Compared to the more city like atmosphere of Takayama, in Hida Furukawa you can experience a more authentic and slower paced countryside life. Hida Furukawa is most famous for its two national award winning sake breweries (Watanabe Shyuzoten and Kaba Sake Brewery), for inspiring the anime move “Your Name”, and for its many bars, cafes, and restaurants.
*To get the full countryside experience, Nohi Bus offers a Hida Furukawa Food & Sake Set (a one day bus pass) which includes bus fare, a sake souvenir voucher, and voucher to dine at a variety of Furukawas eateries, allowing you to experience the life of a true local.
Hida Furukawa Food & Sake Set
If you’re coming to Hida Furukawa from Takayama, the best way to experience the area fully is by going via the Hida Furukawa Food & Sake Set. If you’re a sake lover, this ticket covers your transportation, dinner, and even a sake souvenir (of your choice).
A majority of the bars serving dinner open 4-6 PM, which is right when bicycle rentals close for the day. After exploring town alongside the locals, you can dine/ drink at some of the popular local joints in town. The last train back to Takayama is at 9PM whereas the bus runs later (up to 12:10AM)!
How to rent a bike
Bicycle rental receptions take place inside the Furukawa Festival Hall. The Furukawa Festival Hall is located at the Festival Square, just a 5 minute walk from the station and next to the Koi Fish ponds. There are late fees, so be aware of the return time written on your form. When returning the bicycle, you can leave the bicycle at the stand outside, but make sure to inform the shopkeeper.
Rental Information
Bicycle Reception: 9:00 AM – 4:00 PM (last rental at 3:00 PM)
►1 hour/ 300 yen
►All day/ 1000 yen
Note:
*500 yen fee per hour late
*5,000 yen fee if not dropped off by 4:00 PM
Bicycle Information
After filling out the form, you can choose between two bicycle types: A sports type bicycle or a regular bicycle with a basket. There are no e-bikes for rental and there are no extra costs based on which bicycle you choose. There are a total of 8 bicycles in total every day (4 of each type).
REGULAR BICYCLE (with a basket, bell, gear shift [1-3] )
In Japan, bicycles are classified as vehicles, so there are few rules to follow when riding.
Bicycle Rules:
1. Ride on the left side of the lane
2. At intersections follow the traffic lights and stop signs
3. No drinking and riding
SPORTS BICYCLE (with a headlight, bell, gear shift [1-6] )
The sports style bicycle is a Bridgestone LB764, and comes with a bell, headlight, a gear shift (1-6). Total amount of bikes: 4
Furukawa Bike Routes
We recommend the biking to the following landmarks:
► Keta Wakamiya Shrine (the town’s main shrine which inspired “Your Name”) [~7 minutes]
► Atayuta Shrine (a shrine surrounded by beautiful red bridges, rivers, and rice fields) [~25-30 minutes]
► Ankokuji Temple (a popular Buddhist temple with a beautiful aerial view of the area) [~45 minutes]
Furukawa Bicycle Map
Around Furukawa are many cafes accessible by bicycle. If you get hot, cool down with ice cream, drinks, or desserts around the area.
Rice Field Forecast
Hida Furukawa is a landlocked area, surrounded by mountains and is relatively flat with no steep hills. There are also many river basins and trees surrounding the area. If you rent a bike from June-September, you can see the rice fields that surround the entire town. In September, the rice fields turn a golden yellow color and are harvested soon after. By October, most rice fields will be gone.
June: 🌱
(rice is freshly planted with beautiful water reflecting the sky)
July: 🌾🌾
(rice is growing and you can start to see the green stalks)
August: 🌾🌾🌾
(rice is growing tall and green)
September: 🌾🌾🌾🌾
(rice begins to turn yellow and will be harvested late September)
Tips & Advice
- Rent the bike all day
- A good amount of time to have the bicycle is for 3 hours, but that amounts to 900 yen. In the case that you want to leisurely spend time at some cafes, its worth to pay the extra 100 yen to not worry about time.
- Pick up souvenirs after returning you bike
- Most stores in Furukawa begin to close around 5PM. The town itself is small, so you can enjoy the town and pick up souvenirs without worrying about lugging it around.
- Have an early dinner with the Hida Furukawa Food & Sake Set
- Enjoy sake and dinner at the restaurants and pubs in town and take the bus back to Takayama. The last bus is at 12:10 AM! Check the time table here.
➤For bus reservations and detailed travel itineraries learn more: here
➤For access from Nagoya to Takayama and Shirakawago learn more: here
➤For transportation information in Nara learn more: here
