Shoryu Dou Trips from Nagoya

Have you ever heard of Shoryu Dou (昇竜道), or Rising Dragon's Route?  This is the magnificent trip the City of Nagoya has been promoting.  The trip from Nagoya, as a starting point, features a route going north to the Hokuriku Region, or the Sea of Japan, as if a dragon were rising from Nagoya to that Region.

This Rising Dragon's route brings you fortune and good luck, and indeed brings you happiness through viewing Japanese old architectures and great scenery, eating unique food, and feeling touched by Japanese warm heart and hospitality (Japanese: Omotenashi) on the way.

Japanese people are, in general, said to be kind and show hospitality to visitors to Japan.  Indeed, Tune in Nagoya has made friendly acquaintances and friends in Japan, but we can definitely say that people in the Hokuriku Reagion are truly nice.  Why?  Probably, they are very patient even at the time of emergency, and therefore more receptive.  The severe winter weather there might contribute to their characteristics.  There is no doubt that once you travel there, you will find out what we mean!!

To make this trip very cost-effective, you should get the following Regional Pass  by Central Japan Railway Company (JR Central).  

Takayama Hokuriku Pass

This Pass costs 15000 yen (adults) and 7500 yen (children) upon its purchase in Japan.  When you buy this Pass before coming into Japan, you just pay 14000 yen (adults) and 7000 yen (children) on this Tourist Pass website.  This Pass is valid for 5 consecutive days for conventional JR train rides and Shinkansen (English: Bullet Train) ride between Shin Toyama Staion, Toyama Prefecture and Kanzawa Station, Ishikawa Prefecture. 

As the Map (scroll down of the page and check the map) shows, with this Pass, you can make a literally ROUND trip from Nagoya, up to Hokuriku Region (like a dragon) and go west and down to Kyoto and Osaka.  Of course, you can reach Kansai Airport to fly back home.  

NOTE: This 5-consecutive-day Pass is very useful for the ROUND trip, but you have to make some plans ahead of time about what to see in what cities on the route.  The time for train rides should be carefully considered in the planning to make your trip memorable with this cost-effective Pass.   

Recommended stops on the way up to Hokuriku Region

• Gero 
• Takayma
• Toyama
• Kanazawa

Brief Introduction of Gero and Takayama

Gero:

Japanese Old House whose roof is covered with Grass

Gero City, Gifu Prefecutre, is really famous for hot springs.  You can experience open-air hot springs (called Roten Buro, 露天風呂) in traditional Japanese inns.  You can stay at such a traditional inn, which is a quite experience but a little costly compared with economical business hotel.  Or, you can visit one or two inns for a short-time drop-in hot spring experience (see the list of the available inns for such short-time experiences).

For this short-stay experience, Yumeguri Tegata (English: Hot Spring Pass) is also available.  You can pick and try three differnt hot springs listed on the Pass for 1300 yen.  This Yumeguri Pass is valid for Ogawaya (listed below), Gero Royal Hotel Miyabitei, (these two are walking distance from JR Geto Station), Yunoshima Kan (10 minutes by car from Geto Station), and others.
Check out the following for more detailed info about this Pass and the Map. 

The list for short-stay hot spring experience;
Ogawaya (1000 yen), which is listed on Yumeguri Pass
Gero Onsen Bosenkan (1000 yen)
Kaiseki Yado Suihouen (860 yen)
Gero Onsen Kusakabe Arumeria (2250 yen)
Gero Onsene Yamagataya (1000 yen)

Also free places are available:  
Funsen Chi (Free but bathing suits are required)
Gero Onsen Ashiyu no Sato Yuamiya (free, only for foot bath)

Takayama:

Two Must-See Places: Sanmachi Suji District and Takayama Jinya

Takayama City is very famous for traditional wooden houses, which comprise a famous districts called Sanmachi Suji District and Takayama Jinya.  The Sammachi District basically features merchants' houses, while the Jinya District features government office buildings (of course, old wooden structures) and Samurai houses built in the Edo Period (1603-1868), where merchants were financially better off but ranked lower than low-ranking Samurai Warriors.  Just hanging out in these Districts while eating some unique food, such as Gohei Mochi (charcoal-grilled rice cake with sweet sesame sauce), gives you some sense what it was like back in the Edo Period.   

