Kamikochi is famous for the clean, crystal clear Azusa river with Japanese northern alps (Hida mountains) in the background. One of the gateways to reach multiple summits, peaks and offers great adventures in several mountains.
Be aware that this place has limited access. Public transportation service starts by mid-April, full operation of the shops and hotels starts by the end of April. The facilities and road closure for winter starts by mid-November. Ensure to plan well, before you visit the highland valley. For example, if you'll be taking the bus from Takayama, read the operation and suspension information of Nohi Bus.
It's a bit difficult to buy advance online tickets on our routes, so upon our arrival in Takayama, we already bought the tickets to our planned routes. The counter will explain to you the validity of the tickets, service fee in case you need to refund your ticket due to weather, etc.
On the day of our trip, we plan to take the first bus at 7:00am, and the queue is already long. It's because, they will guide you to which bus you'll be taking. Luckily, we were still accommodated, but through the jump seat.
By the time we arrived at the transfer station (Hirayu Onsen), there was already a long queue again. And this time, we were properly seated.
We are not hikers, but we are pushing ourselves to visit forests, easy trails, and accessible paths of Japan. We initially planned to start the stroll from Taisho Ike Pond, but something personal came-up and I have to reserve my energy for the next leg.
Then, we decided to drop-by the bus stop near Kamikochi Imperial Hotel (inspiration for the Studio Ghibli's "The Wind Rises"), then cross the Tashirobashi, Hotakabashi bridge, but several appearances of bears were reported.
We cannot deny that while planning for this trip, we have several doubts if we should still pursue (because there was a bear attack on Shirakawa-go in the same month of our visit). Please read and be aware of the recent situation of the areas you plan to visit. Just for awareness about the bear activities, some were walking, running, climbing a tree, eating something, people watching, growling, and some with cubs. Visit Bear Sightings in Kamikochi.
As multiple reports of bear attacks happened in the recent months, and as we prioritize safety, the 7km plan to walk from Taisho Ike Pond did not happen.
In the end, we have just decided to start at the Kamikochi Bus Stop. Walk backwards until we still see people, then go to the surrounding areas of Kappa Bridge.
Wear bells, bring basics of hiking activity, use proper shoes and stay safe.
We were afraid in case we see any bear, or even monkeys, thus decided to stay together with other hikers. We tried to stay in more populated areas of the valley.
We failed to take a photo of the croquette we bought.
Even with limited area to move around, we are happy and satisfied with our stay in Kamikochi.
We bought chicken (karaage) burger in Cafe Konashi. Then, had hot coffee in front of Azusa River.
For dessert, my sister queue at Trois Cinq (@troiscinq.kamikochi) to buy an apple pie. Made with 100% Fuji apples from Northern Shinshu, which are the perfect apples for ripeness with mild flavor and sweetness.
We have visited souvenir shops, bought our very first mont-bell knit cap.
We also bought postcards. If you are planning to send it through the post office, be aware of the availability of the service. We already have stamps prepared, so we just drop the postcards even if the post office is closed.
If you are visiting for a day tour only, remember, by the time you arrive in the area you should have also taken note of the bus schedule going back to Takayama station.
Travel Date: 08 October 2025
How to get there
Kamikochi Bus Center
Kamikochi Azumi, Matsumoto, Nagano 390-1516, Japan
No comments:
Post a Comment