chubunagano
Kamikochi
Kamikochi is a high upland valley in the Northern Japan Alps of western Nagano, in the Chubu region, set at about 1,500 metres along the Azusa River beneath the Hotaka range, within Chubu Sangaku National Park.
- Prefecture
- Nagano
- Region
- Chubu
- Journeys
- The Custom Tour of Japan
overview
A clear river, a larch forest, and a wall of granite peaks at the end of the valley.
Kamikochi is a flat-floored valley some ten kilometres long, closed in by mountains on every side. The Azusa River runs through it over pale stones, so clear that it seems hardly to be there, through woods of larch, birch and willow, and above it rise the peaks of the Hotaka range, among them Okuhotaka-dake, at 3,190 metres the third highest mountain in Japan. The valley is designated both a Special Place of Scenic Beauty and a Special Natural Monument, one of very few places in Japan to combine the two.
It is kept quiet by design. Private cars have been barred from the valley road for decades; visitors arrive by bus or taxi from Sawando on the Nagano side or Hirayu on the Gifu side, and the valley is open only from spring to late autumn, closing entirely under winter snow. Inside it there are no roads to speak of, only level paths beside the river and boardwalks over the marshes.
The great gift of Kamikochi is the high Alps at close quarters without a single steep step. The classic walk follows the river for an hour from Taisho-ike to the Kappa-bashi bridge, and another hour on to Myojin-ike, through the forest, with the peaks at every turn.
see and do
What to see in Kamikochi
Kappa-bashi
The wooden suspension bridge over the Azusa River at the centre of the valley, with the Hotaka range rising directly ahead and Yakedake behind; the view that has stood for Kamikochi for a century.
Taisho-ike
A pond formed in 1915 when Yakedake dammed the Azusa River with a mudflow, its still water reflecting the mountains and the pale trunks of the trees that once stood in it.
Tashiro-ike and the Tashiro marshes
A shallow pond and a stretch of wetland between Taisho-ike and Kappa-bashi, crossed on boardwalks, where springs keep the water clear and the grasses change colour with the year.
Myojin-ike and Hotaka Shrine
A pair of spring-fed ponds an hour's level walk upstream from Kappa-bashi, revered as the inner shrine of Hotaka Jinja, beneath the sheer rock of Myojin-dake.
The Azusa River
The river that runs the length of the valley, its water so clear that every stone on the bed can be seen, and its banks lined with willow and larch.
Kamikochi Visitor Centre
A centre near Kappa-bashi explaining the geology, plants and wildlife of the valley, a good first stop before the walk along the river.
Shirahone Onsen
An onsen village in the mountains on the Nagano side, about half an hour from the gate at Sawando, whose spring water turns a milky white in the open-air onsen.
experiences
The best of Kamikochi
The river walk with a naturalist
The level paths from Taisho-ike to Myojin-ike in the company of a naturalist, who will point out the birds, the alpine plants and the monkeys in the larches, and explain how the valley was made.
An evening in the valley
A night at a mountain hotel inside Kamikochi, after the last bus has left, when the valley belongs to its few guests and the peaks catch the last light above the river.
A milky-white onsen
An afternoon or a night at an onsen ryokan in Shirahone or Okuhida, the open-air onsen steaming among the trees, after a day of walking by the river.
A picnic at Myojin
Lunch carried out to the banks of the Azusa near Myojin, with the mountains on every side and the river running clear beside you.
plan your visit
Kamikochi on a journey through Japan
- How long to stay
- A full day is enough to walk the valley from Taisho-ike to Myojin-ike; a night inside Kamikochi, or in an onsen ryokan nearby, lets you see it in the quiet of the evening and the morning.
- Getting there
- From Matsumoto by private car to Sawando in about an hour, then by taxi or bus into the valley in about half an hour. From Takayama, by car to Hirayu in about an hour and on by bus in about twenty-five minutes. Matsumoto is about two and a half hours from Tokyo by the Azusa limited express.
- Pairs well with
- Kamikochi sits between Matsumoto and Takayama and joins the two on a crossing of the Alps, with the Tateyama Kurobe Alpine Route to the north.MatsumotoTakayamaTateyama Kurobe Alpine RouteHakubaKiso Valley
journeys
Kamikochi on a private journey
We bring guests to Kamikochi on the Custom Tour of Japan, created around your party alone, on your dates, with your own Tour Director.
questions
Kamikochi: questions answered
How do you get to Kamikochi?
By bus or taxi from Sawando on the Nagano side or Hirayu on the Gifu side; private cars cannot drive into the valley. Sawando is about an hour from Matsumoto by car, and Hirayu about an hour from Takayama.
Is Kamikochi worth visiting?
Yes. It is the easiest way to see the high peaks of the Japan Alps up close, along level riverside paths that suit any walker.
When is Kamikochi open?
From spring to late autumn, usually from late April to mid November. The valley road closes in winter.
How long is the walk from Taisho-ike to Kappa-bashi?
About an hour on a level path beside the river and over the boardwalks of the Tashiro marshes. Kappa-bashi to Myojin-ike is about another hour, equally level.
Is Kamikochi suitable for travellers who do not hike?
Yes. The paths along the valley floor are level and well kept, with boardwalks over the marshes, and the bus and taxi stops are close to Taisho-ike and Kappa-bashi, so you walk only as far as you wish.
Can you stay overnight in Kamikochi?
Yes. A few hotels stand inside the valley near Kappa-bashi, and Shirahone and Okuhida have onsen ryokan within an hour.
Can you do Kamikochi as a day trip from Matsumoto or Takayama?
Yes. With a private car to the valley gate, a day from either town allows the full walk from Taisho-ike to Myojin-ike at an easy pace.
Can Kamikochi be part of a private tour of Japan?
Yes. The Custom Tour of Japan is created around your party alone, on your dates, with your own Tour Director, and it can go anywhere in the country, Kamikochi included. If you would rather travel independently, the Expert Japan Itinerary plans every day for you.
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Kamikochi, planned for you.
Tell us when you would like to travel and what draws you to Kamikochi, and we will answer with a Custom Tour of Japan created around your party alone, or, if you would rather travel independently, an Expert Japan Itinerary that plans every day for you.