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Getting There
[UPDATED]
First things first: the most important thing you have to know is that THIS
ROAD IS ONLY OPEN DURING THE SUMMER. For the exact dates, call someone in
the area (the lodge you intend to stay at would be a good choice). In most
years, you should assume that the road will only be open in July, August
and maybe the first half of September. Depending on when the first snow
is predicted, it may be open slightly longer in some years.
The date of your trip having been decided, you have to choose how to get
there. Kiso-Fukushima is one of the express stops on one of the main JR
lines (the Chuo Honsen). If you're coming from Tokyo, it would be most convenient
to get off at Shiojiri station to the east, since it's a straight shot from
Shinjuku. In either case, Narai is only a short distance from the station,
so if you want to visit Narai you can do so without too much trouble.
The Shinano #15 tokkyu express leaves Osaka at 8:58 a.m. and gets
to Kiso-Fukushima at 12:23 p.m. and Shiojiri at 12:49 p.m. This appears
to be the best-timed train from Osaka. From Tokyo, it's quite a bit faster:
leaving at 8:00 a.m. will get you to Shiojiri at 10:28.
The same highway (route 19) connects both train stations. It's a bit trafficky,
but the turnoff onto the tiny prefectural road (route 26) at Yabuhara is
only a few kilometers away from either starting point, and that road has
very little traffic. This road joins up with the major highway, route 158,
that goes between Matsumoto and Takayama, and this is where you will find
by far the most traffic on the entire trip. Thankfully, you only have to
go for five kilometers or so before turning left onto route 84, which leads
all the way up Norikura.
Accommodations
Unless you're Superman, I recommend staying at Norikura Kogen (at the
1600 meter elevation) and tackling the rest of the climb the following morning.
If you insist on doing it all in one stretch, you may have to stay at the
top; since there are only a couple of minshuku up there (and no camping
as far as I know), you should probably make reservations in advance. The
number for the association of minshuku at the 1600m level is (0263)
93-2952. They can undoubtedly refer you to a lodge at the 2700m summit.
The youth hostel at 1600m, Norikura Kogen Onsen, is quite satisfactory;
their number is (0263) 93-2748. As soon as you get near, ask for directions;
it's a bit hard to find (far up the road and in toward the right).
Sights
[UPDATED]
The old traditional town of Narai was designated a National Cultural Asset
some twenty years ago and the streets (make that "street" - it's
a small town) have been preserved rather nicely. Most of the houses now
are lacquerware and comb shops, though the combs are made in neighboring
Yabuhara. All of the towns along this river have sites of cultural and historical
interest and would make a tour on their own. For this trip, you'll probably
only have time to stop briefly in Narai at best.
The rest of the "sights" you'll find will be the spectacular mountain
and eventually alpine scenery, particularly once you top 2000m elevation.
As mentioned earlier, the road leading down from the summit to Hirayu Onsen
is now available to cyclists. We've also received word that the "rindo"
is completely paved, and that it's an easier climb up (KANcycling hopes
to get up there this summer to check it out).
Assuming you've gone down the hill to Hirayu Onsen, you have two choices.
If you're tired after the morning's climb, you may just want to continue
along highway 158 to Takayama. It's a nice enough ride since there aren't
all those tunnels as in the section closer to Matsumoto. However, if you
STILL haven't gotten enough exercise, there's a very nice side route you
can take by going north at Hirayu on route 471 to the Shin-Hodaka area.
If you want to explore onsen country, turn right at the junction and cycle
up along the river to Shin-Hodaka and explore some of the many onsens in
the area. Many are free, like the one shown in the Story
section; it's about halfway to Shin-Hodaka from the junction. From there,
cycle back and then continue along route 471 until you find route 76; turn
left and curve around to just north of Takayama, then find your way into
the city. If you follow the road all the way to highway 41 near Hida-Kokufu
Station just north of Takayama, I'd recommend going down the parallel route
across the river rather than the busy highway.
Once again, this alternate route is ONLY for those with boundless energy.
It might be better to do this ride some other time, as a rather leisurely
day-trip from Takayama.
Getting Away
Transit from Takayama to Osaka is relatively easy; lots of tokkyu
express trains go to Nagoya (about 2 hrs. 15 minutes) and some, like the
one leaving at 3:08 p.m., go directly to Osaka (arriving 7:12 p.m.). To
Tokyo, things appear to be a little more problematic; going to Nagoya and
taking the dreaded bullet train (frightfully expensive) may be the
only reasonable way to get back to the Big Mikan.
For other options, see the Alternatives
page.
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