Japan
Alpine Route

Fuji and the Five Lakes

Pick up your rental car in Tokyo (or at the airport) and drive southwest. Stop at Hakone, a hot spring resort in the mountains above Odawara. The Hakone Ropeway crosses a volcanic valley where sulphur vents steam and the smell of rotten eggs is considered therapeutic. On a clear day, Fuji appears above the lake. Try an outdoor rotenburo bath at one of the ryokan here, even if you're not staying the night.

Continue to the Fuji Five Lakes region, specifically Lake Kawaguchiko, which offers the best views of the mountain. The Chureito Pagoda viewpoint (398 steps up, the number matters when you're carrying a camera) gives the iconic photograph: a red five-storey pagoda with Fuji behind, framed by cherry blossoms in April or autumn leaves in November. The mountain is famously shy and often hides behind clouds. Check the weather forecast and set an alarm for dawn. The reflection in the lake at sunrise, when the air is still and Fuji reveals itself, is the moment that justifies the early wake-up. Try houtou noodles, a thick flat noodle soup with pumpkin and vegetables that's the local specialty.

• Hakone Onsen - Hot springs with volcanic valley views. Rotenburo outdoor baths. Ropeway across Owakudani.
• Chureito Pagoda - 398 steps. The iconic Fuji photograph. Best at dawn or during cherry blossom / autumn leaf season.
• Lake Kawaguchiko - Best Fuji views, boat rides, lakeside cycling. North shore for the classic reflection shot.
• Oshino Hakkai - Eight spring-fed ponds with crystal-clear water and traditional thatched houses. Thirty minutes from the lake.

Into the Japanese Alps

Drive north into the mountains to Matsumoto, home to one of Japan's most beautiful original castles. Matsumoto Castle (the "Black Crow") dates from the 16th century and is one of only twelve original castles remaining in Japan. The black exterior reflected in the moat is striking. The interior is accessible via steep wooden stairs and gives views across the city to the Northern Alps. Nakamachi Street nearby has traditional merchant houses converted into craft shops, cafes, and soba noodle restaurants.

Continue into the Northern Alps to Kamikochi, a pristine mountain valley that Japan treats with the reverence it deserves. Private vehicles are restricted: you park at the entrance and take a shuttle bus into the valley. What you find is a river (the Azusa) so clear you can count stones on the bottom, a series of flat walking trails through old-growth forest, and mountain peaks (Hotaka at 3,190m) rising on both sides. The Kappa Bridge is the starting point for most walks and the classic photograph. Stay at a mountain lodge in the valley or at Hirayu Onsen nearby (hot springs in a mountain village, as good as it sounds).

• Matsumoto Castle - Original 16th-century castle. Black exterior, wooden interior. One of Japan's twelve surviving originals. ¥700 entry.
• Nakamachi Street - Traditional merchant houses. Craft shops, soba restaurants, sake breweries. Walkable from the castle.
• Kamikochi Valley - Pristine alpine valley. Flat trails, crystal-clear river, 3,000m peaks. Shuttle bus access only.
• Hirayu Onsen - Mountain hot springs village near Kamikochi. Outdoor baths, traditional inns, forest setting.

Edo Streets and Thatched Farmhouses

Takayama is the town that earns its nickname: "Little Kyoto of the Alps." The old town (Sanmachi Suji) is three streets of beautifully preserved Edo-period wooden buildings that now house sake breweries (look for the cedar ball above the door, which means they're open for tasting), craft shops, and restaurants. The morning markets at Miyagawa River and Jinya-mae run daily and sell local pickles, miso paste, wooden crafts, and sarubobo dolls. Takayama Jinya, the only surviving Edo-period provincial government building in Japan, is worth an hour.

Stay in a ryokan (traditional inn) with tatami rooms, futon beds, and kaiseki multi-course dinner. Ryokan dining is a ceremony: each dish is small, exquisite, and presented with an attention to colour and composition that makes you feel like you're eating an art exhibition. Try Hida beef, the local wagyu, grilled or as sushi on your hand.

Day trip to Shirakawa-go, a UNESCO World Heritage village of gassho-zukuri farmhouses. These steep thatched-roof buildings were designed to shed heavy mountain snow, and the silhouette against the mountains is immediately recognisable. Walk through the village, visit the inside of Wada House (the largest), and climb to the Shiroyama viewpoint for the aerial perspective that appears on every Japan guidebook cover. In winter, the village is illuminated at night (advance reservation required). Return to Takayama.

