This winter, a limited-edition shuttle bus service will connect between Matsumoto and Hakuba, one of the world’s best snow resorts abundant with slopes, powder snow, and a variety of courses that attract skiers and snowboarders from Japan and abroad.
This shuttle bus is only: 1,000 yen/one way
To Hakuba (Matsumoto→Hakuba)
Cheap shuttle bus 1,000 yen
This is convenient for heading to Hakuba after sightseeing in Matsumoto. Date of operation: January 24th, 2025 to February 12th, 2025
Matsumoto Bus Terminal Departure: 8:30 PM ↓ Arrive at Hakuba Goryu 10:20 PM Arrive at JR Hakuba Station at 10:25 PM Hakuba Happo Bus Terminal 10:30 PM arrival
JR Oito Line 1,170 yen｜Time required: about 1 hour and 50 minutes (in case of express train: about 1 hour｜+1,020 yen)
It is also possible to go from Matsumoto Station to Hakuba Station by train. Direct train timetable from Matsumoto Station Departure: 9:20 AM Departure at 10:41 AM (Limited Express Azusa +1,020 yen) Departs at 11:20 AM Departs at 2:09 PM
Above is the timetable for direct trains. Some trains transfer at Shinano-Omachi Station.
To Matsumoto (Hakuba→Matsumoto)
1,000 yen shuttle bus｜Reservations required
This is convenient when traveling between Hakuba and Matsumoto Date of operation From January 24, 2025 to February 12, 2025
Hakuba Happo Bus Terminal Departure: 9:00 AM JR Hakuba Station Departure: 9:05 AM Hakuba Goryu Departure: 9:10 AM ↓ Arrive at Matsumoto Bus Terminal at 11:00 AM Matsumoto City Museum (Daimyo-machi) Arrival at 11:05 AM Arrive at Matsumoto Castle (in front of City Hall) at 11:10 AM
The Shirakawago Observation Deck (or Ogimachi Castle Observation Deck) is where guests can enjoy the iconic panoramic view of Shirakawago’s thatched houses and mountains. This viewpoint overlooks the entirety of the Shirakawago village and the mountains of Gifu Prefecture. Located on a steep incline, many tourists come here to take the perfect shot of the edo-themed Japanese village. Located near the bus terminal, it is easy to get to either by bus or by foot.
How To Get There
By Foot
Shirakawago Bus Terminal
~15 minutes (by foot)
Shirakawago Observatory
By Shuttle Bus
Ogimachi Bus Stop (Next to the water lily pond)
~10 minutes (by bus)
Shirakawago Observatory
Shirakawago Observatory Shuttle Time Table
The shuttle is scheduled to arrive every 20 minutes.
Times
Ogimachi (boarding point)
Shirakawago Observatory
9
00 20 40
10 30 50
10
00 20 40
10 30 50
11
00 20 40
10 30 50
12
10
13
30 50
30 50
14
00 20 40
10 30 50
15
00 20 40
10 30 50
16
10
Shuttle Info:
Fare: 300 yen one way (cash payment on board) (no money exchange available) *Service may not run on time due to snowfall, ice, or road conditions. *Service may be suspended due to poor visibility, snowfall, or road conditions.
Ogimachi Bus Stop (Boarding Point)
Ogimachi is the name of the main town area in Shirakawago. The Ogimachi bus stop is located towards the north end of Shirakawago, directly in front of the water lily pond and next to the Wada House. Lines can get quite long in summer.
Ogimachi Castle (Shirakawago) Observation Deck
Observation Deck View in Winter
Observation Deck Details
There is a small restaurant (Doccorasho) which serves traditional Hida set meals and a cafe (Tenboudai Cafe) which serves a variety ice cream, snacks, souvenirs, and drinks by the observation deck. The parking lot next to the observatory is not available for commercial parking. You can reach this point only by walking or by the shuttle bus.
There is a short hiking route to the observatory. Instead of the alternative concrete path east of the bus terminal, this path is surrounded by trees, a shrine, and castle ruins. It takes around 12 minutes to reach the observatory and is adjacent to the street left to the bus terminal.
*Note: This walking path is CLOSED in the winter.
TRYING TO TRANSFER TO OTHER TOURIST SPOTS FROM SHIRAKAWAGO BUS TERMINAL?
Shirakawago bus terminal has multiple connections to different tourist destinations.
With the “SKY STAGE” skyscraper rooftop observation deck and the “SKY GALLERY” indoor observation corridor on the 46th floor, Shibuya Sky offers open and vast views from Shibuya skyline. While Shibuya Sky during the day is great in its own sense, sunset time (sunset hour) at dusk and the night time view are most popular!
