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Hida Furukawa is Takayama’s less crowded neighbour. Here’s what you need to know if you’re planning to take a day trip there on your trip.
I’m watching big orange and yellow fish swim around. This isn’t unusual in Japan. But what’s different about this experience is that they’re swimming by the side of the road. And these are not just any fish; they are big, fat koi carp that, in some countries, would be worth a fortune. And, if that wasn’t enough reason to visit Hida Furakawa, the friendly people, pretty shops, and lack of crowds should convince you to take a trip here.
So, here’s how to get there and what to do once you arrive.
Article by Helen Foster. Disclosure: Some links in this post are affiliate links. See our Affiliate Disclosure.
Let’s Start with Geography
If you’ve never heard of Hida Furakawa before, you will need to know where it is to visit! It’s in the Japanese Alps region, about 15km north of Takayama. By train, it takes about 15 minutes to get here from Takayama, making it a lovely half-day trip if you’re staying there, or if you’re heading to Takayama from Toyama (or Nagano), you can stop off on the way.
That’s how I did it. I caught the 7.58 am scenic Hida Express train from Toyama, which has big windows to catch the pretty views – and it got me into Hida Furukawa at 9.15. If you do the same, sit on the left—the good views are on this side for most of the journey.
Upon arrival at Hida Furukawa, I stashed my bag in one of the lockers (there’s a handful outside of the station) and set off to explore.
My main quest was to find those fish. It didn’t take long.
The Fish of Hida Furakawa
The carp swim along the Setogawa Canal, which butts against the south side of the white-walled storehouses that are another feature of the town. Walking up from the station pretty much brings you directly to the canal, but if you prefer to have a marker, use Enkouji Temple. The canal is a little north of this.
They aren’t pets, but the carp live freely in the clear waters, swimming up and down the canals – until the end of November.
At this point, it gets too cold for them, so, at the end of November (usually on the last Saturday), a team of volunteers scoop them up and relocate them to a warmer pond slightly outside the town. They are brought back in April when things warm up.
This means that if you’re visiting between December and April, you shouldn’t expect to see the fish. Outside of the cold season, you can’t miss them, but if you want a closer view, there are honesty boxes along the canal edge containing small bags of fish food for 100 yen. If you feed them, all the fish will be yours for as long as the snacks last. It’s quite the sight as they really are huge.
What Else is There to Do in Hida Furukawa?
Enjoy the atmosphere and do a bit of shopping!
The main street of Hida Furakawa is designed for strolling – and is lined with cute shops and cafes to attract your attention. I arrived a little early to catch all the shops and cafes, so bear that in mind if you’re doing a day trip. Some of them don’t open until 11 am. Also, the first stop on this plan might also be better done a little bit closer to lunch than when I visited.
1. Sample Some Sake
Considering the water here is clear enough to make koi carp happy, it’s not surprising that Hida Furukawa is a sake brewing town. The town’s two main sake breweries are located next to each other, offering tastings and bottles to take home.
Watanabe Shuzoten
Despite a long tradition of brewing sake in the town (they started in 1870), this sake house doesn’t take itself too seriously.
They say the job of their sake is to put a smile on your face, and to help this along, they actually play the soundtrack to comedies to the sake while it brews, as ‘laughing makes sake happy’. They also encourage tourists to write positive words on their ‘arigato tank’ to help the sake feel good about itself.
It might sound unconventional, but they’re doing something right. Only ten sake breweries in the world can hold a five-star ranking from the World Sakagura Ranking, and Watanabe has been on the list for the last four years – and topped it in 2021.
If you can, try their limited edition Hida no Dobu variety. It’s a thick sake, and they say consuming it is more like eating alcohol than drinking it.
You can find out more about the brewery and the range here.
Kaba
The tourist board describes the next-door brewery, Kaba as ‘the sake for people who like to party’. With 300 years of sake brewing history in Hida Furukawa, their ‘must-try’ product is their Shiramayumi, which has won numerous awards.
Kaba’s background comes with an interesting story. After a big earthquake and the eruption of Mount Fuji in 1707, Hida Furukawa was virtually cut off, and people were hungry. The owner of Kaba traveled to get supplies, but was stopped at the border to the area and detained. He pleaded with the officials that if they wouldn’t let him go, could they at least take the rice to the people who were starving?
Today, the brewery follows the example of this selfless act by giving a percentage of its profits to the local community.
2. Hit The Shops
There are many small shops in Hida Furukawa, but unlike, say, Kurashiki, where you’ll find the same things in multiple stores, these are individually owned and reflect the passion of the person behind the counter. The free map from the Tourist Information Office highlights the specialities of many shops, but here are some of the ones to ensure you seek out.
