Kamikochi: The Japanese Alps

Kamikochi is a popular mountain resort in Nagano Prefecture, Japan that offers a lot of beautiful mountain scenery, especially during autumn. It's open from mid-April until mid-November and closes during the winter. It's not necessary to stay there to enjoy the place although there are a few high-end hotels. It's accessible as a day trip from a number of places, including Hida-Takayama where I was staying.

From Hida-Takayama, I took a bus to Hirayu Onsen (1 hour) and from there took another bus to Kamikochi (30 minutes). There are round trip tickets available at the Takayama bus station for JPY5040, which is cheaper than getting separate tickets. There's no specified time at the ticket but buses run on a timetable. 

From Hirayu Onsen, you have a choice of going down at Taisho Pond, Tashiro Bridge, or the Kamikochi Visitor Center. I went down at Taisho Pond and made the ~4-kilometer hike towards Kappabashi Bridge, near the visitor center, where I'll take the bus back. 

Taisho Pond

Gravel deposits

It's actually barely a hike because the whole trail's terrain is flat, might as well call it a bushwalk. I was a little worried because I had injured knees and my doctor said to take it easy. However, I figured I can always take a rest stop in case my knees get tired.

Walking trail

The backdrop should have been mountainous had the skies been clear.

Tashiro Pond

Azusa-gawa (river). That super clean water!

Such beautiful autumn view!

There are wild monkeys there. This one's hanging out outside one of the hotels.

The whole walk took me two hours (with short frequent stops in between, as well as a lot of picture-taking). Actually, I couldn't take very long rest stops because it was very cold! I had to keep walking if I wanted to keep myself warm. I was just wearing cotton base layers, a knitted pullover, and a thick cotton jacket. It was 10degC and it would have been a lot better had it been sunny but it wasn't.

The trail is also well-marked so no worries about getting lost.

It's a hanging bridge so it moves a lot especially when it's windy or when there's a lot of people on the bridge

The view from Kappabashi Bridge. Unfortunately, the clouds are covering the snowy mountains.

Kamikochi is very well maintained and the autumn views are just AMAZING. Honestly, everywhere I look seemed postcard-worthy. My injured knees didn't give me a hard time so all's good.

The original plan was to have lunch at one of the shops near Kappabashi bridge but there was a lot of people there so I just grabbed a snack. It was a Monday but, turns out, it was a holiday and Kamikochi is a popular destination during autumn so there was a lot of people that day (which is a good thing too because it's not a good idea to hike alone when there's no one else around). The queue for the bus back to Hirayu Onsen was very long and I still wanted to go to an onsen (hot spring) so I went back before the queue got any longer.

Kappa-shaped taiyaki with red bean paste filling

When I got down at Hirayu Onsen, I went to Hirayu no Mori, which is right next to the bus terminal. They're open to daytime bathers for JPY500. There is an indoor pool and a pretty big outdoor bath with multiple pools. Bring a towel because a bath towel there costs JPY500. Shampoo and body wash is available for everyone to use.

It wasn't my first time in a public bath in Japan. I've done it three times when I went to Japan in 2013 for summer school and we had a field trip to Tohoku so I guess I'm quite used to bathing naked with Japanese strangers (lol). Just familiarize yourself with public bath etiquette and you're good to go.

With the cold and all the walking in Kamikochi, a bath in the hot springs was definitely what I needed.

Hida-Takayama: In Which I Fell In Love with Japan's Countryside

Hida-Takayama in Gifu Prefecture may not be as famous as other cities like Tokyo, Kyoto or Osaka but when I learned that it's still a traditional city, I got intrigued and decided to make it my first stop during my October 2015 trip.

I flew to Nagoya Airport because it's the closest major airport to Hida-Takayama and there's a direct connection from Manila. From Nagoya Airport, I took the Meitetsu Line to Nagoya Station (~1 hour, JPY870). There are no more trains to Hida-Takayama in the evening so I booked a hostel in Nagoya prior to coming to Japan. I got a dorm bed in Glocal Nagoya Backpackers, which is within walking distance from Nagoya Station, for JPY3240 for one night. That hostel had really soft beds and warm comforters so I slept comfortably!

