Oku Japan, a leading Kyōto-based tour operator specializing in sustainable and culturally immersive walking and trekking experiences, thinks winter is a particularly special time of year to discover Japan’s stunning landscapes and rich cultural heritage. With that in mind, it has just added a new self-guided, winter-focused trip in Central Japan to its roster.
Exploring spectacular alpine landscapes, embarking on scenic snowshoeing expeditions, and luxuriating in hidden onsen hot springs deep in the mountains of Japan’s nature-rich Nagano and Gifu prefectures, this new six-day self-guided trip offers guests the opportunity for gentle exploration and cultural immersion.
“In my opinion, winter is the best season to explore Japan – there are no crowds, the days are crisp and fresh, and the onsens feel even better at the end of a day of exploration,” says Hiroshi Kawaguchi, General Manager for Oku Japan. “Our new Nagano and Gifu trip takes full advantage of the best that winter has to offer, as do our other winter-focused trips along the Nakasendō Trail and in Hokkaidō.”
Read on to discover the highlights of winter travel with Oku Japan, including details on the brand-new Nagano and Gifu adventure.
On this six-day self-guided itinerary, travellers start out in Matsumoto, a feudal castle town nestled between mountains in the heart of Japan. A gateway to the Japanese Alps, and home to one of the country’s best-preserved and most evocative castles (known as the ‘Crow Castle’ due to its black exterior), guests have a chance to explore here before traveling by train into the Northern Japan Alps the following day, taking in panoramic views of the winter landscape along the way. The night is spent at a lovely onsen ryokan that is set in a peaceful and remote mountain village. The following day will be spent exploring the wilderness of this region with a half-day guided snowshoeing tour. The gentle scenic walk takes travellers through a snow-covered forest to views of frozen lakes and grand vistas of the surrounding mountains.
It is then on to Hida-Furukawa, a former castle town, where guests have the chance to explore various buildings that date back to the Edo Period, alongside the town’s beautiful canals and overall charm. Dinner that night will take place at the home of a local resident where guests will use locally sourced ingredients to learn how to prepare dishes unique to the region. The night will be spent in a machiya (traditional townhouse) that is particularly special as it showcases local artisans who made most of the furniture and art. The next day guests will do some more sightseeing around the area before boarding a train to Takayama for the final night.
Priced from AU$3,000.00 per person.
On this eight-day small-group guided walking tour, travellers will walk or snowshoe from village to village along the loveliest parts of the famed Nakasendō Trail. Starting in Kyōto, the trip travels by train to Nakatsugawa, one of the old post towns along the trail. From here, the group walks to the next post town of Ochiai, ascending through cedar forests and traversing a section of the trail that has cobblestones that date all the way back to the Edo Period, ending the day in the post town of Magome. The next day it is on to Tsumago, which is located along one of the prettiest and best-preserved sections of the trail. A living museum, Tsumago is home to residents whose families have lived there for generations.
Next it is on to Kiso-Fukushima, a delightful post town that was once an important checkpoint on the trail, spending the night here in a traditional onsen ryokan. On the fifth day, guests travel from Yabuhara to Narai over the Torii-tōge Pass. This section is likely to have the deepest snow and if that is the case, the guide will provide snowshoes to make the crossing a bit easier. Day six marks the end of the group’s time on the trail with a short stroll from Narai to Kiso-Hirasawa, which is famous for its locally produced lacquerware. Then it is by train to Matsumoto, a castle town nestled in the Central Alps region and home to Matsumoto Castle, one of four castles designated as National Treasures of Japan. The night is spent in another onsen ryokan, with a train trip to Tōkyō the following day, where the itinerary wraps up on day seven.
Priced from AU$4,250.00 per person.
Hokkaidō Winter 7 Days: Lake Akan to Shiretoko – On this seven-day self-guided walking trip, travellers will start in Kushiro on Hokkaidō’s Eastern Pacific Coast, where they will visit a nature reserve to view red-crowned cranes, known as tancho, in a picturesque winter setting. This is followed by a visit to Akan-Mashū National Park, one of six national parks on Hokkaidō and home to the country’s largest settlement of indigenous Ainu people. Here, guests will have the opportunity to witness an Ainu ritual dance, which has been registered as a UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.
While in the park, the itinerary takes in Akan’s landmark volcanoes – Mount Oakan and Mount Meakan – as well as Lake Akan and Lake Onneto, including the bokke bubbling mud area. Next it is on to Lake Mashū, a crater lake located within the caldera of an ancient volcano that is known for its crystal-clear water – this is also the location of some of the most stunning vistas on the entire island. Part of the day will be spent snowshoeing, exploring areas not typically reachable by a standard hike, and then overnight at a traditional onsen ryokan in the small town of Kawayu Onsen. The following day, travellers continue northwards by train and bus to the Shiretoko Peninsula, one of Japan’s most remote regions and home to a special ecosystem year-round. The peninsula is a bird watcher’s paradise with 275 species that call it home, including the endangered Steller’s Sea Eagles. The final full day is spent snowshoeing through a primeval forest, the frozen Furepe Waterfall, and more, in Shiretoko National Park, and then one final night at an onsen accommodation.
Priced from AU$3,440.00 per person.
