Home ACJS/Aichi OCJS/Online Japan Guide FAQ Network Databases Contact Us Multimedia Log in                                         yamasa.org / home / japan / english / destinations / nagano / hakuba_sight - Tsugaike - Shiga Kogen    -     Ní thuigim thú

Destinations... Japan Travel Guide The Yamasa Institute

Sitemap | Search Tips | Help Desk

Edited by: Declan Murphy Recommended: Suggested Itineraries Favorite Nagano moments... Best ways to get there Nagano Photogallery Newsgroups: fj.rec.travel.japan, Alt-FAQ Bulletin Boards: Fun/Clubs/Nightlife Accommodation/Discounts Practise your Kanji?

Sightseeing in Hakuba

Art Galleries

This is a small art gallery located next to Wadano Forest Church. It has several dozen of the French artist Cassigneul's lithographs on display. Admission is 400 yen for adults, 200 yen for students.

La Foret Hakuba Art Museum

The works of Marc Chagall, a famous French artist, are on display here. Open all year round, admission is 850 yen for adults and 450 yen for elementary and junior high school students.

Hakuba Saegusa Art Museum

This museum is only 5-minutes by car from Hakuba station. There are about 100 beautiful paintings on display here by Japanese artists who have painted the Hakuba area. The museum is open from December to March, 10-5, and July and August, 9-6. Admission is 700 yen for adults and 400 yen for students. Click here to visit the Hakuba Saegusa Art Museum homepage.

Hakuba Miyajima Craft Store

Miyajima Masaru was a wood carving artist and resident of Hakuba who kept his gallery and studio here. His works are shown, along with the works of other wood craft artists in the area, and can also be bought on the spot. Admission is 300 yen, and the store is located at 5556 Happo-guchi, a 2-minute car ride from Hakuba station. Hakuba Village Historical Folklore Building

In this building, the tools and articles used by the past and present-day villagers in their every day life are on display here. Admission is 200 yen for adults, and 100 yen for children. The building is open from 9-4 all year round, except for winter, and is a 10-minute ride from Hakuba station.

Mumin Gallery

This is a gallery of wood carvings made by Maruyama Yuzuru and his son Kazuyuki of various things found in nature. The gallery is open 10-6 all year round, but closed on Wednesdays. 7 minutes by car from Hakuba station, it is located at 2937 Hokujo.

Twig Accessories

At Twig Accessories, you can see...twig accessories! These items are made from driftwood, and there are summer classes available which teach the techniques used in making them, but a reservation is required. Located about 10 minutes from Hakuba station, people wishing to visit are recommended to call beforehand (+81-261-72-7505) to make sure that they are open. You can also visit their website here.

Yama Ai

This shop sells all kinds of handmade pottery! It also sells the Hakuba meibutsu, Ayaki. Located about 7 minutes from Hakuba station at Echoland 7-choume, their website is here, but it is Japanese only.

Historical Sights

Shio No Michi - Salt Road

Most of Hakuba's preserved history lies at Salt Road, a 120km/long road which runs from Matsumoto to the Japan Sea (Itoigawa in Niigata prefecture) via Omachi, Hakuba and Otari. It was used to trade goods between the seaside and the mainland. The route's real name is Chikuni-kaido, but received the name of 'Shio No Michi' when Uesugi Kenshin, a very powerful feudal lord, gave salt to his enemy, Takeda Shingen in the 16th century. Shingen's salt suppliers were rival feudal lords, and decided to cut off salt supply to his land, which could not get salt freely as it did not border the sea like the other daimyo's lands. When the situation became grave, Kenshin sent a lot of salt to Shingen with a letter saying, "I fight you, but I fight with bow and arrow, not with rice and salt (Sato 221)."

The road was used to transport salt and seafood from the seaside to the mountains via cattle, horses, and people. In return, the mainland offered hemp cloth, cotton and wood crafts from the mountains, as well as tobacco, soybeans and linen made in Nagano, which were carried to the seaside. When passing through Hakuba, there were some steep passages which were very dangerous because of the risk of avalanches. To protect those passing through on Salt Road, and to pray for the souls of those who tragically died while attempting to pass, the villagers built a number of stone statues, temples shrines and monuments. Many of these are still standing today, and examplify the villagers' dedictated work and concern for those passing through via Salt Road.

Kazakiri Jizo

Jizo is the guardian deity of the common people. It is said that this statue protects everything from evil spirits which are trying to spread sickness and disease.

Kannon Stone Buddhists

Along the path, one will see 187 stone Buddha statues arranged in a square. Among these statues are 33 statues from the Kansai area, 33 from western Japan, 34 from the Tokyo area, and 87 Banto Kannon statues. People passing by on Salt Road would often stop here to pray for safety on their journey.

Choukokuji Temple

A famous temple on Salt Road. A very historic building surrounded by Japanese cedar trees, the main hall of the temple is over 300 years old. Visitors walkingup to the temple gate will pass many stone Buddhas, who line the path.

Hakuba Daisekkei - The Great Snowy Valley

This valley has a difference in altitude between its highest and lowest points of 600 meters. It is located on the climbing route to Mt. Shirouma, and is one of Japan's three major snowy valleys. If you are interested in mountain climbing, this is an excellent spot - but be warned that the crowds can get pretty big in summer. The valley is 100 meters wide and 3500 meters long. There is also a beautiful flower garden located above the valley, where one can see the beautiful alpine flowers that bloom there in July and August. It is one of the largest in Japan, both in size and in number of flowers.

The Hakuba History Museum

This museum, located inside Green Sports Park, contains many historical items used in daily life and by farmers by previous generations of villagers. There is also a historical house adjacent to the museum that is open to visitors. Admission is 200 yen for adults and 100 yen for children, and the museum is open from 9-4:40 daily, from April to November.

Hakuba Sightseeing and Scenery

Hakuba Sanroku Botanical Garden

After mountains, Hakuba's main symbol is its botanical garden. This garden has 250 types of mountain flora, and is a fairly new addition to Hakuba's sightseeing spots.

Hakuba Strawberry Farm

Located next to the Sanroku Botanical Garden (above), Hakuba Strawberry Farm is a strawberry-picking ground that is open all year round. Visitors can, for an admission fee of 1200 yen (1000 yen for children), take home as many strawberries as they can carry. This farm is all year round, but requires a reservation (phone +81-261-72-3122) as the growth of the strawberries may restrict the number of people that may be admitted.

Hakuba Herb Garden

Walking through this garden, a wide variety of fragrances will awaken your senses. If you visit during July or August, you can even pick some of these herbs to take home with you.

Hot springs

There are hot springs located all over Hakuba, in the main village as well as around the ski resorts. There are too many to mention is great detail here, but visitors to Hakuba shouldn't have any trouble finding one. Some of the hot springs are rotenburo, meaning there is no ceiling and you can enjoy the mountain view from the spring. Prices usually average at 400 yen for adults and 200 yen for children, but can be higher as some hot springs also include extras, such as use of a training centre or sauna, in the price. Some hot springs are closed during the winter, while others are open all year round.

Events in Hakuba

There are quite a few festivals and events held in Hakuba annually.