Video courtesy of the Norikura Tourism Association
Chubu-Sangaku National Park is one of Japan's great mountain national parks, spanning the southern Northern Alps and taking in Kamikochi, Mt. Norikura, and the Hotaka mountain range. Staying right in the heart of Kamikochi — where private cars are restricted — can be a little inconvenient, and a little pricey. Misuzuso, in Norikura Kogen, gives you easy access to both Kamikochi (by bus) and Mt. Norikura (by car to the trailhead). Follow Route 158 a little further and you can also reach the Shinhotaka Ropeway, Takayama, and Shirakawa-go. Misuzuso is your base for exploring the whole park.
Kamikochi, known for Kappa Bridge and Taisho Pond, restricts private vehicles from driving directly into its center. Norikura Kogen sits just outside that zone, making it a convenient place to switch to the shuttle bus.
Lodging right in central Kamikochi is limited and tends to be expensive. Staying in Norikura Kogen lets you enjoy a quieter atmosphere at a more reasonable price.
Just 5 minutes by car from Misuzuso, Ichinose Kusahara is a grassland in Norikura Kogen with an easy boardwalk trail. No special gear needed — just a relaxed walk through open meadows with mountain views all around.
After your walk, unwind at Café Ichinohi, which looks out over the grassland. Take your time with a cup of coffee and enjoy the quiet.
Norikura Kogen is home to the "Norikura Three Waterfalls": Sanbondaki, ranked among Japan's 100 best waterfalls; Bansho Otaki, the largest of the three at 40m; and Zengoro-no-taki, a graceful 21.5m falls with Mt. Norikura as its backdrop. Each is a 5–20 minute walk from its parking area along well-maintained trails, making them great for trekking beginners.
The local tourism association also maps out several other walking courses, past shrines and ponds, for different fitness levels. Staying at Misuzuso, you can explore Norikura Kogen's nature at your own pace.
Mt. Norikura is known as one of the more accessible 3,000m peaks in the Northern Alps. During climbing season, a bus takes you up to Tatamidaira. Misuzuso is a convenient base for reaching the trailhead and bus stop.
Outside of climbing season, you can still enjoy the views from Norikura Kogen and the hiking trails at the base of the mountain.
The Norikura Echo Line, climbing to Tatamidaira above 2,700m, is known among cyclists as one of Japan's premier hill-climb routes. Misuzuso sits close to the starting point — and there's no better reward after the ride than our hot spring.
Fed by snowmelt from the Northern Alps, Azumino is a gentle landscape of rice fields and wasabi paddies. At Daio Wasabi Farm, one of Japan's largest wasabi growing areas, you can stroll past nearly a kilometer of wasabi fields and a scenic watermill, then try the farm's famous wasabi soft-serve ice cream.
About an hour by car from Misuzuso, through Matsumoto — a pleasant countryside drive.
Narai-juku, the largest of the Kisoji post towns along the old Nakasendo highway, preserves nearly a kilometer of Edo-period streetscape. Wander past its lattice-fronted wooden buildings and it feels like stepping back several centuries.
About an hour by car from Misuzuso — worth combining with the other post towns along Kisoji.
Misuzuso is also a convenient base for exploring the Hida region of Gifu Prefecture — Takayama, the Shinhotaka Ropeway, and Shirakawa-go. Taking Route 158 through the toll Abo Tunnel, it's about 1 hour 10 minutes to central Takayama, 50 minutes to the Shinhotaka Ropeway, and about 2 hours to Shirakawa-go.
Takayama's preserved old town, the Northern Alps panorama from the Shinhotaka Ropeway, and the UNESCO World Heritage gassho-zukuri village of Shirakawa-go — all within reach for a day trip by rental car or your own vehicle.
At 1,400m elevation and surrounded by mountains, Norikura Kogen has little light pollution and clear night skies. On a clear night, you can see a sky full of stars and the Milky Way.
Step outside after your bath and take a moment to look up at the quiet night sky.
Mt. Norikura Snow Resort spreads across Norikura Kogen, with a base elevation of 1,500m rising to 2,000m, a 500m vertical drop, 20 courses, and 4 lifts. Its inland-climate snow is known as "Norikura Powder" for its low moisture content, staying in great condition well into late season. With a balanced mix of courses — 45% beginner, 25% intermediate, 30% advanced — the mountain is also known as a mecca for backcountry skiing.
A milky-white hot spring at the base of the slopes lets you soak right after a day on the mountain. Misuzuso sits within the Norikura Kogen area, making it a convenient base for a ski or snowboard trip.
The meadow at Ichinose Kogen, open and green in summer, transforms into a vast snow field known as Ichinose Yukihara in winter. Scattered white birch trees and views of a snow-capped Mt. Norikura make for a striking backdrop as you snowshoe across the flat, open terrain — easy going even without mountaineering experience.
In the complete silence, with no sound but your own footsteps in the soft snow, it's an experience unique to this season. Local outfitters offer snowshoe rentals and guided tours.
Misuzuso also runs its own snowmobile tours and snowcat tours along the Morgen Road route. For a different pace than snowshoeing on foot, these motorized tours are another way to take in the views across the Ichinose snow field.
From mid-November to mid-April, Kamikochi's shuttle buses stop running and the valley enters its winter vehicle-restriction period. With no vehicle access during this time, the only way in is on foot, through the snow. Guided winter snowshoe tours departing from Norikura Kogen make it possible to experience Kamikochi during this special season.
Free of summer's crowds, you'll find frozen Taisho Pond, the ice-bound Azusa River, and the snow-draped Hotaka mountain range in complete quiet. Misuzuso, in Norikura Kogen, is a convenient base for reaching these guided tours.
By car
~50 minA further
~15 minBy car
~2 minBy car
~5 minTake a break between sightseeing with our milky-white hot spring and the mountains' bounty.
NORIKURA KOGEN ONSEN