Chubu

A mountainous belt across the middle of Honshu, spanning Hokuriku, Koshinetsu and Tokai, with the Japan Alps, Gassho-style villages, the old streets of Takayama and the gardens of Kanazawa.

This region is defined by whole prefectures and covers nine: Niigata, Toyama, Ishikawa and Fukui (Hokuriku); Yamanashi and Nagano (Koshinetsu); and Gifu, Shizuoka and Aichi (Tokai). It is not subdivided into the three sub-areas. Mie Prefecture is grouped with Kinki under Kansai. Following common travel practice, Mt. Fuji and Hakone are assigned to Kanto as an exception, so the Mt. Fuji areas of Yamanashi and Shizuoka are not counted here.

Highlights: the UNESCO-listed Gassho-style villages of Shirakawa-go and Gokayama; the old town of Hida-Takayama and Gero Onsen; Kanazawa's Kenrokuen Garden and Higashi Chaya district; the snow wall of the Tateyama Kurobe Alpine Route in Toyama; Matsumoto Castle, Kamikochi, Hakuba and Karuizawa in Nagano; the Kiso Road post towns of Tsumago and Magome; Nagoya Castle and Atsuta Shrine; the hot springs of Atami and the Izu Peninsula in Shizuoka; Sado Island and the snow country of Echigo-Yuzawa in Niigata; and the coast of the Noto Peninsula.

Classic itinerary: the “Shoryudo” loop from Nagoya: Nagoya–Gero–Takayama–Shirakawa-go–Kanazawa–Toyama–Tateyama Kurobe–Nagano/Matsumoto, about 7–9 days. In summer, 2–3 days of hiking in Kamikochi and Hakuba; in winter, 3–5 days of skiing in Hakuba or Echigo-Yuzawa.

Getting around: Chubu Centrair International Airport is the main gateway, with additional airports at Komatsu, Toyama, Niigata and Matsumoto. The Tokaido Shinkansen links Nagoya and Shizuoka, the Hokuriku Shinkansen runs via Nagano, Toyama and Kanazawa to Tsuruga, and the Joetsu Shinkansen goes to Niigata.

Good to know: services in the mountains are infrequent, and Tateyama Kurobe is open from about mid-April to November. The Noto Peninsula is still recovering from the 2024 earthquake, so check what is open before you go.

Destinations

Itineraries