Hakuba

Understand

The name Hakuba which means white horse was derived by the shape of a horse of snow on the mountain side during spring time. History shows traders following the famous Salt Road from the Sea of Japan to Matsumoto who would stop in the Hakuba valley overnight to rest.

Tourist information site The village an official bilingual guide site.

Getting there

By train Hakuba is a stop on the JR Oito Line. From Shinjuku in Tokyo, there is one daily Super Azusa limited express service that runs to Hakuba. The ride takes 3 hours, 45 minutes and costs ¥8070 each way. There is also an additional Azusa service on certain dates, making the run to Hakuba in about 4 hours.

Otherwise, you will have to take an Azusa or Super Azusa to Matsumoto and take one (possibly two) Oito Line local trains, increasing the journey to 4½ hours. The fastest route from Tokyo is by Shinkansen (bullet train) from Tokyo Station to Nagano: 105 min/¥8,170. Then by bus from Nagano to Hakuba 65 min/¥1,500. Trains run every half hour or so, buses every hour. Note that the last bus from Nagano Station to Hakuba is 20:30. This whole trip takes just over 2½ hours, ¥9,700 one way. These trips are useful for Japan Rail Pass holders, or else it is probably cheaper to take the bus.

By bus Hakuba-Shinjuku Express (高速バス白馬・安曇野－新宿線). Every two or three hours. Buses run from Shinjuku and stop at several places in the Hakuba region. The trip takes around 4 and a half hours ¥8500 round-trip for adults, half off for children. (updated Jul 2016) Nagano-Hakuba Express (特急バス長野－白馬線). Every hour during ski season. Buses from Nagano to Hakuba. The journey takes just over an hour. ¥1400 for adults, ¥700 for children. (updated Jul 2016) Nagano Snow Shuttle, ☏ +81 261-75-5360. Operates in the winter season. Daily service from Narita Airport to Hakuba. (updated Jul 2016)

Getting around

Outside of the winter months, there are plenty of bike trails and walking paths to get around the area. Many hostels have bike rental which helps if you are a little bit outside of Hakuba proper. If you are based around Kamishiro station, you are on the main rail line and road so a trip into Hakuba proper is only five minutes by JR or by bus. The Shuttle Bus "Genki-Go" runs from December through March in the evenings from 17:00. Three lines run throughout Hakuba for ¥300 a ride.

See

During the Green Season Near Hakuba, during the green season (i.e. spring, summer & autumn), there are three freshwater lakes that are so clean that you can swim in them. In order from south to north, they are called Aoki-ko, Nakatuna-ko, and Kizaki-ko. The use of engines and outboard motors is banned on Aoki-ko, making it the quietest and nicest of the three. Popular activities include boating, sport fishing, and windsurfing. Nakazuna-ko is very small and only really attracts fishermen. Kizaki-ko is the most developed, and since engines are allowed, sports like wakeboarding are popular. During the summer, most of the ski resorts operate some of their lifts to allow access to higher elevations. At Hakuba 47 and Aokiko (in nearby Omachi), the lifts allow access for mountain biking. Hiking or simply enjoying the views are popular at Happo, Goryu and Tsugaike. Above Happo, an easy trail extends for 40 minutes to a small pond in which the local alpine peaks are reflected. A couple of hours further up the trail lies the peak of Mt. Karamatsu on the main ridge of the North Alps. The top ski run at Goryu becomes an alpine garden in summer and another trail leads further upward to a viewpoint (around 50 minutes) or the peak of Mt. Goryu itself (around four hours). Above Tsugaike, a further ropeway takes you to a wetland that is designated as a national park. A trail from here takes you up to Mt. Shirouma, after which Hakuba is named. Shirouma and Hakuba are different readings of the kanji for "white horse". The smaller ski field of Iwatake uses its pistes to grow thousands of lilies in summer and also has a dry ski slope if you're desperate for turns. Like all mountain areas in Japan, temperatures in Hakuba stay much cooler than in the cities on Japan's Pacific coast. That alone makes it worthy of a visit. Hakuba, located in Nagano Prefecture, equally central to Osaka, Nagoya and Tokyo and nestled at the base of the Northern Japan Alps is towered over by the Three Peaks w

Do

Whether you're a snowboarder or skier, beginner or pro, with seven ski resorts in the area you shouldn't have problems finding a run to suit your style.

1 Hakuba 47 Winter Sports Park (Hakuba 47 ウインタースポーツパーク), 24196-47 Kamishiro, ☏ +81 261-75-3533. Open 08:30 to 16:30 daily, Dec-May approx. With an annual snowfall of over 10 m, Hakuba 47 offers 23 name runs, from beginner to advanced, as well as snowshoe and snowmobile tours. Private lessons for skiers or snowboarders are available in English and they rent basic equipment too. 2 Hakuba Happo-one (白馬八方尾根スキー場), 5713 Hokujo, ☏ +81 261-72-2715. Hakuba Happo-one is an extremely popular ski resort in Nagano Prefecture. Kick off your winter snow sports adventures in the heart of Japan. Happo-one is located in a pure natural setting in the Northern Japanese Alps where hot springs flow abundantly in this extensive mountainous region. The ski runs are varied ranging from beginner level to Olympic challenging long course and downhill runs (Nagano Olympic 1998). 13 courses and 23 lifts with the longest run 8000 m. There is much to be experienced in Happo area. Not only a winter sports resort Happo runs all year round and experiences peak visitor times during the summer in July and August. Outdoor sports lovers should come to Happo to soak up the wonderful views, the fresh clean air and enjoy the local food and wine which is highly recommended. With this and Happo's friendly and polite customer service the visitor will not be disappointed. Please come and experience Happo-one! Click on our English Home Page above for further information and links. There are plenty of onsen (hot spring baths) in the Hakuba area, perfect for soaking away the aches and pains of a day on the slopes. Don't forget to wash off before you enter the water.

3 Juro No Yu (十郎の湯) (A ten minute walk from Kamishiro Station.), ☏ +81 261-71-8160. Dec-Mar 24 hr, Apr-Nov 10:00-22:00, closed 2nd Tu each month. Enjoy the piping hot mineral waters in the inside a

Buy

Hakuba's specialty products include blueberries and purple rice.

Fresh blueberries can be picked straight from the vine during spring and summer at the Blueberry Farm, ☏ +81 261-75-2735, or purchased from most gift stores in the region. For the same berry flavor with increased shelf-life, try some locally made blueberry youkan (sweet jelly) or daifuku (rice cakes with sweet paste). Hakuba Murasakimai, or purple rice, is the result of boiling a mixture of glutinous and non-glutinous grains. It's available from roadside stations around Hakuba.

Skiing and snowboarding gear 1 The Boarding Co (ＴｈｅボーディングＣｏ．), Hakuba Eki Mae (Opposite Hakuba Station), ☏ +81 261-85-5095. 12:00-20