While planning our yearly Japan travel to visit family, we always make sure to see a new part of the country. Our most recent trip was over the holidays and during the winter season. I instantly knew that I wanted to see a region where snow was guaranteed. We decided upon Shirakawago and Takayama, two beautiful and historic villages nestled within the mountains of the Gifu prefecture.
As you plan your trip, you may wonder what under-the-radar places in Japan you should see. With just a 5 hour trip from Tokyo, these picturesque, postcard worthy villages are very easy to see in a weekend and an experience not to be missed. This can also be integrated into a much larger itinerary.
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In This Article
Shirakawago
Where to Stay in Shirakawago
Shirakawago/Takayama
Takayama/Head Home
Shirakawago is a quaint little village of Gassho-style or thatched-roof homes within the Hida region of Gifu. It is surrounded by the stunning Japanese alps giving a beautiful backdrop, one reminiscent of Switzerland. The village itself gets a lot of visitors, especially during peak seasons, but don’t let that deter you. The best way to experience this town is by staying overnight in one of the houses, as most visitors leave by early evening, giving most of the village to yourself to explore.
Total travel time to Shirakawago from Tokyo is around 5 hours. You will have to take several trains and a bus to reach the village. Here’s some info that will help you find your way there.
The easiest way to get here is via Nagoya. Since we were visiting family first before our trip here, we took the Shinkansen from Tokyo to Nagoya. In order to make the most of our time we opted for the Nozomi (express) train which was only about 1.5 hours total. Once you arrive in Nagoya you will have to switch to a different train. While you’re at the station we highly recommend grabbing a bento and eating it on the next train. It’s also a great time to grab some souvenirs from here as well!
Optional Extra Night
If you have more time in Japan, you can opt to stay overnight in Nagoya. We stayed at the Westin Nagoya Castle which has gorgeous views of the castle, a must-see while you’re here.
The next train you’ll take is the Limited Express Hida to Takayama. The total travel time is about 2.5 hours. We absolutely loved the stunning views as you enter the Gifu region. Along the way we were lucky to come across some snow, which got heavier the closer we got to Takayama. Gero Onsen is an optional stop along the way for an authentic Japanese onsen experience.
Snowfall during the train ride to Takayama
Depending on what time you arrive to Takayama, you may want to grab some lunch before the bus trip to Shirakawago. We decided to stop at 飛騨産そば 飛騨, a hand-made soba noodle place right near the station, and conveniently located near the bus terminal.
Terra helping to grate the wasabi for our soba
It was snowing and quite cold as we arrived, so a nice warm bowl of soba was the perfect way to warm up. The noodles were handmade and absolutely delicious. I chose a simple hot bowl of soba with mountain vegetables. One unique aspect was being able to grate the wasabi fresh at your table with a shark skin grater. This helps to make the wasabi super smooth. Terra really enjoyed taking part in this and helping out. It makes such a difference when it’s fresh.
To get to Shirakawago you must take the Nouhi bus to Shirakawago from the Takayama Bus Terminal. It takes about 50 min to get there. Just like the train, the ride there is very scenic and comfortable.
Half-Day Trip from Takayama
If you don’t plan to stay the night in Shirakawago, you could always book a half-day tour from Takayama. It includes round trip transportation and a guide. You’ll also get a tour inside one of the traditional gassho farmhouses!
We arrived in Shirakawago around 3pm and the snow was falling so magically, like a fairytale. It truly felt like we were in a real life snow globe. We walked around the village to explore a bit and tried a few street foods from some of the stalls along the way. The scenery completely took my breath away and I wanted to make sure to capture it. The snow was quite heavy and piled up and was the perfect opportunity to be a kid again and play as if it was a snow day.
In order to get a full unique experience, we decided to stay overnight in one of the village houses. This allowed us to have a more private experience while most tourists typically just make a day trip here. We decided upon Magoemon, a traditional farmhouse in the thatched-roof style. The inside is very traditional with tatami rooms and a shared bathroom. They also had a private hot bath for soaking, which felt so great after spending time out in the snow. The rooms were heated with a space heater and were quite cozy. Don’t expect a luxurious experience here, but this family-owned place will allow you to experience the true, authentic Japan.
