Hi guys! I will be doing a 2 week Trip from Osaka to Tokyo from 24 Mar – 8 Apr and I am planning to use the Hokuriku Arch JR pass for the 1st week.
I am kind of unsure about what to do apart from Kanazawa. As I don’t think that the Alpine route will be opened yet and I think it would be too late for the onsen monkeys 🙁
I was wondering if anyone has any good recommendations for me in terms of cities to visit and what to do in those cities. Thank you so much in advance!!
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2 comments
In Ishikawa Prefecture, Noto Peninsula has some beautiful spots, and if you can go to an onsen there are some very nice ones. I think Kaga near Kanazawa also is famous for onsen. Fukui has one of the two primary Japanese Zen temples, Eihei-ji, and also the best fossil museum in all of Japan. Nagano is also on the Hokuriku Shinkansen line and maybe there’s still skiing available when you are there.
Though I’m not sure the Hokuriku pass would include this, but Shirakawa-Go would be beautiful to see in the winter. It’s a traditional village with unique houses that’s a UNESCO World Heritage site. There’s probably buses there for a reasonable price. Gokayama near Nanto also has similar houses, and is closer to Kanazawa.
You are planning to stop in Kyoto, right? Lot’s of places to visit there. You could also spend some time in Nara which is nearby.
I’ve visited the snow monkeys in every season and they’ve always been there. March/April is not too late and it will still be pretty cold up there. Definitely stop and check them out! It’s also right near Shibu Onsen and specifically Kanaguya, which is one of the ryokan Spirited Away was based on (it’s got this amazing elevator). It’s a great option for an overnight trip!
If you’re into skiing/snowboarding/snowshoeing you can catch some tail-end snow as well. Get off in Iiyama and visit one of the surrounding ski resorts (Madarao and Nozawa Onsen are the closest large resorts to the station, or you can try smaller places like Togari Onsen for a day trip).
Around the same area (Nagano City) you can also visit Togakushi, which is an absolutely stunning shrine complex in the forest and really worth visiting too IMO. Nagano city itself has Zenkoji temple, which is really lovely and surrounded by some cute traditional shops.
Nagano has so much honestly. Karuizawa is lovely as well, and Matsumoto (though that’s not on the Shinkansen line). There’s heaps to do. I am very happy to provide more recommendations if you need haha.