Exploring Mount Norikura (A Convenient Alternative to the Kurobe Alpine Route in Toyama)
The Tateyama Kurobe Alpine Route in Toyama is quite famous for its up to 18-meter snow wall in April-May and its lush hiking valley in Midagahara. However, getting there takes quite a lot of time, a ropeway is necessary, and it can be quite expensive at 7,500 yen or sometimes more (and that’s just for the ropeway). To reach the area, multiple transfers or a car are necessary.
But did you know there is a similar mountain in Gifu Prefecture near Takayama? Similar to Mount Tateyama is Mount Norikura in Gifu Prefecture.
Seeing Takayama City maybe takes only half a day max. A lot of people might spend another day in the area going to Kamikochi or the Shinhotaka Ropeway, but those areas are highly congested, making it hard to enjoy with all the people crowding the area.
If you want to enjoy the Hida area (especially the Japanese Alps) fully, a nice half day or day trip is going to Mount Norikura, which is a friendly hiking oasis in the skies. It’s a great destination if you choose Takayama as your base and are wondering what else to do in the area.
Private cars are forbidden, so you can just watch buses and the occasional cyclists riding along the peaceful scenery.
(From a distance you can also see the Takayama area)
Mt. Norikura can be accessed if you are in the Takayama area by bus or by rental bicycle in Okuhida (next to Hirayu Bus Terminal). The lack of cars really make the mountain seem peaceful and private. But what makes Mt. Norikura really unique is that it is actually the highest point that can be reached by bus or bicycle in Japan. Going by bus, my ear popped a few times from the elevation. What stood out to me was how quiet it and how fresh the air was.
Similar to the Kurobe Alpine Route, Mt. Norikura is a beautiful mountain scape stretched with many hiking trails and luscious views of valleys, hills, and flowers in the Hida Takayama area. There’s also two shrines at the mountain in which you can receive “goshuin”, or signed temple stamps, and plenty of seating areas to enjoy the view.
One of many seated views (this view point is of Tatamidaira)
(very well thought out seating if I must say)
It genuinely feels as if you’ve sitting a quiet oasis in the skies. As the mountain is so high up, you can sometimes be sitting in the clouds itself. It reminded me of the movie, Sound of Music, where they’re singing “do re mi” while prancing in the fields. I also appreciated the ample amount of seating places ^^; (with nice views!). The Wi-fi connection was actually quite strong up here, so I was able to stream some music and even facetime some friends.
At the parking lot, Tatamidaira, there is also a cafeteria that serves hot dishes with gorgeous views of the mountains and hiking trails.
Overview:
Norikura is a nice day trip if you want to extend your time in Takayama and enjoy a day of hiking or scenic mountaintops. At the bottom of the mountain sits Okuhida, a famous hot spring area, so after going down you can also enjoy relaxing in the famous hot spring resort area. Going by bicycle and bus takes around the same amount of time, depending on if you depart from Takayama station or not.
Things to note:
If you take the bus, when returning back down, I would recommend you to get to the bus stop 1 or 1 1/2 hours earlier than your anticipated boarding time. There are instances where you might not be able to make it down the mountain by bus again, so its always good to take caution and be prepared. If you go by bicycle, there is of course no time limit, however it may take 2 hours total to reach the Hirayu area in Okuhida.
If you’re already in the Hida or Takayama area, it’s definitely worth an extra day to fully appreciate the Japanese Alps!
Learn more about the routes to Mt.Norikura here: