To Spectacular Views at 2,156 Meters! A One-Day Okuhida Itinerary with the Shinhotaka Ropeway

In spring, the contrast between the snow remaining on the summit and the emerging fresh greenery is beautiful.
You may even hear the song of the bush warbler carried on the spring breeze.

In summer, the mountain trees move past the stage of fresh green and turn into a deep, rich green.
Even in the height of summer, the temperature in the summit area does not exceed 20 degrees Celsius, making it pleasantly cool and easy to spend time outdoors.

In autumn, the mountains are colored with red, yellow, and orange leaves.
The three colors of the first snow’s white, the red of the autumn foliage, and the green of the coniferous trees create "three-layer autumn foliage," a spectacular view where you can enjoy both autumn and winter scenery at the same time.
You may also be able to see "muhyou," when water vapor freezes and sticks to the branches of the trees.

In winter, you can see mystical scenery as the mountains are covered in snow.
The vast expanse of a silver-white world spread out everywhere is truly spectacular.
From mid-January to mid-March, a snow corridor appears in Itadaki no Mori, which is adjacent to Nishihotakaguchi Station.

First, board the No.1 Ropeway at Shinhotaka Onsen Station at the foot of the mountain.
Transfer to the No.2 Ropeway at Shirakabadaira Station and head for Nishihotakaguchi Station at the summit.
If things are not crowded and everything goes smoothly, the ropeway ride to the summit takes only about 25 minutes.
During your roughly 25-minute aerial stroll, the changing scenery unfolding beneath your feet is a highlight.
The views are especially stunning in autumn, when you can enjoy the changes in the mountains as they shift from being colored by three-layer autumn foliage to being covered in frost.

Head to Nishihotakaguchi Station, the summit station of the Shinhotaka Ropeway, which sits at an elevation of 2,156 meters.
On the rooftop of Nishihotakaguchi Station is the AlpScape observation deck, renovated in July 2025.
A new wooden deck has been added, allowing you to enjoy even more magnificent views of the Northern Alps from a higher vantage point.
The view from here has been awarded two stars in the "Michelin Green Guide Japan."
Only those who have made their way up here can see the 360-degree grand panorama of 3,000-meter-class mountains such as Mt. Nishihotaka, Mt. Yarigatake, and Mt. Kasagatake.
You can experience breathtaking scenery that photos and videos simply cannot fully convey.

Itadaki no Mori (The Summit Forest) is a nature experience area adjacent to Nishihotakaguchi Station.
It is a nature-centered space created under the concept of letting you use all five senses to connect with the untouched natural environment of the Northern Alps, which boast some of the world’s most impressive mountain scenery.
There is the deck Yari no Kairo (Yari Corridor), which juts out like a boomerang and lets you feel the Yari-Hotaka mountain range up close.
There is also Oshirabiso no Michi (Oshirabiso Trail), a walking path enveloped in the quiet of primeval forest, and Nishi-Hotaka Terrace, a deck from which you can gaze out over the majestic Nishi-Hotaka mountain range, creating a space in harmony with the great outdoors.
The beauty of the Northern Alps as seen from Yari no Kairo at over 2,000 meters above sea level is well worth seeing at least once.

CAFÉ GOKAN opened on the second floor of Nishihotakaguchi Station in 2025.
CAFÉ GOKAN is furnished with tables and chairs made using timber felled in the summit area and other locally sourced wood from within the prefecture.
Surrounded by wood such as sugi, momi, udai kanba, dake kanba, karamatsu, and oshirabiso, you can relax while enjoying warm food, desserts, and drinks.
The signature hot sandwiches are made with local ingredients and fillings that are popular with both adults and children.
They are served freshly made and piping hot, which is especially welcome in the colder seasons.
You can also take them out to Itadaki no Mori and easily enjoy a picnic-style meal.

MEGUMI is located on the second floor of Nishihotakaguchi Station.
It is a souvenir shop stocked with many limited-edition items that can only be purchased here.
Among the especially recommended souvenirs are T-shirts and clear bottles that are collaboration items with mont-bell.
They feature the "Itadaki" logo in original Shinhotaka Ropeway designs.
Also recommended are essential oils and aroma sprays extracted from the branches and leaves of the rare oshirabiso trees that once grew in Itadaki no Mori.
Their pleasantly sweet and spicy citrus-like fragrance makes them perfect as a special treat for yourself.
There is also an original "Bond Sarubobo" good-luck charm made using the actual wires that once pulled the gondolas.
Because it carries the auspicious meanings of "not cutting" and "not falling," it is popular among exam takers and couples.