We recommend that you purchase an online ticket in advance because this Shibuya Sky is a popular spot and it will be crowded. If you can’t secure a sunset ticket, we’ll teach you a loophole below.
Unfortunately, admission tickets for later evenings sell out quickly, and reservations are often sold out months in advance.
This is the booking calendar on the official website as of September 19, 2024. As you can see, there’s almost no availability after 15:00 until October 17, 2024.
※ Although there is a designated time for entering Shibuya Sky, you can leave at any time as long as it is during business hours.
Most people come all the way to SHIBUYA SKY, but find out that sunset tickets have been sold out. There’s actually a way to fix this problem!
How to secure SHIBUYA SKY tickets at sunset times.
All you have to do is…
Purchase a ticket for the open-top bus “SHIBUYA STREET RIDE” that includes an admission voucher, also known as the “SHIBUYA SKY Set Ticket”! The “SHIBUYA SKY Set Ticket” gives you guaranteed access to SHIBUYA SKY at any time in the day.
By purchasing this set of tickets, you will be able to get into Shibuya Sky even during sold-out times!
First, what is a SHIBUYA SKY set ticket?
The SHIBUYA SKY Set Ticket is an online ticket voucher you are given when you ride SHIBUYA STREET RIDE.
The greatest advantage of this ticket voucher is that it guarantees admission to Shibuya Skyat any time.
When purchasing a regular ticket, you must specify the time of admission. This makes it almost impossible to purchase a ticket during sold-out times. You can use the “SHIBUYA SKY Set Ticket” any time after you get off at SHIBUYA STREET RIDE as long as its the same day. This is perfect if you are trying to secure a sunset ticket for a certain day on your trip, but didn’t have time to book ahead.
However, please note that this pass will only be available until the final entrance time of Shibuya Sky on the day of your trip.Re-entry is also not permitted.
During the daytime, you can take the open-top bus, and in the evening, you can enjoy the city of Shibuya on the Shibuya Sky.
The places you tour by bus are small and spread out around your feet, making for an interesting and memorable experience.
SHIBUYA STREET RIDE has two routes: ・Shibuya Excursion Route ・Shibuya⇔Shinjuku Route（※September 2024～January 2025） These are two popular routes.
Both routes are designed to take in the sights.
The bus is an open-top bus specification with no roof on the second floor, allowing visitors to enjoy sightseeing from a perspective they would not normally be able to see.
Seats are equipped with multilingual audio guides and in-train monitors that provide information on each area during the trip. Of course, Japanese is also available.
It also comes with a digital version of a city walking guide to enjoy the streets of Shibuya even after getting off the bus.
SHIBUYA STREET RIDE Ride Experience
I immediately booked a SHIBUYA STREET and RIDE SHIBUYA SKY online set ticket. This time, I rode on the round-trip route of SHIBUYA on the Shibuya Excursion route.
At the south exit of Shibuya Station is Shibuya Fuclas. There is a bus terminal there on the first floor.
The departure time was 11:25 but I arrived a before 11:00. I was able to relax in the stylish area waiting area right in front of the bus stop.
Before I knew it, a stylish open-top bus entered the boarding area shortly after 11:15.
Next, all you have to do is show the screen of your cell phone to the crew and board the train!
At this time, I received a voucher for admission to Shibuya Sky on the same day.
Now you can enjoy the evening and night views from Shibuya Sky ^^.
This time, the route took me from the Scramble Crossing to Harajuku, Omotesando, and other areas around Shibuya.
The colorful seating inside the car will surely be Instagram-worthy if you take pictures!
On the second floor, you can feel the breeze and enjoy the view from a different perspective than usual.
The thrill of passing under an overpass is especially unique to this bus.
The bus first departs from Shibuya Fuklas and head towards Harajuku on Meiji Street.
Along the way, you can see Meiji Shrine and Takeshita-dori Avenue from a slightly elevated vantage point. After that we headed towards Sendagaya and Gaienmae.
As we reach Omotesando, we can see the National Stadium, which was the main venue for the Olympics. There were no power lines so you could see the view of the sky really clearly and it felt great!
In Omotesando, you can feel the street trees up close while overlooking the rows of high-end fashion stores.
Finally, I returned to Shibuya for the last time to view the scramble crossing. It is a luxurious feeling to be able to see the scene of many people coming and going from above, up close and personal.
I returned to the bus terminal on the ground floor of the Shibuya Fuklas– the area I departed from around 12:30 p.m.
After a leisurely lunch, I went for a stroll in Shibuya, using the digital version of the city walking guide that was in the pocket of the car!