See more places to stay in Shirakawago.
After getting settled in our rooms and having some tea, we grabbed some boots from the entrance area and headed back out to explore more before dinner. We visited a museum which features historic pictures and artifacts from the village and surrounding area. It was also a great place to take some pictures from higher up overlooking some of the houses.
Terra with grandma (baba) and grandpa (jiji)
Gassho-style houses with a view
View of the village from the museum
As it was getting dark it felt dreamy walking around the streets with fresh fallen snow and lights glistening. Most places close early, but it’s nice to just walk around and experience a part of history, living a more simple life just for a moment.
See more: Shirakawago Winter Experience
We were very excited about the dinner at Magoemon. It was served with all guests sitting around an irori, a traditional sunken hearth, which grilled the fish and also heated the room. They served a traditional Honzen-ryōri Japanese meal with a course of several small local dishes including grilled ayu fish, hida beef, eggplant, sansai salad (mountain vegetables), miso soup, rice and sweet potato. At the end of the meal tea was served and it was quite relaxing sitting around the warmth of the irori. We were very full and satisfied after such a lovely dinner presentation.
Dinner was served around an irori, a traditional sunken hearth
Traditional Japanese breakfast at the farmhouse
The next morning we woke up quite early since checkout is 9am at the farmhouse. They served a traditional Japanese breakfast around the irori hearth consisting of grilled fish, mushrooms grilled in a miso sauce, picked veggies, seaweed, eggs and fruit. Everything was wonderfully presented and delicious.
Since we got an early start it allowed us some time to check out the observation deck overlooking the village. You can either walk about 30 minutes up a steep hill to get to it, or take a shuttle bus which we did. The bus stops near the terminal in the village and runs every 20 minutes or so. It’s around a 5-10 minute drive to get there and the the cost is 200 yen.
At the top are gorgeous views overlooking the entire village, with a majestic mountain backdrop. It can get pretty touristy up here, so the earlier you can go the better. As we were leaving we noticed it getting more busy, making it harder to take photos, but luckily we got on the first bus. There’s a souvenir shop with some snacks and sweets, and local items from Shirakawago and the Hida region. They had special kit-kat flavors only found in this area which are always great to bring back home.
Family photo in the observation deck
Glorious view!
After getting back from the observation deck, we walked around the village a bit more and grabbed a few more souvenirs from the shops. The sky was so clear and blue and the sun was shimmering on all the snow from the night before. It was truly a winter wonderland and a dream to walk through one last time before we departed for Takayama.
A small stream running alongside the village
Morning through a winter wonderland
Optional Add-On
If you have a few extra days you can also choose to stay overnight in Gokayama, a less touristy alternative to Shirakawago. The village is much smaller and more quaint if you’re looking for an even more secluded experience. You can also choose to stay another night in Shirakawago for more time there and take a day trip to Gokayama.
To return back to Takayama you take the same bus back from the main terminal in Shirakawago. Upon arrival it was almost time for lunch, but first we went to our hotel so they could hold our luggage for us. We got to explore some of the streets of Takayama along the way and got a feel for the area. The snow was not as heavy as Shirakawago, and was quite slushy from an unusually warm day.
There are a lot of great options for lodging in Takayama. We decided upon an onsen ryokan called Seiryu. The location was key since it was close to everything we wanted to see and central to most of the sites in town. They specialize in hida beef, a regional specialty that we were excited to try.
See more: Hotels in Takayama
One of the must eats in Takayama is beef sushi, made from Hida beef which is special to this region. As we explored the nearby streets around our hotel we came across a lot of places with long lines. We were pretty hungry by now, so we found a place with a shorter wait time called Kyoshi. The sushi was quite delicious and the beef was just slightly seared on the top adding another layer of flavor. We also got a hitsumabushi which is typically made with eel, but this one was with hida beef instead. It’s eaten in stages, in four different ways with the final serving eaten in a dashi broth.