Once you have finished exploring the summit area, take the No.2 Ropeway down toward the middle area.
The ride from the summit to the middle area takes about seven minutes.
The middle area also offers a bakery, a view lounge, a footbath, and a souvenir shop.
After getting off the No.2 Ropeway, follow the tempting smell of freshly baked bread and head first to Alps Bakery.

Alps Bakery is a bakery located on the second floor of Shirakabadaira Station.
It offers a wide variety of breads, and its most popular item, the croissant, comes in plain, chocolate, sweet red bean, and vanilla flavors, with limited-time flavors also appearing seasonally.
Breads that let you savor the unique character of Hida Takayama are also recommended, such as Hida Beef Curry Bread filled with curry made using Hida beef and Hoba Miso Bread inspired by the local dish hoba miso.
The Gondola Bread, a loaf of bread branded with a stamp of the double-decker gondola, and Alps Pudding are also popular as souvenirs.

The bread and drinks such as coffee and cafe latte that you purchase at Alps Bakery can also be enjoyed at the adjacent View Lounge.
The taste of freshly baked bread is exceptional when you eat it while gazing out at the sweeping scenery through the windows.
There are about 90 seats in total, with both counter seats and table seats available, and power outlets are provided at the counter seats.

Right in front of Shirakabadaira Station there is a footbath where you can soak your feet while watching the gondolas go by, and it is free of charge.
Because the water is piped in from Shinhotaka Onsen, the scent of sulfur drifts around the footbath.
You can truly feel the atmosphere of a mountain hot spring area, and it is highly recommended when you are tired from walking.
There are no towel rental services, so it is a good idea to bring a towel or hand cloth to dry your feet.

TSUMUGI STORE reopened after renovations in 2025 on the first floor of Shirakabadaira Station.
It is a souvenir shop that carries original Shinhotaka Ropeway sake, local specialty products, limited-edition salt chocolate pies, and various craft items.
You can enjoy shopping in a calm, woody atmosphere.
Magnets, pierced earrings, and clip-on earrings made from hinoki cypress by the wood shop "Ki no Omise Design Morris" are exclusive items that can only be bought here and will let you keep memories of the mountains and the scent of the forest close at hand.
Be sure to also try TSUMUGI Gelato, which is made with carefully selected local ingredients.

Okuhida Onsen-go consists of five hot spring resorts: Hirayu Onsen, Fukuchi Onsen, Shin-Hirayu Onsen, Tochio Onsen, and Shinhotaka Onsen.
Nestled in the arms of the Northern Alps, the open-air baths, which are fed by abundant natural hot spring water, allow you to enjoy beautiful scenery created by the surrounding mountains in each season.
It is cherished as a gateway to the Northern Alps and offers grand views of the mountains up close.

Located halfway between Hida Takayama and Okuhida Onsen-go, Hida Great Limestone Cave stretches for about 800 meters and is one of Japan’s leading limestone caves.
It is also the tourist limestone cave located at the highest elevation in Japan.
Inside the cave, the rock formations are illuminated, allowing you to enjoy a fantastical world.
At the adjoining Ohashi Collection Kan Museum, about 1,000 art pieces and ornaments from around the world collected by Hida Great Limestone Cave’s discoverer, the late Toyoshi Ohashi, are on display.

Shirakawa-go is a beautiful area where traditional Japanese rural scenery still remains.
It is the region with the largest number of gassho-zukuri thatched-roof houses, with a total of just over 100 houses of various sizes as of 2016.
In terms of the scale of gassho-style settlements, it is the largest in Japan and has been selected as an Important Preservation District for Groups of Traditional Buildings by the national government.
In 1995, it was registered as a UNESCO World Cultural Heritage Site as "an outstanding example of a type of building, architectural or technological ensemble or landscape which illustrates significant stages in human history."
People still live in this area, and it is valued because it continues to be used as a real living environment.
That is what sets it apart from other gassho-style house settlements.