The next morning, I got my JR Pass exchanged and then took the JR Wide View Hida Limited Express to Takayama Station. I didn't sleep throughout the 2.5-hour trip because the countryside views were amazing.

It's a dam! These are things I studied in university so I'm pretty fascinated by them

It's also possible to take a bus to Takayama from Nagoya. Travel time is roughly the same as the limited express but the bus fare is only around JPY3000 while the limited express costs around JPY6000. I took the train, however, because I had a JR Pass with me.

I arrived in Takayama Station at noon and walked to my hostel (J-Hoppers Takayama). Hida-Takayama is a small city and most sights can be reached by foot. After settling at my hostel, I went to the Old Town area.

This is Takayama Jinya. It's a former government building with many different rooms inside. It now functions as a museum and is open to the public. You take your shoes off before entering and carry them in a plastic bag given at the entrance. Some people may think it's a hassle but I love walking on tatami mats and wooden floors without shoes so I enjoyed it.

Garden

Pardon the selfie. It's not easy taking photos of yourself when you're traveling alone lol.

Kitchen

Afterwards, I walked around the Old Town where various shops selling Japanese products are located. I didn't buy anything but it was enjoyable just looking around.

It was raining lightly that afternoon and it was pretty cold. I went inside a nikuman shop that had a stove heater and bought a nikuman (meat buns) filled with Hida beef. Hida beef or Hida-gyu is actually a famous kind of beef in Japan (i.e. wagyu).

Ramune (Japanese soda with an interesting bottle design, JPY150) and Hida gyunikuman (JPY450)

And then I resumed my walking.

In the evening, I went to a restaurant and had Hida beef for dinner.

JPY2600. I don't normally spend that much for food but I just had to try the Hida beef.

It was a Sunday but you see in the photos that there's not a lot of people in Hida-Takayama. Later, I will learn that while the famous Kyoto is also a very beautiful traditional Japanese city, it's brimming with tourists, which kinda spoils the fun. I enjoyed Hida-Takayama because even though it's not exactly "off the beaten path", I can immerse myself in traditional Japanese culture minus the crowds. It's very accessible and easy to navigate plus the food is really good! It was only the first day of my trip but I found myself in love with Japan's countryside.

Unlike the big cities, there may not be as much to do in Hida-Takayama but it makes an ideal base for day trips to other beautiful places like Kamikochi, Shirakawa-go, Okuhida (hot springs), and Gero Onsen. I personally went on day trips to Shirakawa-go and Kamikochi and I will write about them next!

2015 Japan Trip Overview

Last year, I chanced upon PhP5000 (~USD108, super cheap!) round trip tickets from Manila to Sydney. I had mostly everything figured out-- I was going to Tasmania, then to Melbourne, and then to Sydney where a friend has already offered their couch. Sadly, my visa was denied and I spent AUD135 for that. The next day, I booked tickets to Japan on the same dates I was supposed to go to Australia. I bought an inbound flight to Nagoya and an outbound flight from Kansai, which cost me PhP7000 (~USD152),

One week after booking tickets and two months before my departure, I sustained injuries on my left leg and knee. Walking and taking the stairs became painful. I went to physical therapy. I still applied for a visa and bought a one-week JR pass. Good thing, three days before my departure, my doctor told me I can travel although I was advised not to overdo it.

Hida-Takayama, Gifu Prefecture

Kamikochi (a.k.a. the Japanese alps), Nagano Prefecture

Shirakawa-go, Gifu Prefecture

HOGWARTS!!!!

Himeji Castle, Hyogo Prefecture

Itsukushima Shirne in Miyajima, Hiroshima Prefecture

Peace Memorial Park, Hiroshima Prefecture

Kintai-kyo Bridge in Iwakuni, Yamaguchi Prefecture

Kinkaku-ji in Kyoto

deer in Nara Prefecture

Yep, I did manage all those places/cities in 10 days! A bit of planning and a JR Pass, I suppose, made it possible. To be honest, I was scared about traveling alone with my injuries. Thankfully, I was not hindered from going to places I wanted to visit. Although I had to trim down my itinerary a little, it wasn't so bad because I was able to relax during the trip. More details about my trip in the next posts!