• Sanmachi Suji - Edo-period streets. Sake breweries, craft shops, morning markets. Takayama's soul.
• Takayama Jinya - Only surviving Edo provincial government building. Tatami rooms, gardens, courtyard. ¥440 entry.
• Shirakawa-go - UNESCO thatched farmhouses. Shiroyama viewpoint. Wada House interior. 50 min drive from Takayama.
• Hida beef - Local wagyu. Grilled, as sushi, or in ramen. Available everywhere in Takayama. Not cheap, but memorable.

The Roof of Japan

The Tateyama Kurobe Alpine Route is a 37-kilometre traverse through the Northern Alps using six different types of mountain transport: cable car, highland bus, tunnel trolley, ropeway, funicular, and electric bus. You park your car at Tateyama Station and emerge at Ogizawa on the other side. The route climbs to Murodo at 2,450m, the highest point accessible without hiking, where the views across the mountains extend to the sea on clear days.

The headline attraction is the Snow Walls (Yuki no Otani), open mid-April to late June. The road is cut through compacted snow that can reach 20 metres high. You walk between the walls and look up at a corridor of white that makes the scale feel impossible. Even outside snow season, the route is spectacular: Mikurigaike Pond (an azure crater lake), Kurobe Dam (Japan's tallest at 186m, with a dramatic water release from late June to mid-October), and mountain scenery that justifies every yen of the ~¥10,000 ticket.

From the western end, take a bus to Kanazawa. Spend two days here: Kenrokuen Garden (one of Japan's three great gardens, best in any season), the Higashi Chaya geisha district (wooden teahouses, gold leaf everything), Omicho Market (fresh seafood and the kaisendon seafood rice bowls that make you understand why Japan takes fish seriously), and the 21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art.

• Tateyama Snow Walls - Up to 20m high, mid-April to June. Walk between them. ~¥10,000 for the full traverse.
• Murodo (2,450m) - Highest point. Mikurigaike crater lake. Mountain panoramas. Hot spring at the summit.
• Kurobe Dam - Japan's tallest dam. Water release June-October. Viewing platforms. Impressive engineering.
• Kenrokuen Garden, Kanazawa - One of Japan's three great gardens. Stunning in every season. ¥320 entry.

The Ancient Capital

Take the train from Kanazawa to Kyoto (the Thunderbird limited express, 2.5 hours, or return your car in Kanazawa and take the Shinkansen via Maibara). Kyoto is not a city for driving. It is a city for walking, cycling, and buses. There are over 2,000 temples and shrines, and no number of days is enough, but two is the minimum that gives you the highlights.

Fushimi Inari Taisha: 10,000 vermillion torii gates winding up a mountain. Go at dawn (5-6am) when you'll have the lower gates nearly to yourself. The full hike takes two hours and the gates continue for the entire ascent. Kinkaku-ji (Golden Pavilion): a gold-leafed temple reflected in a mirror pond, and somehow not as kitsch as that description suggests. Arashiyama Bamboo Grove: towering bamboo forming a green cathedral. Go early or in late afternoon. Kiyomizu-dera: a wooden temple built on a hillside without nails, with views across Kyoto. Gion district: Kyoto's geisha quarter, where maiko (apprentice geisha) in full dress occasionally appear on the wooden-fronted streets in the evening.

Eat kaiseki (multi-course haute cuisine), matcha everything (ice cream, tiramisu, lattes), and end with Nishiki Market, a covered market stretching six blocks where the vendors have been selling pickles, tofu, and street food for centuries. End your Japan Alpine Route here. You'll leave planning when to come back.

• Fushimi Inari Taisha - 10,000 vermillion gates. Go at dawn. Full hike 2 hours. Free entry. Japan's most visited shrine.
• Kinkaku-ji (Golden Pavilion) - Gold-leafed temple on a mirror pond. ¥500 entry. Morning light is best.
• Arashiyama Bamboo Grove - Towering bamboo cathedral. Walk through. Go early or late to avoid peak crowds.
• Gion District - Geisha quarter. Wooden teahouses, evening strolls. Respect the maiko (no chasing for photos).