Chubu

The Chubu region is in the center of Honshu Island and extends to the west to the shores of the Sea of Japan.  In total there are nine prefectures in the Chubu Region, they are Aichi, Fukui, Gifu, Ishikawa, Nagano, Niigata, Shizuoka, Toyama, and Yamanashi.

The top destinations for travelers in Chubu, broken down by prefecture, are:

• Aichi Prefecture:
  • Nagoya – the 4^th most populated city in Japan and the capital of Aichi Prefecture. Nagoya was a castle town during the Edo Period and is home to famous Nagoya Castle, Atsuta Shrine, Legoland, and a Science Museum with one of the world’s largest planetariums.
• Fukui Prefecture:
  • Fukui – the capital city of Fukui Prefecture and home to Eiheiji Temple, Maruoka Castle and a Dinosaur Museum.
• Gifu Prefecture:
  • Shirakawa-go and Gokayama – a designated UNESCO world heritage site famous for traditional gassho-zukuri farmhouses, with some older than 250 years
  • Takayama – a beautiful city located in the mountainous area of Hida, Takayama has a historically preserved Old Town with buildings dating back to the Edo Period and holds one of the best Japanese festivals twice a year in April and October
• Ishikawa Prefecture:
  • Kanazawa – this city rich in culture and history has the best landscape garden in Japan, Kenrokuen. It also has the Higashi Chaya District with Teahouses and Geisha performances.
  • Kaga Onsen – this is actually a collection of 4 hot spring towns with the hot springs having been discovered over 1300 years ago.
• Nagano Prefecture:
  • Yamanouchi – home to the famous Jigokudani Monkey Park where you can view the wild monkeys bathing in the natural hot spring baths or visit Shiga Kogen Resort, the largest ski resort in Japan and host to the slalom and giant slalom events of the 1998 Nagano Winter Olympics.
  • Nagano – capital city of Nagano Prefecture and host of the 1998 winter Olympics.
• Niigata Prefecture:
  • Yuzawa – less than 2 hours from Tokyo, this ski resort town offers deep powder skiing, usually mid November to late May
• Shizuoka Prefecture:
  • Izu Peninsula – a famous hot spring resort are with beautiful coastlines and beaches located only a 10km from Tokyo
• Toyama Prefecture:
  • Alpine Route – this amazing route through the Northern Japan Alps is travelled through various means including cable cars, trolley buses, and a ropeway. It provides a tremendous view of the Tateyama Mountain Range.
• Yamanashi Prefecture:
  • Mount Fuji – the most iconic visual landmark in Japan
  • Fuji Five Lakes – a resort area at the northern base of Mount Fuji and a great place to view the mountain up close and to use as a base camp if you are climbing the mountain