WHAT TO DO IN HAKUBA?
We went to Hakuba for the first time in 2020 to ride the famous Japanese Alps’ slopes with our snowboards. We instantly fell in love with this region of Japan and not only for the Japow!
The Hakuba Valley is located northeast of the Nagano department, in the heart of the Japanese Alps. The peaks, covered in snow for much of the year, dominate the surroundings. The mountains are magnificient and majestic. Hakuba is actually an all year round vacation and leisure destination for Japanese people. For winter sports until May, with guaranteed and quality snow. In spring and summer, hikes are in the spotlight, to climb the slopes among alpine flowers and rediscover the invigorating freshness of the peaks. Finally, in autumn, the beautiful colors of the trees that transform the entire forest will delight you.
We highly recommend renting a car while in Hakuba to easily and freely discover the area and enjoy most of the ski slopes as well! If you are there mostly for skiing and snowboarding then shuttle buses run around the valley and will drop you in most popular places.
So here is our top 10 things to do in Hakuba:
1. Ride some Japow (obviously)
Hakuba, known as the Alps of Japan, is a great place to find lots of powder snow, tree runs, backcountry rides as well as steep terrains. There are many different resorts with a wide range of terrains from beginners to advanced. The valley with more than 11 meters of snowfall per year, is the main ski resort in the region, with more than 200 slopes. Hakuba was also the main host station for the 1998 Winter Olympics.
- Happo-One is the biggest and most popular resort. It has more steep terrain which is ideal for advances skiers but overall the resort cater for all levels.
- Goryu ans Hakuba 47: both resorts are linked and can be accessed with the same ski pass. It has wide courses ideal for beautiful carving and also popular amongst snowboarders for it’s high quality park.
- Cortina: it’s one of the powder capital of Japan. Cortina is facing North hence gets more snow than the other resorts. Ideal for backcountry and tree runs.
- Iwatake: famous for it’s park and halfpipe and also great runs.
There are many other places, such as Tsugaike, Norikura, Kashimayari. Just let your instinct guide you.
2. Admire Togakushi Shrines and Forest
If you want to take a break from riding slopes, we highly recommend to rent a car and go on a day trip in this picturesque area of Japan. First take a very scenic road to Togakushi, It’s about 1.5h from Hakuba. Togakushi is hidden in the mountains of Nagano prefecture. The path which lead there is an ode to nature and meditation, we loved it !
On the way to Togakushi Shrines and Forest you will drive through Togakushi village. It’s a traditional village with great restaurants and nice temples. We recommend to make a stop there to feel like what Japan looked like in the past.
Then continue to Togakushi Shrines and Forest. The forest has some very big and tall trees. After a 30min walk through one of the most beautiful forest in Japan, you will reach a Japanese Shrine. It’s all worth it ! You will find yourself in a peaceful state surrounded by nature and spiritual life. It’s a great place to take absolutely amazing pictures.
Just before the Togakushi Forest and Shrine, we recommend a fantastic Soba Noodles restaurant, nestled in the tree called Sobanomi. It’s less than a minute drive from Togakushi Forest. Super yummy and such a beautiful and serene place.
3. Become a Ninja at Togakushi Ninja Museum
We recommend to experience the life of a Ninja (yes NINJA!!), at the Ninja Museum located near the Togakushi Shrines and Forest. The museum has various buildings which showcase tools, weapons, tricks used by the Ninjas. You can discover some of the techniques they used in the past to fight their ennemies. There are many photos of the Togakure Ninjas in action. You can also practice throwing a Shuriken (Star). Absolutely Great experience! We highly recommend this fun and somewhat cultural place.
A Fun Couple in Togakushi. Follow-us on instagram here.
4. Go hike to Kagami Ike (Mirror Pond)
Next to Sobami, the soba noodle place we highly recommend, there is a path to hike to the Kagami Ike, also known as Mirror Pond. The water reflects the Mountains which makes it a beautiful scene. In Autumn with the red, yellow, orange trees, this place is a must-go on your trip to Yogakushi. In Winter is it highly recommended to wear adequate shoes or snow shoes as the path to the pond gets a lot of snow.
5. Check out the tricky Snow Monkeys
A trip to Hakuba isn’t complete without a trip to see the Snow Monkeys. About 1.5hours from Hakuba and 1h from Togakushi you can see those tricky Japanese Monkeys enjoying their life in a natural onsen.
Hundreds of Japanese monkey reside in the Japanese Alps and the Nagano region, and more particularly in the Jigokudani Park. This natural park, which is specially dedicated to them, is an opportunity for a beautiful winter stroll through a forest punctuated by hot springs, and an encounter with these funny looking monkeys. Winter is naturally the ideal season to visit as they will bath in the onsen.
While the snow monkeys are a must-see in Japan, we fell that this place is a bit too touristic and somewhat disturbing the Monkeys’ life... but still worth a visit for this unique experience. Just be aware that you are in the Monkeys’ natural habitat, hence be quiet and don’t go too close.
