This massive dam, completed in 1963, is central to the Tateyama-Kurobe Alpine Route.
Lonely Planet's must-see attractions
28.33 MILES
Must-see Matsumoto-jō is Japan's oldest wooden castle and one of four castles designated National Treasures – the others are Hikone, Himeji and Inuyama…
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26.51 MILES
Comprising three sub-shrines, Togakushi-Hōkōsha, Togakushi-Chūsha and Togakushi-Okusha, each a few kilometres apart, Togakushi-jinja honours the 1911m…
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14.56 MILES
This popular art museum showcases the work of Chihiro Iwasaki (1918–74), who became world-renowned while specialising in children's-book illustrations…
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20.87 MILES
Fancy some wasabi wine or ice cream? This farm, a 15-minute bike ride from JR Hotaka Station, is a must for wasabi-lovers. An English map guides you among…
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27.61 MILES
Housing more than 100,000 woodblock prints, paintings, screens and old books, this renowned museum exhibits but a fraction of its collection. The museum…
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28.04 MILES
This hilltop temple has a wonderful outlook, but you've come to see the 500-plus stone statues of rakan (Buddha's disciples) lined up in the forest. It's…
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28.6 MILES
Nawate-dōri, a few blocks south from the castle, is a popular street for a stroll. Vendors along this riverside walk sell antiques, souvenirs, and…
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28.98 MILES
This sleek museum has a good collection of the work of Japanese artists, many of whom hail from Matsumoto or whose art depicts scenes of the surrounding…
Nearby Kanazawa & the Hokuriku Coast attractions
14.56 MILES
This popular art museum showcases the work of Chihiro Iwasaki (1918–74), who became world-renowned while specialising in children's-book illustrations…
19.61 MILES
Ten minutes' walk north from JR Hotaka Station, Rokuzan Bijutsukan showcases the work of Meiji-era sculptor Rokuzan Ogiwara (1879–1910; aka the 'Rodin of…
20.87 MILES
Fancy some wasabi wine or ice cream? This farm, a 15-minute bike ride from JR Hotaka Station, is a must for wasabi-lovers. An English map guides you among…
25.75 MILES
Although it's nestled among cedars apparently close to the village, Hōkōsha, the pretty lower sub-shrine of Togakushi-jinja, is reached via 274 ancient,…
26.18 MILES
From Okusha bus stop it's 2km (40 minutes' walk) to Okusha (meaning 'Upper Shrine') – the innermost of the three sub-shrines making up Togakushi-jinja –…
26.44 MILES
Admission to Hirayu Onsen's only attraction, a quaint museum of folk memorabilia, includes entrance to a rather lovely and lesser-known little rotemburo …
26.51 MILES
Comprising three sub-shrines, Togakushi-Hōkōsha, Togakushi-Chūsha and Togakushi-Okusha, each a few kilometres apart, Togakushi-jinja honours the 1911m…
26.52 MILES
One of the three sub-shrines of Togakushi-jinja, intimate Chūsha, meaning 'middle shrine', is the most accessible, located prominently in the centre of…