Don’t forget to check the passcode in the car! Since the audio is also recorded, wearing earphones is recommended.
It’s evening, and SHIBUYA SKY is located in Shibuya Scramble Square.
With this same-day admission voucher, I went to SHIBUYA SKY, and on the 14th floor of Shibuya Scramble Square I was able to register and enjoy the evening and night views.
“Crossing Lights,” a light show held every 30 minutes after 7:00 p.m. every day, is a unique nighttime experience. The performance is said to change with the seasons.
Kamikochi is always restricted to private cars and cannot be entered by private cars. Therefore, if you are driving your own car, you will need to park your car at the Sawatari area parking lot and transfer to a local bus or cab. Therefore, we recommend that you visit Kamikochi by public transportation such as trains and buses.
The rules for local buses have changed since 2024. Please be aware of the new rules.
Shinjuku Station ｜ (JR Express Azusa) Approx. 2 hours and 40 minutes ｜ Matsumoto Station ｜ (Matsumoto Electric Railway Kamikochi Line ) Approx. 30 min. ｜ ShinshimashimaStation ｜ (Bus route ) Approx. 1 hr. 05 min. ｜ Kamikochi Bus Terminal
■ For express buses ■ Daytime 4-row seat: 8,000-12,000 yen (adult one-way) Daytime flight 3-row seat: 10,000-14,000 yen (adult one-way)
Overnight 4-row seat: 10,000-14,000 yen (adult one-way) Overnight flights 3-row seat: 12,000 yen – 16,000 yen (adult one-way) Fares vary depending on the day of operation. For details, click here.
Basta Shinjuku / Shibuya Bus Terminal (Mark City) / Yaesu South Exit of JR Tokyo Station ｜ (Highway Bus, Sawayaka Shinshu-go ) Approx. 4 hours 30 minutes ~ 5 hours ｜ Kamikochi Bus Terminal
Save money from Shinjuku to Kamikochi! Conveniently! Transportation guide for accessing Kamikochi
Express buses that go directly to Kamikochi Bus Terminal are very popular and often fully booked because of their convenience. Also, the price is somewhat expensive. So, here’s a guide to a trick to make it a little cheaper and a little easier to get reservations! Here is a guide to the tricks that make it easier to make reservations. For the following methods, you can save more than 10,000 yen round-trip.
This method is to take an express bus from Shinjuku to Hida Takayama, get off at Hirayu Bus Terminal, and then transfer to a local bus bound for Kamikochi. After walking a lot in Kamikochi, it is recommended to take the bus back to Hirayu Bus Terminal and stay overnight at Okuhida Onsenkyo Hirayu Onsen or Fukuchi Onsen to relieve your fatigue.
Express buses between Shinjuku and Hirayu make 4-5 round trips per day.
This method is to take a highway bus from Shinjuku to Matsumoto Bus Terminal, get off at Matsumoto Inter-mae Bus Stop or Matsumoto Bus Terminal, and transfer to the Matsumoto Railway Kamikochi Line and local buses.
It is recommended to stay the night before in Matsumoto, a mountain city that is the gateway to the Northern Alps, and to go to Kamikochi early in the morning.
Another attraction of the Shinjuku-Matsumoto highway bus is the large number of services.
Express buses between Shinjuku and Matsumoto make 24 round trips per day.
Updated bloom forecast for April 2, 2024 Updated bloom forecast for March 26, 2024 Updated bloom forecast for March 9, 2024 Updated bloom forecast for February 17, 2024
Takato Joshi Park in Ina City, Nagano Prefecture, is famous for its 1,500 Takato Okohigan cherry trees, an endemic species, and is one of the most famous cherry blossom viewing spots in Japan.
Adults (high school students and older) 600 yen (@500 yen for groups of 20 or more) Children (elementary and junior high school students) 300 yen (@250 yen for groups of 20 or more)
Access
From Tokyo
Basta Shinjuku ↓ (Highway Bus｜About 3 hours and 25 minutes) *Timetable and reservation ( highway-bus.com ) ↓ Ina Bus Terminal ↓ (Local bus, Takato line, about 25 min. Timetable ) ↓ Takato Station ↓ (about 15 min. on foot) ↓ Takato Joshi Park
Meitetsu Bus Center (Nagoya) ↓ (Express Bus｜About 3 hours) *Timetable & Reservation ( highway-bus.com ) ↓ Ina Bus Terminal ↓ (Local bus, Takato line, about 25 min. Timetable ) ↓ Takato Station ↓ (about 15 min. on foot) ↓ Takato Joshi Park