6. Go to Nagano to see Zenko-ji
The city of Nagano is known to most non-Japanese as the site of the 1998 Winter Olympics. However, for the Japanese, Nagano is most famous for its great pilgrimage sanctuary, the Zenkoji temple, visited by millions of pilgrims each year.
According to the Zenkoji Engi, one of the first stories of the Zenkoji temple, the first Buddha image in Japan was imported at 522AD from the kingdom of Kudara in Korea. Called Ikko Sanzon, or the statue of Amida Tathagata, it is the most revered object of the temple. We recommend to visit the temple for a cultural moment and learn more about the Japanese history.
7. Visit the traditional and beautiful village of Obuse
Do you like temples, traditional houses, gardens, apples and chestnut cream? Then the city of Obuse is made for you! Nestled in the heart of the Japanese Alps in the Nagano prefecture, often forgotten by tourist guides, Obuse is nevertheless a very welcoming and charming stopover where it is good to stop for a whole day. Obuse was recommended to us by our host in our lodge in Hakuba as we never heard of it before. And WOW ! We absolutely loved this place.
So what to do in Obuse:
- Wander through the old town to see traditional houses and feel like you went back a hundreds years ago. Obuse is famous for its chestnut, apples and other fruits, you will see many gardens and beautiful plantations around the village
- Visit the museum of the famous painter Hokusaï: Hokusaï came to Obuse several times from 1760 to 1849. It was in this village that he produced some of his most important works, notably the phoenix from the ceiling of the Ganshô-in temple.
- Visit Ganshô-in Temple to see Hokusai’s Pheonix.
- Enjoy some amazing dessert based out of chesnuts. Obuse is the capital of chestnut !
- Visit the the ancient Jokoji temple hidden in the wood: Ten minutes walk from the Ganshô-in temple is the Jokoji temple which can be reached by climbing steps that have seen the passing of time. This place is very peaceful, it was one of our favourite temple.
For more info on Obuse, click here, we wrote a full post about it.
8. Enjoy the view at the best scenery spot in Hakuba: Oide Park
From Oide Park you can enjoy one of the best view of the Japanese Alps. There is a suspended bridge with an old picturesque village and a river flowing through the park. In spring you can also enjoy the Sakurai lined up besides the river. A stunning view and most “instagramable” moment in Hakuba.
A Fun Couple in Hakuba. Follow-us on instagram here.
9. Get your WOW moment at Matsumoto Castle
Overlooked by nine peaks of more than 3,000 meters, Matsumoto and its castle have all of the natural strength for a perfect visit. The landscape is breathtaking, and it is easy to get lost in contemplating the reflection of the Japanese Alps in a lake, in the mountain mist, or in the admiration of the cherry blossoms. Mastumoto is definitely the pearl of the Japanese Alps.
But what stands out most when you visit Matsumoto is the imposing Matsumoto-jō Castle also nicknamed by the Japanese "the crow" because of its black color. It offers an explosive view in any season. It is the oldest of its kind in Japan and its architecture is typical of Sengoku (1477-1573), an era troubled by civil wars and marked by the construction of numerous castles in Japan.
10. Finally, relax in an Onsen
If you need a break from skiing or snowboarding nothing is better than going Onsen in Japan. Hakuba has many onsen places around the valley with various sources. Each onsen has some specific benefits for your body. Some of the most popular places are Hakuba Happo Onsen, Shionomichi Onsen, Katakuri Onsen, and Himekawa Onsen. There are also free onsen for your feet in the middle of the village which is a great way to end a day on the slopes with a refreshing beer from Lawson :-)
Hakuba means "white horse" because it is said that the shape of a horse appears in the snow on the side of the mountain in spring. If you like sports and mountain, as well as lovers of Japanese tradition and culture, Hakuba is here for you. The valley, with more than 11 meters of snowfall per year, is one of the main ski resort in the region, with more than 200 slopes. Those who do not like skiing are not left out, since Hakuba station also allows hiking, climbing and many more activities. That's why we decided to write and share with you this post to help you know where to stay and what to do in Hakuba
Locate our top 10 recommendations here:
Where to stay in Hakuba?
In Hakuba we recommend to stay near one of the ski resort for more convenience and enjoy the fresh snow early morning. Staying either near Goryu or Happo-one would be a good decision. The area of Misorano, Echoland and Wadano are all great and convenient.
During our stay in Hakuba we loved our hotel so much at Bears Den Mountain Lodge
It is at less than 10minutes walk to Goryu via a beautiful path through the forest. If there is enough snow, you can even ride all the way down via the same path. So it's practically a ski-in hotel :-)
The owner Lesley, is really nice and helpful with many awesome recommendations. She will even pick you up at the train or bus station when you arrive in Hakuba and book restaurants and other things for you.
Don't look any further, you can book directly here.
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About us
Hey there !
We are Hammer and Guillaume, a fun couple who loves traveling and always being on new adventures !
We would like to share with you some of our top 10 things to do in the places we've visited or lived in for a while.
Like everyone else who is going to new places, we always wonder what are the best things to do. For that purpose, we've compiled a list of 10 best things to do in some of our favorite places on earth.
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You liked our recommendations, or you want to add a suggestions or other top things to do in Hakuba, feel free to leave a comment below: