Kamikochi - serene escape in heart of Japanese Alps

Kamikochi nestled within the breathtaking Japanese Alps offers a serene escape from Japan's bustling tourist hotspots like Kyoto and Tokyo.

With a record 35 million international visitors anticipated in Japan this year, Kamikochi offers a serene escape from some of the country's more crowded tourist spots, Caliber.Az reports via foreign media.

Set in the Japanese Alps at an elevation of 1,500 meters, this seasonal resort town is a picturesque, car-free haven characterized by cool, crisp mountain air, riverside hiking paths, and numerous Japanese snow monkeys. There are no private residences, permanent inhabitants, or chain stores—no McDonald's, Starbucks, or Burger King.

Instead, Kamikochi serves as a refuge from the oppressive summer heat that affects much of Japan, and it is famous for its stunning autumn foliage, which reaches its peak in October. 

Kamikochi has been a green sanctuary since 1975 when private cars and motorcycles were prohibited to tackle increasing traffic and visitor numbers while preserving the area's tranquility. In fact, conservation efforts date back to 1875, when the former logging town outlawed tree felling to maintain its natural beauty. By 1909, laws were enacted to protect alpine plants, and in 1916, it became the first area in Japan to be officially designated as a "protection forest."

To combat littering and poor visitor behavior, the Kamikochi Beautification Association was founded in 1963. In the 1970s, the number of hotels and inns was limited to 17, which remains the count today, along with two campsites; there are no Airbnbs available.   Kamikochi has an inclusive atmosphere as almost everyone arrives by bus; if you drive, you'll need to park about half an hour away and take a bus anyway.

When to Visit: Kamikochi is open from April 27 to November 15. Spring brings beautiful wildflowers, summer offers perfect weather, and October showcases stunning autumn colors. 

Activities: Hiking and birdwatching are the primary attractions. There are several flat trails along the Azusa River, along with more challenging hikes for experienced mountaineers. 

Dining: Most visitors have breakfast and dinner at their hotels since accommodations typically include half-board. For lunch, Kamonjigoya is great for grilled fish and fresh soba noodles, while Tokusawa Inn serves excellent curries and fried rice.

Accommodation: The Nishi-itoya Mountain Lodge is an affordable option in the town center with both private and shared rooms. For a more luxurious stay, the grand Kamikochi Imperial Hotel, established in 1933, offers elegant accommodations in a prime location. 

We crossed the Kappa Bridge, named after Akutagawa's novel, and immediately navigated through a crowd of tourists wielding selfie sticks. It seemed that Kamikochi wasn’t quite as off the beaten path as we had hoped, although it was a Saturday at noon, which is rarely the best time to find solitude.  

We decided to plan three easy hikes—one for each day of our stay—while steering clear of the steep, challenging climbs up Mt. Jonen, Mt. Chogatake, Mt. Oku-Hotakadake, and others. (The national park features 40 peaks over 2,400 meters high.) During our first hike to Myojin Pond, I experienced the exhilarating travel high I crave as a dedicated traveler, encountering groups of playful Japanese snow monkeys along the river trail. 

The temperature was a pleasant 18°C, and the fresh mountain air was a refreshing change from the humid streets of Takayama. Kamikochi is also a prime birdwatching location, and we could hear what a birder identified as Japanese bush warblers singing their distinctive “hoo-ke-kyo.”   In 2023, Kamikochi welcomed 1.3 million visitors, mostly from Japan.

In contrast, over 100 million people typically visit Mt. Fuji each year, which, alongside Kamikochi, is recognized by Japan's Cultural Affairs Agency as both a Special Place of Scenic Beauty and a Special Natural Monument. We were delighted to find that many visitors to Kamikochi were day-trippers who left by late afternoon. After the initial influx of tourists at Kappa Bridge that first day, the area didn’t feel overly crowded or commercialized.

By Naila Huseynova