Shinhotaka’s No. 2 Ropeway as seen from the top

If you want to experience snow without the heavy snowfall and double-digit sub zero temperatures, late Fall or early Spring would be a good time to go. In late November, we were lucky to experience a combination of the Fall foliage, and a liberal dusting of snow on the mountain.

The Shinhotaka Ropeway consists of two cable cars. Visitors have the option to buy tickets for both ropeways, or just one, and also an option to buy a one-way or return ticket. Ticket prices start at ¥200 for adults and ¥100 for kids (one-way for No. 1 Ropeway), topping up at ¥2,800 for adults and ¥1,400 for kids (two-way for No. 1 and No. 2 Ropeways).

The walking path between Nabedairakogen and Shirakabadaira Stations

The journey starts at the Shinhotakaonsen station, where the regular public bus terminates. After purchasing tickets for the ropeway, you proceed up to the second floor boarding station. The gondola for this leg is a single deck that can carry up to 45 passengers. There is very limited seating, though hand rails are available for standing passengers.

It’s a quick 4-minute climb up the side of Mt. Nishihotakadake to the Nabedairakogen Station, the terminus of the No. 1 Ropeway. From there, you exit the building for a pleasant stroll to the Shirakabadaira Station to board the No. 2 Ropeway. This time you get to ride the double decker gondola, the first of its kind in Japan, which can accommodate up to 120 passengers (70 at the bottom, 50 at the top) and one conductor. The conductor gives a running commentary as you go up the mountain, sharing trivia and pointing out mountain peaks in the distance. Unfortunately, these are all in Japanese. However, pictures of the mountains and labels are posted on the side of the gondolas, so you can just refer to those.

View from the roof deck

The second cable car ride takes seven minutes and climbs about 800 meters to the Nishihotakaguchi Station. This 5-storey station features shops, cafes, and a roof deck that offers you 360° views of the Japanese alps. When there is enough snow, there would be a huge snowman to welcome you. There’s not much to do at the top, so after taking pictures, most visitors head back inside where it’s much warmer. Some line up to ride the ropeway going down, while some head out to the Sengokuenchi Nature Park for some hiking. Do note that the mountain climbing trail are for experienced climbers (the hikers we saw were all toting huge backpacks filled with gears).

If warming up indoors isn’t for you, you can warm up at the Kamitakara-no-yu rotemburo, just off the Sangakukan Shinhotaka Visitor’s Center. If going au naturel in public makes you queasy, you can still experience the hot, sulphuric water by dipping your weary feet at the nearby ashiyu (foot bath). Just be sure you have something to dry your feet with afterwards.

Kamitakara-no-yu Onsen

The Shinhotaka Ropeway is a good day trip from Takayama, either by bus or by car. If you’re driving, it’s a 70-minute drive to the Shinhotakaonsen station, plus a couple more minutes if you’re driving up to the Shirakabadaira Station. Nouhi Bus has regular trips from Takayama Station for ¥2,100 one-way and ¥4,200 round trip. You might want to check out their special ticket, where for ¥4,000, you get unlimited rides for 2 days between Takayama Station and Shinhotaka Ropeway. This is great if you plan on staying overnight and soak in the onsen.

The group that operates the Shinhotaka Ropeway also operates a hotel just across the first station, a mere one minute walk. Hotel Hotaka feature both Japanese and Western style rooms, and outdoor and indoor baths.

Great hotel deals in Takayama via Agoda

Something hot to keep you warm, yet there is also an ice cream stall right behind.

The market was in full swing, and since it was still pretty early, people are just starting to trickle in. It was just as cold as it was when I first walked through the market, but I noticed that no matter what the weather is, the ice cream stall is still open, and is still making a sale. There are sweets for sale, souvenir items, clothes and accessories, freshly baked bread, and of course, fresh produce. If you get too cold, you can duck into some of the bigger stores to thaw out for a bit before heading back out and continue walking down the market.

I break away from the group to head to the konbini across the river. I love checking out convenience stores and supermarkets when I travel, and the stores in Japan are chockfull of items that would fascinate and/or leave you chuckling. With a bottle of hot lemon warming up my hoodie’s pocket, I started on a pleasant stroll back to the bus. Along with some people from the group, we stop by Sannomachi street for a quick look and the requisite photo for Facebook and Instagram.

The parking lot was starting to fill up when we drove out, and as we passed Miyagawa street, it was already full of people. We drove out to the expressway, towards Shirakawa-go. It was very interesting to see the mountains this time, as the last time I saw them, they were white with snow and the trees were barren. Now, the trees are still full of life, and the mountain was covered in splashes of green, red, orange, and yellow.

A traditional gassho house in Shirakawa-go

Truly, this visit to Shirakawa-go was different from my first time, but it was no less beautiful. While the thick blanket of snow covering the village, coupled with the occasional flurries made Shirakawa-go look enchanting, the autumn colors made it no less charming.

Though we didn’t have time to explore the village, we were able to go into the Open Air museum, a place I haven’t been able to explore last time. Talk about lucky. We had a pleasant walk around the museum, and we were able to check out the inside of the houses without disturbing any residents.

We piled back on the bus, and drove back to Takayama for a lunch of Hida beef yakiniku before the long drive north to the Shin-Hotaka Ropeway. The heavy lunch and the movement of the bus left us drowsy and soon enough, everybody on the bus is nodding off.

Almost all at once, we were woken up by the drop in temperature and the sight of snow dotting the landscape. We knew we were getting closer to our destination when the snow started getting thicker. Bundled up in our thick coats, bonnets and gloves, we piled out of the bus and made a beeline for the toilet inside the Shin-Hotaka Ropeway.

The single-deck gondola at Shin-Hotaka Ropeway

Our group was welcomed by Mr. Nobuki Yokomaku, the general manager of the Shin-Hotaka Ropeway. He led us up to the platform to board the first cable car. As the car ascended, we were treated to a stunning view of the surrounding landscape, blanketed in snow. As we rose higher, the surrounding mountains became more visible.

The ropeway consists of two segments, and there is a short walk between the two stations. With clear blue skies and the golden hour, the walk through the trees was breathtaking. The second ropeway had the double deck gondola, and the entire ride took us almost a kilometer up the side of the Hotake mountain range. The view on the ride up is even more amazing, with pines trees covered in snow whizzing past below us, making for a perfect holiday picture.

The two rides takes about 11 minutes total, and you hardly notice it with all the excitement. We clambered out of the gondola as soon as it has securely docked and made our way to the viewing deck. At the top, we were met with a 360° view of the Japanese alps. Being there on a very clear day at nearly sunset, it was simply magical.

A rather grumpy snowman welcoming us on the view deck

We were all excited about the snow, we completely forgot to feel cold. Unfortunately, we couldn’t stay too long as it would be dark soon. We headed back down, and we were soon back on the road towards Matsumoto.

Great hotel deals in Takayama via Agoda

I was starting to go down from that high, and I started putting off going back to Japan further and further away, when I received an invite from the Japan National Tourism Organization. It’s hard to ignore when the universe throws you such an obvious sign, along with a multiple-entry visa.

So here I am, back in Takayama, a place I said I must visit again. As a bonus, I also get to visit Shirakawa-go once more, and discover other destinations in the Chubu region. It also seemed as if the universe has something up its sleeve, when Cebu Pacific announced their flight to Nagoya, the gateway to the region just days before we left Manila. You are awesome, universe.