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The Gakusawa wetlands in Kamikochi under the Hotaka mountains
Dead trees standing in the still water of Taisho Pond in Kamikochi
The black-walled keep of Matsumoto Castle
The main hall of Zenkoji in Nagano

Things to do in Chubu: Fuji, Takayama, Kanazawa

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Photo: 663highland, CC BY-SA 3.0

Kamikochi, Chubu Sangaku National Park

Walk the Azusa River from Taisho Pond to Myojin Bridge in Kamikochi

Check dates and prices

Photo: 663highland, CC BY-SA 3.0

Matsumoto Castle, Matsumoto, Nagano

Climb the steep wooden stairs of Matsumoto Castle's original keep

Check dates and prices

Photo: HRVdriveblue4449, CC BY 4.0

Zenkoji, Nagano

Find the key to paradise in the dark passage under Zenkoji

Photo: 663highland, CC BY-SA 3.0

Chubu is the mountainous middle of Honshu, between Tokyo and Kansai, with Mount Fuji at its south east corner and the Japan Alps through its centre. It holds some of Japan's most varied scenery: Fuji's lakes, the merchant town of Takayama and the thatched gassho villages, and Kanazawa on the Sea of Japan. This hub adds three places with no page of their own: Matsumoto Castle, the alpine valley of Kamikochi and Nagano's Zenkoji, plus the snow monkeys of Jigokudani from the Japan page.

Places in this region

4 things to do in Chubu

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The black-walled keep of Matsumoto Castle

Climb the steep wooden stairs of Matsumoto Castle's original keep

Matsumoto Castle, Matsumoto, Nagano

1 to 1.5 hoursBook ahead

One of the few castles whose wooden keep survived intact, black-walled on the plain, with steep wooden stairs inside.

Check dates and pricesKamikochi and Matsumoto Castle day tour
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Dead trees standing in the still water of Taisho Pond in Kamikochi

Walk the Azusa River from Taisho Pond to Myojin Bridge in Kamikochi

Kamikochi, Chubu Sangaku National Park

A full dayGo alone or with a tour

A car-free alpine valley at 1,500 m under the Hotaka peaks, with an easy riverside path past a pond full of drowned trees.

Check dates and pricesMatsumoto Castle and Kamikochi full-day tour
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The main hall of Zenkoji in Nagano

Find the key to paradise in the dark passage under Zenkoji

Zenkoji, Nagano

1 to 1.5 hoursNo booking needed

A 7th-century temple keeping Japan's first Buddhist statue, with a pitch-dark corridor under the altar and a key said to bring salvation.

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Two Japanese macaques huddled together at Jigokudani Monkey Park

Watch the snow monkeys bathe at Jigokudani

Yamanouchi, Nagano

About 30 minutes each way on foot, plus time at the poolBook ahead

Wild Japanese macaques come down a steep valley to bathe in a hot spring pool, mainly in winter, to keep warm.

Tours in Chubu
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Traveller picks

Hidden gems suggested by travellers. We check each one before it goes up; the words are theirs, not ours.

No traveller picks for Chubu yet. Know a place most visitors miss?

Plan your trip

  • Which places for what

    The Fuji Five Lakes for close views of Fuji and, in summer, the climb. Takayama for an old merchant town, and Shirakawa-go and Gokayama for thatched farmhouses. Kanazawa for a great garden, geisha quarters and seafood. Matsumoto for an original castle, Kamikochi for an easy alpine walk, and Nagano for Zenkoji and the snow monkeys.

  • Combining them

    In must30's view, the classic line runs Tokyo, Matsumoto, Takayama, Shirakawa-go, Kanazawa, then on to Kyoto or back to Tokyo by Shinkansen. Kamikochi fits between Matsumoto and Takayama in summer and autumn. The Fuji Five Lakes are an easier side trip from Tokyo than from the rest of Chubu.

  • Getting around

    The Hokuriku Shinkansen links Tokyo with Nagano and Kanazawa, and the JR Hida limited express runs to Takayama from Nagoya or Toyama. The mountain links, to Shirakawa-go, Kamikochi and the Fuji lakes, are by bus, which the Japan Rail Pass does not cover; book seats ahead in season.

  • When to go

    Kamikochi opens only from 17 April to 15 November, with autumn colour around mid October. Cherry blossom reaches Matsumoto Castle around mid April and the Fuji lakes in mid to late April. Winter brings deep snow to the gassho villages and the monkeys to Jigokudani's hot spring. Fuji's climbing season runs from 1 July to 10 September.

Questions travellers ask

Is Matsumoto Castle original?

Yes. Its main keep and second donjon date from 1592 to 1614 and survived intact, with original wooden interiors. It is among the most complete of Japan's original castles, whose keeps survived the feudal age.

When can I visit Kamikochi?

From 17 April to 15 November; it shuts in winter. Private cars are banned, so you arrive by bus or taxi from Matsumoto (via Shin-Shimashima) or from Takayama (via Hirayu Onsen).

How many days do I need for Chubu?

In must30's view, a week covers Matsumoto, Takayama, Shirakawa-go and Kanazawa at an easy pace. Add a day for Kamikochi, one or two for the Fuji Five Lakes and one for Nagano and the snow monkeys.

Other places to go

Things to do in Japan

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