Japan Travel – The Wknd Travel

Last year, my friends and I flew to Japan to experience the world-famous Sakura season. We had planned to be in most cities during the forecasted full bloom period, but to our surprise, the bloom was delayed by a little over a week due to colder-than-usual temperatures. We continued with our plans and enjoyed the trip despite the delay.

We started our journey in Takayama and Shirakawa-go, then went down to Osaka for a few relaxing / working days. We traveled further south to Hiroshima and Miyajima Island, then returned to Osaka. During our second visit to Osaka, we decided to explore nearby cities such as Nara, Kobe, and Himeji.

Allow me to share some of the photos I took during these short visits to the cities. I had been to Kobe in 2016 and Nara a few times (2016, 2019 and 2023), so I did not take many photos.

Accommodation & Osaka Base

My friends and I stayed in Osaka again for a few days after Hiroshima. Just like during our previous visit, we stayed at The Stay Osaka Shinsaibashi.

It has become my favorite accommodation in Osaka. I have stayed at this property during my last four visits to the city. I wrote about why I love this property in one of the recent “Hostel of the Day” features. I hope you can check out why this is my favorite here.

A few years ago, I wrote about how to apply for a Japan tourist visa. Click here to learn more about getting one for yourself.

JR Kansai-Hiroshima Area Pass

We purchased the JR Kansai-Hiroshima Area Pass for our visits to Hiroshima and the three cities. We paid ¥17,000 each for a 5-day pass that allowed us to take unlimited Shinkansen rides between Osaka and Hiroshima, as well as limited express and local JR trains and buses within the area. We used this pass to visit the three cities, take bullet trains to Kobe and Himeji, and use the local JR line for Nara.

I took an in-depth look at the JR Kansai-Hiroshima Area Pass and evaluated whether it was worth purchasing. I hope you can check out my review of the area pass here.

Nara

We visited Nara to see the world-famous deer park. It was one of my friend’s first times visiting the city.

Kobe

We went to Kobe mainly for the Kobe beef. We had lunch at a local steak restaurant and walked around the nearby temple area while waiting for our Shinkansen to Himeji.

Himeji

We took the Shinkansen to see one of the most beautiful castles in Japan, Himeji Castle. Our visit coincided with the local cherry blossom viewing festival, despite the Sakura not yet being in full bloom.

Our visits to these three cities were full of amazing sights, great food, and memorable first-hand experiences. Despite the delayed Sakura bloom, we thoroughly enjoyed exploring the cities and their unique attractions.

Have you been to Kobe, Nara and Himeji, or are you planning to visit soon? I would love to hear about your experiences or any questions you might have! Feel free to share your thoughts in the comments below. If you have any further questions or need more details, you can also reach me directly at contact@thewkndtravel.com. I am happy to help with any clarifications or travel tips.

Thanks for joining me in today’s blog post. In case you missed it, my friends and I flew to Japan for 20 days to experience the cherry blossom season from March to April 2024. You can find all posts related to this trip under the Sakura 2024 category. You can also check out our Takayama, Shirakawa-go, Osaka, and Hiroshima visits.

Before you go, I hope you can like, follow and share my social media pages – Facebook and Instagram. This will help me increase my reach; it will also keep you up-to-date with the latest blog posts, itineraries and flight reports on this website. Thank you and see you next time!

PS. Photos were taken using my OnePlus 9 Pro.

A few months ago, my friends and I flew to Japan for Sakura. We started our long but memorable journey at Nagoya. Immediately after landing at Nagoya Airport, we took the train to the city to catch our onward bus to Takayama. We explored Hida Takayama (or simply Takayama) and Shirakawa-go for a good 48 hours. We did not expect to see and experience winter (in what was supposed to be early spring) in these two places.

I visited Takayama and Shirakawa-go back in autumn 2017. I was happy I got the chance to go back to these places after seven years. Join me in today’s blog as I share with you what we did for 48 hours around Takayama and Shirakawa-go.

