Notice of Norikura Skyline road closure｜The road was closed due to the collapse that occurred in September 2022, but was reopened on August 20, 2024.
Norikura is straddled between Nagano and Gifu Prefecture, and the mountain road on the Gifu side is called Norikura Skyline.
The Norikura Skyline is located within the Chubu-Sangaku National Park, and for nature conservation purposes, general vehicles are not allowed on the road.
Only buses and bicycles are allowed.
The goal point, Tatamidaira, is 2,702 meters above sea level, making it the highest point in Japan that can be reached by bicycle. It is the highest point in Japan that can be reached by bicycle.
This Norikura Skyline is a mountain road that cyclists long to ride.
It is regarded as a sacred place for cyclists, and as the name Skyline implies, the scenery is spectacular.
As a 49 year old middle aged man who teleworks every day, I decided to take on the challenge.
This is made possible by renting electrically power assisted bicycles (e-bikes).
Norikura Skyline is such a place.
It’s quite difficult to convey the beauty of the Norikura Skyline through pictures and text. I found a very good Youtube video when I was thinking about how to convey the beauty of the Norikura Skyline in pictures and text and I found a TV commercial of Nissan Note.
The location of this commercial is Norikura Skyline.
The beauty of the Norikura Skyline’s scenery is expressed in an easy-to-understand way.
You can’t drive there because of environmental protection traffic restrictions, but you can go cycling!
==PR==
Did you know that you can easily reach Okuhida Onsen-kyo at the foot of the North Alps by highway bus?
It takes 4 hours and 30 minutes by direct highway bus from Basta Shinjuku to Hirayu Bus Terminal, the gateway to Okuhida Onsen-kyo!
Five to six direct buses are running daily! Check Highwaybus.com for more information on highway buses.
Furthermore, at 2,702 meters above sea level from the Hirayu Bus Terminal, it is “the highest bus stop in Japan! Super! Cool and super! Direct bus service to Norikura summit (Tatamidaira) bus terminal with its spectacular view takes only 60 minutes.
Okuhida Base, located in Hirayu Onsen at the foot of Mt. Norikura, offers rental bicycles.
Moreover, they are Panasonic e-bikes (sports type with electric power assist ).
Experience [Tuesday, September 28, 2021, sunny and cloudy]
7:45
Arrive at Okuhida Base
It is located about a 2-minute walk from the Hirayu Bus Terminal and is open (rental hours) from 6:00 to 23:00.
The weather is sunny and the temperature is around 20°C.
It is a perfect day for cycling.
I reserved a parking space in the vicinity in advance with akippa.
It was inexpensive at 330 yen/day.
Okuhida Base is an unmanned, bicycle and single-seat small electric vehicle rental base.
After making an online reservation on the website and paying with a credit card, you will receive a PIN number for your key locker in advance by e-mail.
Use that PIN to take out the key.
The key for the bicycle and the locker are included in the set.
Inside the locker is a helmet and a charged battery.
Put on your helmet, set the battery on the bike, and you are ready to go.
We departed after purchasing a 500 ml bottle of water at the liquor store
Tsuruya Shoten next to Okuhida Base.
I would later regret not buying any food for energy… (more to be explained later)
I strongly recommend that everyone purchase snacks for energy along with water.
8:00
At last, we departed for the peak of the Norikura Skyline, Tatamidaira, which is 2,702 meters above sea level. It is around 1,500 meters higher compared to our starting point, Hirayu, which is about 1,250 meters above sea level.
The temperature was about 20 degrees Celsius.
The e-bike comes with electric assist, so it is easy to ride with the motor pushing you back.
Compared to electric bicycles that I use on a daily basis, the power seemed different.
Since it is a sports type bicycle, it still has the look of a road cycle yet it is quite sporty to ride and pedal.
Here’s a little advice 1)
I hurt my knee in the process.
I would recommend that you raise the saddle when climbing.
As an amateur cyclist, I pedaled uphill without thinking, and my knees hurt halfway up.
I thought to myself, “Oh no, I’m in trouble! I watched the bicycles go by and saw that everyone’s saddle was very high!
Their toes just barely reach the ground, if at all!
