmachi Suji has always been amazing to walk along before 7AM or even in the later afternoon before sunset.

The morning markets were OK this visit; felt like there used to be more stalls with a wider variety but it have might just been me. There is an interesting cube-shaped marshmallow snack that I believe originates from Toyama that you can get at the Miyagawa morning market, about halfway along in one of the permanent stores along the riverfront. Give this a try while you’re there!

Coffee recommendation - Falò Coffee Brewers (**). Very impressed, easily the best coffee spot in Takayama at the moment. Went back again later that afternoon! Look it up, it’s just off the main Sanmachi Suji area and well worth a stop.

Snack recommendation – Prices looked steep this time round for the usual stuff (kushiyaki beef skewers, mitarashi dango, the Hida Beef sushi sets served on senbei). Definitely give it a try if it’s your first time but if you want something off the beaten path, try the Hida beef mince cutlet (menchi-katsu) at Sukeharu . You heard about this place here first.

Dinner – Hida Beef is always worth spending some coin on when you’re visiting Takayama although I did realise first hand that the usual yakiniku spots were very busy. Big tourist groups, etc. Maybe the word has got out now (damn it)! Not much I can advise on apart from going / queueing up early unfortunately…

Day 3 – Toyama

The Hida Wide View train continues on from Takayama to Toyama and it’s called the Wide View for a good reason. Beautiful views of the Northern Alps greet you on a clear day along with autumn colours as well if you time your trip right! I caught a local train to Hida Furukawa on the way up first; it’s still as picturesque and quaint as ever. You have to love a town that features koi living in the canals.

Toyama itself is a pretty standard city with admittedly not a whole lot to do. It is the gateway to the Tateyama-Kurobe Alpine Route though. If you have time and the weather is great, go for a stroll out to Kansui Park. Beautiful spot, with probably one of the best spots you could have for a Starbucks.

Meal recommendation – Being close to the sea, Toyama is famous for its seafood and sushi. Get stuck into it but try to order a side of shiro ebi (white shrimp) tempura if you can. It’s bloody good! There is a restaurant in the train station that does good ten-don bowls featuring shiro ebi (Shiroebitei).

TK Alpine Route tip – If you’ve purchased your ticket online, you can actually print them out using the QR code from your email at the Dentetsu Toyama station the day before you kick-off on the route. For others that like being ready beforehand like I do!

Day 4 – Tateyama-Kurobe Alpine Route (stay at Murodo)

Early start to catch the train out from Dentetsu Toyama. Luggage forwarding service works well and is easy to get your head around. There is an attendant who receives your luggage and gets your details / fills in a little sheet which you get a copy of. The route does get very packed in April / May (peak season) but was very reasonable this time of year. Did a stopover at Midagahara to explore the wetlands area – I would definitely recommend this if you have some time up your sleeve. Great views and I just about had the entire place to myself! Made it up to Murodo at lunchtime and the area was pretty busy; most visitors try to do the route in a day and Murodo is the main stopover point.

Hiking / walking tips – The area is manageable with some good shoes and average fitness. If you do plan to push into some of the steeper zones and cover the bulk of the area though (which I did…), I would definitely advise on making sure that you’ve got reasonable fitness as the altitude does make a massive difference. Hiking shoes are a must if you plan on tackling some of the more vertical routes; please be safe!

Stay – If you can, I would try to stay the night at Hotel Tateyama (heads-up, it won’t be cheap). It is an amazing experience having the entire area to yourself once the crowd leaves. I found myself absolutely smitten by the peace and beauty of Murodo in the late afternoon, leading into sunset. The hotel also offers stargazing sessions at night and there is an early morning special shuttle bus run to Daikanbo to watch the sunrise, offered only to hotel guests (for an additional fee).

Day 5 – Shinano Omachi

Going out for an early morning stroll around Murodo is well worth the effort, cannot recommend it enough. There is always something special in watching the sunrise touch the mountain peaks around you with the bonus of snagging some amazing photos. Heading back down towards Shinano Omachi, I spent a bit of time wandering around Kurobe Dam, another decision I’d fully recommend. The dam itself is an engineering marvel and appealed to me on many levels (being an engineer myself). The landscape surrounding the dam is amazing in autumn, and if you visit at the right time of the year, watching the water pour out from the dam release gates is equally special in its own right!

Spent the night at Shinano Omachi (stayed at Route Inn Shinano Omachi, just across from the main JR station). I have to admit that the town itself is rather small with not a lot to see for the average tourist but it will appeal to those who enjoy wandering around and experiencing that which is more ubiquitous to smaller country towns.

Day 6 – Kamikochi

I thought I’d try my luck at Kamikochi again this trip with the hope of seeing the valley better dressed in autumn colours. Was a little hit & miss, and it looked like the peak had passed, but Kamikochi remains breathtaking in all seasons. Managed to get into Kamikochi around mid-day and decided to go for a bit of a stroll in the rain. While the rain did help keep the number of people out on the trails down, it does make taking photos difficult! Shinano Omachi – Matsumoto – Kamikochi took up the better part of half a day for those that are wondering.

Day 7 – Kamikochi

Thought I’d push myself today to take advantage of the weather and ended up clocking 42,500 steps / 30kms (!!!) according to the step counter. Went beyond Myojinbashi up to Tokusawa-en; tough call to say if it’s worth the hike but I’d probably say no especially if you’re a day visitor. There is more to see around the main central area of Kamikochi / Kappabashi. Kamikochi does start to get busy from 8.30AM onwa…

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