My personal favourite was Hottosuru Mise (below), which sells wood carvings, handmade chopsticks, drawings, cards, and posters. The owner speaks excellent English and particularly loves Australia.
He has a didgeridoo in the store and no idea how to play it, so if you have any skills in that department, you might make his year. His prints are adorable, and I came away with a very cute cat print.
If you arrive early in the day, visit Ichinomachi Cafe. Their melon pan bread is famous in Japan – but they only make 12 portions a day, so you’ll have to be quick if you want to try one. If you’re not lucky, their other speciality dish is curry rice. The cheesecake from Hineno Art & Cafe is another famous sweet treat in the town.
Peek into the garden at YUHKOUBOU – and, if you’re looking for handwoven souvenirs, you might want to also wander into the studio and shop inside.
Running parallel to the main street to the north is another shopping street. Here, I wandered into the old herbal medicine shop. I’d visited one of these a few days earlier in Toyama, but there wasn’t much help for English speakers in that store – Hida Furukawa was different.
The herbalist speaks a little English, but you can find out the herb names and he’ll let you try some of their teas. Sadly, as they were loose leaves, I didn’t think I could take any back to Australia, but it was delicious.
The town has many other small shops and cafes, and a lot of restaurants, so take time wandering. As with Takayama, Hida Beef is one of the local dishes to try here – but the queues will be shorter.
3. Temples, Bridges and Other Sights
There are three major temples in Hida Furukawa, including Honkouji, the largest wooden structure in the region.
Hida is known for its woodwork, particularly its carvings. Look out for the animal carvings at Shinshuji Temple, and as you’re walking around the town, spot the cloud details on the eves of many shops, houses, and other buildings. While you’re here, take a quick detour to the pretty red bridge behind it.
The third temple, Enkouji, is the oldest, mostly because the others have been destroyed by fires in the past and have had to be rebuilt.
Don’t Miss This
If you happen to be in the area on January 15th, the town holds the Santera Mairi, or Three Temple Visits, festival where people visit all three temples – with many women doing so to try and find love.
During the day, you’ll find markets, food stalls, and many people dressed in kimono (the town has a kimono rental service on that day if you want to join in).
In the evening, there is a pretty candlelit event where over 1,000 candles are lit around the town, including some floating along the canals.
4. See the Sights of Your Name
If you’re into anime, this will be a big draw for you. Your Name is an anime film where a young girl in a rural town and a boy in Tokyo manage to switch bodies and live as each other for random days.
While it’s set in a fictional area, some of the scenes are based on backgrounds in the town. Those who have seen the film will recognise the station taxi rank, the bridge overlooking the train tracks and the station itself. The restaurant Ajidokoro Furukawa also appears – it’s where the characters eat mochi, and you can order it here as well.
There are a number of other locations in town that you might want to visit, and the Tourist Information Office can help you with a list and add them to the map.
You can also buy Your Name memorabilia at the Hida Furkawa Sakura Gift Shop who also offer bracelet-making classes inspired by the film.
It took me about 2.5 hours to do all of the above in Hida Furakawa. I then headed back to the station for the train to Takayama—they don’t come that often, so make sure you check the timetable. If you have time to kill at the station, there is a small art museum and sculpture garden on the other side of the footbridge over the tracks.
If you have longer, you can also take a cycling tour that takes you out into the countryside outside the town. You’ll cycle past farms and rice fields and get a real sense of rural life in Japan. It sounds fabulous. Check it out here if you’re better at steering things with wheels than I am.
Can You Stay in Hida Furukawa?
There are a number of holiday homes, small hotels and guesthouses in the town, and it would be a lovely, quiet place to stay compared to Takayama, which can seem busy, especially when the tour buses arrive.
The reviews of all the places on booking.com are exceptional!
You might want to look at Satoyama Stay Nino-Machi which offers very stylish room with tatami mat flooring in the seating area, low, but western beds in the sleeping area and a balcony overlooking the roofs of the town.
Or, check out Yatsusankan which offers Japanese-style rooms with their own toilet – but some rooms, don’t have their own bath or shower. The hotel does have a public indoor and onsen bath though.
The suites come with a private hot tub – and most of them also have a balcony or, seating area next to a large open window.
So there you have it, my guide to taking a day trip to Hida Furukawa. I hope it inspired you to visit the gorgeous town on your trip.
Need Extra Planning Help?
Our Japan trip planners can help. You might like our First-Timers Japan Planner, which will help you plan your trip to Tokyo, Kyoto and Osaka step-by-step, including tips on everything from picking hotels to sightseeing and dining. Or our super-duper Tokyo Disney Planner makes arranging your park trip MUCH easier. Find them in our Planners store – printable and digital versions are available.
