The scenic highland valley of Kamikōchi (上高地) lies deep within the Northern Japanese Alps, in a remote corner of Nagano Prefecture. Yet despite its relative isolation, visitors from elsewhere in Japan (as well as from overseas) are able to travel there with relative ease. Today, we’ll go over how I visited Kamikōchi from the oldContinue reading “Transportation Report: Travelling from Matsumoto to Kamikōchi and back”
Tag Archives: Honshu
Field Report: Walking Around the Murodō Plateau, Toyama Prefecture, Japan (01 October 2019)
The highest stop on the Tateyama Kurobe Alpine Route is a gateway to some of the Hida Mountains’ incredible natural beauty. Here, at 2,450 metres above sea level, even inexperienced walkers can enjoy a day in the great outdoors and surround themselves with fantastic views of the Japanese Alps. Welcome to Murodō (室堂).
Field Report: Kurobe Dam, Toyama Prefecture, Japan (01 October 2019)
Though it’s best known for breathtaking natural landscapes, the scenic Tateyama Kurobe Alpine Route also includes a stop at an important man-made landmark. Completed more than half a century ago, the tallest arch dam in Japan was a major engineering feat of its time, with construction taking a heavy toll in both resources and humanContinue reading “Field Report: Kurobe Dam, Toyama Prefecture, Japan (01 October 2019)”
Field Report: Tateyama Kurobe Alpine Route, Part 2 (Descent from Daikanbō to Ōgizawa and Nagano)
Fresh off the first few legs as described in Part 1, we’re now ready to complete our crossing of the Tateyama Kurobe Alpine Route (立山黒部アルペンルート) by setting out on the long way down, starting at Daikanbō.
Field Report: Tateyama Kurobe Alpine Route, Part 1 (Ascent from Toyama to Daikanbō)
Spanning the Hida Mountains between Toyama and Nagano Prefectures, the Tateyama Kurobe Alpine Route (立山黒部アルペンルート) features some of central Japan’s best natural vistas. Never mind that the route itself is anything but natural, with its tightly coordinated network of trains, buses, funiculars, and aerial lifts. But without all that infrastructure, one would probably require seriousContinue reading “Field Report: Tateyama Kurobe Alpine Route, Part 1 (Ascent from Toyama to Daikanbō)”
Field Report: An Autumn Stroll at Midagahara, Toyama Prefecture, Japan (29 September 2019)
There are many places of interest along Japan’s Tateyama Kurobe Alpine Route (立山黒部アルペンルート), the scenic corridor through the Hida Mountains between Toyama and Nagano Prefectures. Amongst them is one of the country’s largest alpine wetlands: a place that sleeps under a thick blanket of snow for much of the year, but stirs gloriously to lifeContinue reading “Field Report: An Autumn Stroll at Midagahara, Toyama Prefecture, Japan (29 September 2019)”
Transportation Report: Travelling from Toyama to Midagahara on the Tateyama Kurobe Alpine Route
Japan’s incredibly scenic Tateyama Kurobe Alpine Route (立山黒部アルペンルート) is best appreciated on an overnight journey, or at least a full-day trip with a very early start (as I’ll demonstrate in a future post). That said, if one can spare only part of a day, the initial western section of the famous mountain traverse makes forContinue reading “Transportation Report: Travelling from Toyama to Midagahara on the Tateyama Kurobe Alpine Route”
Field Report: A walk through the grounds of Nagoya Castle, Japan (28 November 2018)
In my previous post, I wrote in detail about the newly reconstructed Honmaru Palace of Nagoya Castle. Needless to say, that episode was just a slice out of a visit to the castle compound, which has a lot more to see besides the palace at its centre. Let’s see how the rest of that dayContinue reading “Field Report: A walk through the grounds of Nagoya Castle, Japan (28 November 2018)”
Field Report: The Honmaru Palace of Nagoya Castle, Japan (28 November 2018)
I’ve long had a keen interest in the ambitious project to resurrect the lost Honmaru Palace of Nagoya Castle: quite possibly one of the most magnificent examples of 17th-century Japanese architecture to have survived from the Edo Period. (Well, up until it was reduced to cinders by Allied bombing in 1945.) Over the course ofContinue reading “Field Report: The Honmaru Palace of Nagoya Castle, Japan (28 November 2018)”
Field Report: Kusatsu Onsen, Gunma, Japan (16 November 2018)
I love onsen towns, even though I’m not inclined to take the waters myself. With their narrow streets, relaxed atmosphere, old-fashioned architecture and rustic charm, even non-bathers will find them an excellent place to unwind, far removed from the hustle and bustle of Japan’s megacities. Today, we’ll stroll around a splendid little corner of GunmaContinue reading “Field Report: Kusatsu Onsen, Gunma, Japan (16 November 2018)”
Within striking distance 