Takayama Festival (April 14th and 15th AND October 9th and 10th) is also very famous, which is one of the most beautiful festivals in Japan.  Decorative wooden shrine floats  called Matsuri Yatai float in the City on the day of the festival and beautiful lanterns are lit on the floats in the nighttime.

Hida Beef (marbled beef) is what you have to eat at Takayama.  The best way to eat this marbled beef is, of course, STEAK and Shabushabu (a hot pot dish thin-sliced beef being  squished).  What a quite experience!!

Brief Introduction of Toyama and Kanzawa 

Toyama:

Two Must-See Places: Toyama Castle and its Park and Unazuki/Kurobe Kyokoku (Kurobe Gorge)

Toyama City, Toyama Prefecture, has another popular castle, Toyama Castle.  The Castle is a so-called restored castle and a bit smaller than Nagoya and Osaka Castles, but the beautiful exterior and gardens attract a lot of tourists.  It is located in the center of Toyama City and a walking distance from JR Toyama Station.

Another MUST-SEE spot called Kurobe Kyokoku is in Kurobe City, which is  36 kilometers away from Toyama City, (about one and half hours by train) and is a deeply V-shaped gorge.

Torokko Train for the deepest mountainside

The Trokko Train on the Red Bridge near Kurobe Unazuki Onsen Station

From Kurobe Unagzuki Onsen Station, you can take a train by Kurobe Gorge Railway.  The train called Trokko (a mining car which was used to carry sand and ore from the mountain) goes through the deep gorge and takes you to the deepest point of the Kurobe Gorge.  The route is so narrow that you surely sense of it literally as a mining train.  You will see beautiful lakes hidden in the mountains, wild monkeys crossing the river by holding onto the rope over the river  on the way.

You can soak your exhausted body in a secluded hot spring (Babadani Onsen), which is located at the last stop of the Torroko Station.  Or you can at one of the famous hot spring inns, Unazuki Onasen (Unazaki Hot Spring).

This video channel features the beauty of Toyama.  Please check this out!!

Kanazawa:

Two Must-See Places: Kanazawa Castle and Kenroku-en Garden

This huge wooden gate welcomes you at Kanazawa Station.
The triangle-shaped strings like a hot covering a tree (discussed below)
 are a unique device for tree protection from snow.    

Kanazawa City, Ishikawa Prefecture, was developed and recognized in the Edo Period (1603-1868) as a castle town (Jyokamachi in Japanese) for Samurai Lord and his warriors.  Since then Kanazawa Lord (the Kaga Clan) had a very close relationship with the Tokugawa clan (the founder and ruler the Tokugwa Shognate), Kanazawa had power over other regional lords and  was well respected.  The symbol of its power is represented by Kanazawa Castle.  The Castle's black and white exterior adds a profound charm to the nobleness and dignity of the Kaga Clan.  

Besides beautifully preserved historical architectures, Kanzawa City has excellent  gardens.  Kenroku-en Garden is one of the Three Great Gardens in Japan, along with Kairaku-en Garden in Mito, Ibaragi Prefecture  and Koraku-en Garden in         Okayama, Okayama Prefecture.  Visitors are amazed by its beauty all the year round, but the Garden in wintertime is really breath-taking.  Some special technique used to protect its pine trees from snow (which looks like a bamboo hat for the trees) definitely shows Japanese love for nature.

This youtube channel beautifully features the profound charms of Kanazawa City.  Please chcek  this out!

Regarding other MUST stops, please check out our previous short introductions of Kyoto and Osaka.