Day 6 – 8 Freezing in Takayama

Today we leave Osaka for the Japan Alps and according to weather forecast it should be snowing in the two days we are in Takayama.

As we approached the town, we could see snow on the ground, roofs and on trees and then it started snowing before my eyes like a scene out of a fairy tale. The children and adults were super excited as this was a first for many of us including Theo’s mum.

And then the cold hit us. It was very very cold at an average of 2-3 degrees throughout the day so it was good that we had no problems finding our way to Hida Hotel Plaza which is fully equipped with onsen, restaurants and souvenir shops. We didn’t get to use the onsen but this didn’t stop the hotel for charging us an onsen tax.

After suiting up, we left the hotel to hunt for a place to have dinner. After a relatively short walk from the hotel northwards, we hit the river which is the main shopping thoroughfare that houses two morning markets everyday.

We found a nice cozy restaurant that serves yakiniku and hida beef which is the local specialty of the area. It was my first time eating so much meat but I really enjoyed the tender meat with the various condiments. After dinner, we explored Takayama further and was delighted to find two huge supermarkets nearby where we stocked up our goodies.

The next morning we collected our rental car to bring us eastwards to Shinhotaka ropeway. Apparently the Japs drive on the right hand. I had the impression they were left hand drivers. The drive to Shinhotaka is relatively smooth though the roads became gradually more icy as we went higher up the mountains.

It was our first experience driving on snow so our speed was kept to no faster than 60 km/h which was kind of embarrassing since we were hogging up traffic. Nonetheless I was impressed with their patience, never once did a local horn or tailgate us. In fact this was pretty much the patience and respect that they showed us throughout our journey in Japan. Ironically the only unpleasant and rude experience I had was at the airport departing and it had to be a Singaporean.

At the peak of the ropeway, temperatures had dropped to -8 degrees and there was a strong wind blowing so it could have been colder. We all took a photo at this point at 2156m above sea level. Unfortunately due to the cold mist, our visibility was impaired so we couldn’t enjoy the panoramic views that this observatory was touted for. In fact our cable car was so frosted up on the outside we couldn’t look out at all.

From the second station, one could continue on the trek up or down the mountain range but you really need to be well suited for this journey as temperatures can drop even lower at night. We took a short trek through a metre high snow corridor which can go up to two metres in deep winter. I couldn’t go further as my boots were too slippery. Nonetheless the kids had a whale of a time playing with the powdery white snow.

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Shinhotaka Ropeway - visibility reduced by the freezer like conditions but lots of powdery white snow to throw.

By the time we descended back to the main station via the ropeway, the sun was already setting and had become dark by 5pm when we arrived in Shirakawa-go about 100km away. I was slightly disappointed to not have witnessed the beauty of this world heritage site. However it seemed we had arrived too early in winter as snowfall in this area is still relatively mild.

The next morning we decided to make an early journey to Hida Folk Village just on the outskirts of town instead and I was quite happy with the experience. Designed to be an outdoor museum to showcase how the locals who live in Hida region survive and thrive in the cold weather, the village was very well curated, picturesque and serene. Very well worth the ¥900 pass for the two way bus ride and entrance fee. I even got to fully explore the insides of the grassaho house that Shirakawa-go is famous for.

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Hida Folk Village - must visit if visiting Takayama and unable to visit Shirakawa-go

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