I realized that in order to reduce the burden on my knees and to pedal with ease, I need to raise the saddle.
If I had realized this earlier, I wouldn’t have gotten hurt!
This has helped me recover quickly ^^.
Since the return trip was downhill and steep, a lower saddle lowered the center of gravity and made it more stable and secure.
Now, on to the rest of the experience.
8:10
Take Route 158 toward Takayama, passing the Hirayu Campground, and you will soon reach the entrance to Hirayu Pass.
Turn left here and continue on to Hirayu Pass (towards Norikura Skyline).
From here, you will be in a bicycle paradise!
You will be riding comfortably along the pass surrounded by forest. At this time, I felt really grateful for the assist system.
The steep slopes are also going well.
This Hirayu Pass was the most difficult.
I thought it was tougher than Norikura Skyline ^^;;;.
8:25
Finally, we arrive at the Hirayu Pass gate at the entrance to the Norikura Skyline.
At the entrance, you will be given a questionnaire. Please make sure to fill it out.
The gate is open from May 15th to October 31st.
We were told that the gate would be open from 3:30 to 18:00 on this day, but we were at a high altitude of over 2,500 meters.
It is recommended to ascend in the morning and descend at noon.
*Norikura Skyline Hirayu Pass gate opening hours:
5/15-6/30 7:00-18:00
7/1-9/30 3:30-18:00
Closed 10/1-7:00-18:00
Unlike the previous bus ride up, we cycled at a leisurely pace, enjoying the scenery and feeling the breeze.
Thanks to the electric power assist, I can ride up the mountain! Electric assist is great!
Couples can enjoy talking while viewing the spectacular view, which will surely shorten the distance between the two of you.
Unfortunately we are just two uncles ^^;;;.
Kasagatake, Yarigatake, Okuhotaka, etc… The whole view of the mountains of the Northern Alps was breathtaking.
Here’s a little advice (2)
Automatic mode is recommended as the bicycle assist mode.
Long mode is good for able-bodied cyclists but a bit tough for me.
My friend who climbed with power mode ran out of battery 1km before the goal, Tatamidaira.The last 1km was unassisted cycling.
In automatic mode, I had 30% of battery remaining at Tatamitaira.
The return trip is almost entirely downhill and does not require any assist. ^^
Keep your saddle low and descend slowly and safely first.
8:40
Next, arrive at the couple pine parking lot, which has a large observation deck and restrooms!
Here we took a short break.
It is also recommended you take this time for restroom breaks.
From here, you can see the city of Takayama and Mt.Hakusan in the distance!
Those who are not confident in their physical strength or who do not have enough time can enjoy the ride to the couple pine tree parking lot.
8:56
We next arrived at a small observatory called Norikura Skyline Bogakudai.
It feels like we are at a much higher elevation.
The weather was beautiful and Yarigatake and Nishi-Hotaka were clearly visible!
The blue sky is beautiful!
The air felt so fresh and clean.
9:48
Beyond the forest limit, we are now in a full-blown alpine area.
The autumn leaves are slowly starting to change and it is beautiful.
It really felt like a bicyclists’ paradise because no cars pass by.
All you can hear is the sound of the wind! It’s great!
But the air is so thin and my head was getting a little dizzy.
And then the painful situation…
I’m hungry…! I need energy!
I only had a little bit of water ^^;;;
I seriously regretted not buying food earlier in Hirayu ^^;;;
Everyone is encouraged to bring extra food with them.
9:58
Finally, we are almost at the goal (Tatamidaira).
Unfortunately, there was an incident…
My friend who is traveling with me said, “Oh no, the pedals are getting heavy! The battery power is at 0%.”
It seems the battery ran out quickly because power mode was used.
That’s why I recommend automatic mode.
10:10
Finally, we arrived at today’s goal, the 2,702-meter-high Tatamidaira!
At that point, I felt like I was going to collapse from hunger!
In case you are wondering, the temperature is 7 degrees. It’s cold~!
In search of hot food, we went to a restaurant on the second floor of the Tatamihira Bus Terminal!
To my surprise, it was temporarily closed. (T T)
Two uncles were at a loss! There was a sense of despair and tragedy is in the air.
Then the good news!
