North Gifu · Okuhida Onsen-goNo.781★★★Open in map →

Shinhotaka Ropeway

natureThe classic — done right

Two ropeway lines climb out of the Okuhida hot-spring valley to a viewing station on the rim of the Northern Alps. The upper line runs the only double-decker gondola in Japan, and it is open through the whole year, snow or not.

FromTakayama Station
~90 minNohi Bus, about hourly
Get off atShinhotaka Ropeway (Nohi Bus terminus)
From there
Shinhotaka Ropeway

Directions ↗

Where it is

18 more notes in Gifu · open the map →

What to look for — in walking order

Nishihotaka-guchi Station rooftop deck663highland / CC BY 2.5

Shinhotaka Onsen Stationthe valley-floor terminus in front of the bus stop, where the first line starts
Nabedaira Kogen and Shirakabadairathe mid-mountain plateau, with a foot bath, a bakery and the boarding hall for the upper line
The two-storey cabinan upper and a lower deck on one gondola, unique in Japan, working the long second span
Nishihotaka-guchi rooftop deckthe roof of the summit station, open on every side toward Yarigatake and the Hotaka peaks
Sengoku-enchi and Itadaki-no-Moria boardwalk loop through alpine forest just outside the top station, with viewing decks cut into the trees

How to actually get there

Takayama Nohi Bus Center → Shinhotaka Ropeway (Nohi Bus, Shinhotaka line, about 90 min, last stop).
Shinhotaka Onsen Station → Nabedaira Kogen Station on the first line.
Walk through to Shirakabadaira Station and take the double-decker cabin up to Nishihotaka-guchi.
Nishihotaka-guchi Station → rooftop deck and the Sengoku-enchi boardwalk, then back down the same way.

Nohi Bus from Takayama: Takayama Nohi Bus Center →(Nohi Bus, Shinhotaka line, about 90 minutes)→ Shinhotaka Ropeway, the last stop. Buses run roughly once an hour through the day and no reservation is needed for departures from Takayama. Fares shift with the season, so read the board at the bus centre before you buy.
Back down to Takayama: The same line runs in reverse from the Shinhotaka Ropeway stop. Departures thin out through the late afternoon, so fix your return bus before you buy a ropeway ticket. In winter, snow on the pass and traffic in Takayama can add a long delay.

Directions from my location (Google Maps) ↗

About the place

Shinhotaka Ropeway lifts passengers from Shinhotaka Onsen, in the Okuhida hot-spring district of Takayama, up to Nishihotaka-guchi Station at 2,156 metres. The climb is split in two. A short first line rises to a plateau on the valley wall, and a second, far longer span then hangs over forest and gorge to the top. The cabin on that upper line carries an upper and a lower deck, and passengers move between the two as the valley falls away. At the summit the station roof is itself the viewing platform, with Yarigatake and the Hotaka ridge lined up in front of it. Because the line runs through the whole year, the same ride reads as two different mountains in July and in February.

How to enjoy it

In the main season the first cars leave at 8:30 and the last down-run is in the late afternoon. Cabins shuttle on a fixed repeating pattern rather than on demand, so pick the car you want to catch back down and work the boardwalk at the top around it. Closures are announced on the day, so check before you leave the valley floor.

Background & history

The line opened in 1970. It was built by a development company set up in the early 1960s to put the high Okuhida within reach of ordinary travellers rather than climbers; until then the peaks above Shinhotaka belonged to people who could walk for a day. The second line was rebuilt in 1998, and the two-storey cabins introduced then are still the ropeway's signature. The summit station and its deck have been renovated again since. The whole route lies inside Chubu-Sangaku National Park.

Before you go

Cash: A round trip covering both lines was 3,800 yen for an adult at the last check, with a separate charge for luggage over six kilograms. Tickets are sold at the counter in the valley-floor station and online in advance.
Good to know: The top is a different climate from the valley — carry a layer even in August. Wind, lightning, heavy snow and scheduled maintenance all stop the cars, and the operator posts the day's status before the first departure.
Another way: From Matsumoto, ride to Hirayu Onsen and change there onto the Shinhotaka line. Drivers come up the valley and leave the car at the Shinhotaka Onsen car park, a short walk from the first line's ticket hall.
After you get off: The bus sets you down at Shinhotaka Ropeway, the end of the route. The ticket hall for the first line is a level walk of well under two minutes from the stop.

Nearby notes

Nature · Nagano★★★