After lunch, we decided to explore the main shopping area of Takayama Old Town. There is an abundance of cute shops and street food that lines the main street. There are beautifully intact Edo period homes and you can get a glimpse inside some of them, like the Yoshijima Heritage House. It’s quite amazing to explore the rooms and get a glimpse of what life used to be like. During our walk we also saw several rickshaws transporting tourists, which is a nice way to get around there.
Hida beef bun shop
One of the must try street foods is senbei, a popular Japanese rice cracker snack. There were several different flavors in Takayama and one of my favorites was the simple shio or salt flavor. There were also beef buns made with Hida beef of course. We also tried dango, a sweet Japanese dumpling from a street cart. There were also several places selling soft cream (soft-serve ice cream) with unique flavors like soy sauce, tofu, salt, and simple milk. Even though it was cold outside, I had to try. It’s definitely worth the trip here alone for the food, some of which is unique to this region.
After exploring the old town, we headed back to the hotel to relax before dinner. We took advantage of the free guest access at Spa Alphine, a set of outdoor hot spring baths with nice views of the city. During our time soaking in the bath we experienced a light snow fall and it was such a nice surprise.
Terra’s excited to try the Kaiseki course (she ate all of it of course!)
Hida beef course for hot pot
Dinner is served kaiseki style right inside the room. It’s a set menu of small dishes with an artful presentation, generally with local seasonal ingredients. For our ryokan the focus was on hida beef hot pot. Other dishes included tofu with mushrooms, sashimi, pickled veggies, fish cakes, hida beef bun, rice, miso soup and mini dessert cakes with custard. The beef was so tender, smooth and perfectly filling. It was delicious even with just a touch of salt. All of the other dishes complemented well with it and didn’t overpower the main dish. It was definitely a meal to remember and a great way to get a taste of this part of Japan.
A Japanese breakfast was served in a main room within the ryokan. It consisted of a typical assortment of small local foods arranged in a beautiful presentation. These dishes are perfectly filling and create a nice balance of overall health.
After eating we walked over to the Miyagawa Morning Market. It’s held along the river and consists of several stalls and shops selling local food and produce. There’s also some souvenir shops and street food to grab along the way. It opens and closes quite early, so we got here around 8am. The walk was quaint and very peaceful. It wasn’t as lively as I expected, but still nice to see.
We tried a few of the street foods and highly recommend trying the custard. It was heated up and gave a nice cozy feeling with the cold air outside. The cart is quite popular so just look for a line of tourists. There’s a few tables setup to eat at and relax for a bit. There’s also a vendor selling apples. She even slices them for you if you don’t like eating them whole. The apples are so delicious and local to the area.
After getting our fill of the market, we walked back through the Old Town again for one last visit. Since we had a long trip ahead down to Fukuoka, we didn’t have much time to spend in Takayama. If you have extra time to spend we highly recommend checking out the Hida Folk Village. The main reason we left it out is because we had been to Shirakawago and it has a similar feel, but with more time here we definitely would have. It’s a short bus ride a little outside the main part of the village.
We hope this inspires you to visit the Gifu region and spend time in Takayama and Shirakawago. The history, architecture, unique food, and rich local culture is worth a visit.
Nagano and Snow Monkey Park: A 2 day adventure to Nagano including stops by Matsumoto Castle, Kamikochi Valley, Zenko-ji, Kappa Bridge, and the famous Jigokudani Snow Monkey Park!
Have you been to Takayama or Shirakawago? We’d love to hear about your experience there!
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This is so cool! Japan is super high on my list of places I want to visit, so this post is giving me some serious wanderlust!
Hi Eva, thanks for stopping by! Glad you're inspired by this, Japan is such a beautiful country! We hope you get to visit there soon :)
I am dying to get out to mainland Japan this year! These tiny villages are so quaint and cute! (:
Hi Aaren, thanks for dropping by! You totally should make it here, there's still so much we have to explore too! The small villages are the best, and great for a real local experience :)