We have been informed that the second floor restaurant at Ginreiso next door will open at 10:30…
All at once, our spirits were restored!
10:30
We had breakfast at the 2nd floor restaurant of Ginreiso
The pork miso soup set meal was 1,100 yen.
It’s a very reasonable price considering the location!
The warm soup sinks into your body.
It was vert tasty ^^
My friend who climbed the mountain with me had a steak set meal and soba noodles with wild vegetables in the morning^^.
*I visited Ginreiso again on May 15, 2022 and found that the menu and prices had been revised significantly. (Added on May 21, 2022)
Menu as of May 15, 2022. ↓.
11:00
With our bellies full, we began our descent. I had underestimated how easy and effortless the return trip would be.
But…it’s soooo cold!
I was wearing only a short-sleeved T-shirt under a thin windbreaker. The temperature was 7 degrees.
The only way down is through the wind.
My hands were getting numb and I was freezing!
Here’s a little advice 3)
Bring gloves and a warm jacket.
I know this is obvious, but we forgot.
Is there anyone else like us?
Both gloves and jackets were sold at the Tatamidaira store.
Also, please not that going downhill is very dangerous. If you are not careful, you will overspeed.
Be sure to keep braking and descend slowly.
It is really dangerous and cold if you speed. It could be fatal.
Be sure to descend slowly.
If you feel cold, we strongly recommend that you slow down even more and proceed slowly.
12:10
We arrived at Hirayu Pass gate in no time.
Clouds have appeared and it was too foggy and cold to enjoy the scenery ^^;;;.
It is still good to ride up slowly and enjoy the scenery.
I learned that going down is easy, but not fun.
12:25
We arrived at Okuhida Base without any incidents.
I wanted to go straight to the hot spring ( Hirayu no Mori ) to warm up my cold body, but I had to work today (T T).
I went to telework at Okuhida Manyokan, a workspace and children’s library.
Final Impressions
It was truly a wonderful experience. Even though I don’t usually do much exercise, I was able to make it to Tatamidaira with a little effort. The weather was perfect, the view was great, and the experience was fantastic.
Five years ago, I took a bus up to Tatamidaira and was impressed by the view from the bus window, but biking was several times more enjoyable and felt like flying in the sky.
I owe this wonderful experience to the electric assist function of my bicycle. It would have been difficult for an amateur like me to do this on a road bike without it.
The hill climb at Norikura Skyline was an emotional experience that only a limited number of trained and special people could enjoy without e-bikes.
I was able to experience this thanks to the a Panasonic electric-assist sport-type e-bike. It was truly a wonderful experience. I plan to go again soon. When I do, I’ll make sure to bring food, gloves, and a jacket ^^;;;.
View the route from Okuhida Base to
Norikura Tatamidaira on Google Maps.
Okuhida Base is located a 2-minute walk from Hirayu Bus Terminal, the gateway to Okuhida, and offers bicycle rental and LUUP (electric kickboard share).
727 Hirayu, Okuhida Onsenkyo, Takayama City, Gifu 506-1433, Japan
Located in the former Nakada store
240m from Hirayu Bus Terminal (2-3 minutes walk)
【Business Hours｜Lending and Return Hours】 7:00-17:00
* Please make online reservation by 12:59pm on the day of use.
The direct highway buses from Shinjuku (Basta Shinjuku), Chuo highway Fuchu bus stop, and Chuo highway Hino bus stop are convenient to get to Hirayu Onsen, the gateway to the Norikura Skyline.
Highway Bus Details
Keio Bus LINE official account opened!
==PR==
Further into Kamikochi! Did you know that it is easy to get to Okuhida Onsenkyo at the foot of the North Alps?
It takes 4 hours and 30 minutes from Basta Shinjuku to Hirayu Bus Terminal, the entrance to Okuhida Onsenkyo, by direct highway bus!
There are 5-6 round-trip direct buses running every day! For more information on highway buses, please visit highwaybus.com.
Furthermore, at 2,702 meters above sea level from the Hirayu Bus Terminal, it is “the highest bus stop in Japan! Super! Cool and super! Direct bus service to Norikura summit (Tatamidaira) bus terminal with its spectacular view takes only 60 minutes.