Takayama & Shirakawa-go

Takayama is a small Japanese city in the mountainous Hida Region. Also known as Hida Takayama, the city has preserved its traditional elements, particularly in its famous old town.

Shirakawa-go is a traditional village famous for its gassho-style or thatched-roof farmhouses. Located in the remote mountains of Gifu, this UNESCO world heritage site became a favorite day trip destination of people visiting Takayama and Nagoya.

Plane Tickets

My friends and I flew in to Chubu Centrair International Airport, the nearest main international airport to these 2 places. We booked two one-way tickets and flew with Cebu Pacific Air on both flights. We paid ₱13,759.49 for both flights. These tickets were not the most wallet-friendly, but these were during the peak of the peak seasons in Japan.

I wrote about our 5J 5038 Manila to Nagoya and 5J 5039 Nagoya to Manila flights in the previous flight reports. I hope you can check these posts.

Nagoya to Takayama

The JR Hida Limited Express and multiple highway buses link Nagoya and Takayama daily.

My friends and I opted for the cheaper option, the highway bus. We got the 4:30 p.m. Nohi Bus service departing from Meitetsu Bus Center near Nagoya Station. We arrived at Takayama Bus Terminal a few minutes past 7:00 p.m.

This one-way bus ticket cost us ¥3,345 (around ₱1,284.44 at the time of posting) after discounts. It’s almost half the price of the one-way ¥6,000 train ticket.

Accommodation

My friends and I stayed with Country Hotel Takayama for 2 nights. We booked this hotel because of its location and price. We got an economy twin room with private bathroom and only paid ¥11,934 (booked 9 months in advance) for the whole stay.

Country Hotel Takayama is in front of the Takayama Bus Terminal and a few meters away from the JR Takayama Station. It is 800 meters, or 10-12 minutes, away by foot to Takayama Old Town. It has an in-house restaurant and a convenience store on the ground floor. The hotel offers a Japanese breakfast buffet for only ¥1,000 per person.

Going Around Takayama & Shirakawa-go

Going around Takayama and Shirakawa-go is easy. Both places can be explored by foot. Takayama’s city center is small to the point where you can walk around it in a few hours. Most of the attractions and shops are located near Takayama Old Town.

Traveling to Shirakawa-go from Takayama is easy. Buses depart every 30 minutes or every hour from Takayama Station. Visitors can choose between reserved and non-reserved buses. Reserved buses fill up quickly, so one needs to consider getting tickets from the bus terminal ahead of time. Bus tickets cost ¥2,600 per way and take around 50 minutes. You may check the Nohi Bus website for the updated schedules and ticket prices.

Shirakawa-go is a small village that can also be explored by foot. The gassho-style houses and the other houses are located near each other and are all surrounded by rice fields. The only challenging area in Shirakawa-go is going up and down from the view deck. Alternatively, visitors can take the bus up to and down from the view deck.

Around Takayama

Takayama Old Town

Hida Kokubun-ji

Miyagawa River

Nakatsubo – Nakatsubo is a family-owned local restaurant known for its Takayama Ramen.

Hida Takuma – Hida Takuma is a specialty restaurant that serves Hida beef.

Around Shirakawa-go

Ogimachi Village

Three Houses

Shō River

Ogimachi Castle Observation Deck

Ochūdo Café – Ochūdo Café is a local restaurant that serves curry rice and sweet egg bean soup.

Hida Milk Soft Serve Ice Cream

This sums up our quick, fun, and unexpectedly beautiful snowy visit to Takayama and Shirakawa-go. My friends and I expected to see these places during spring, but we ended up seeing them full of snow!

Have you been to Takayama and Shirakawa-go? What do you think of these places? Share your experiences and visits in the comments section below. Do you have any questions about these two? You may send them via email to contact@thewkndtravel.com.

This is the start of many Sakura 2024 content. I hope you watch out for more trip details in the future. Before you go, I hope you can like, follow and share my social media pages – Facebook and Instagram. This will help me increase my reach; it will also keep you up-to-date with the latest blog posts, itineraries and flight reports on this website. Thank you and see you in the next one!