Things to Do in Chubu, Japan
Central Japan: Mount Fuji, the Japan Alps, historic post towns and the Sea of Japan coast.
105 destinations across 9 prefectures
Festivals in Chubu
© Bernard Gagnon / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0)
Takayama Matsuri
9 to 10 October 2026
Gifu · Float procession
© Koichi_Hayakawa / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 4.0)
Nagaoka Fireworks
2 to 3 August 2027
Niigata · Fireworks festival
© 信州高原青馬写真クラブ / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0)
Lake Suwa Fireworks
15 August 2027
Nagano · Fireworks festival
© Kropsoq (talk) / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 3.0)
Katakai Fireworks
10 to 11 September 2027
Niigata · Fireworks festival
Suggested Itineraries
Places to Visit in Chubu
Kurobe Gorge
Japan's Deepest V-Shaped Gorge
Japan's deepest V-shaped gorge traversed by a scenic trolley train through sweeping mountain scen...
Tateyama Kurobe Alpine Route
A spectacular mountain transit route through the Northern Japan Alps with towering snow walls and...
Toyama Glass Art Museum
A museum designed by architect Kengo Kuma, featuring intricate timber lattice interiors and accla...
Atami
Atami - Tokyo's Seaside Hot Spring Escape, Reborn
A classic seaside onsen city 45 minutes from Tokyo by shinkansen, experiencing a vibrant renaissa...
Shimoda
Shimoda - Where Japan Opened to the World
The historic port where Commodore Perry's Black Ships arrived in 1854, opening Japan to internati...
Sado Island Gold Mine
Once Japan's largest gold mine producing gold for the Tokugawa shogunate, the Sado Island Gold Mi...
Kanazawa Castle
Maeda Clan Castle with White Lead Roof Tiles
The castle of the wealthy Maeda clan, featuring beautifully reconstructed gates and turrets with ...
Obuse
A charming small town in northern Nagano famous for the Hokusai Museum, beautifully landscaped st...
Saiko Iyashi no Sato Nenba
Saiko Iyashi no Sato Nenba is a restored thatched-roof village at the northwestern base of Mount ...
Shirakawa-go
UNESCO Thatched-Roof Village
UNESCO World Heritage village with traditional gassho-zukuri thatched-roof farmhouses in a remote...
Zenko-ji
Zenko-ji Temple
One of Japan's most important and popular temples, home to the first Buddhist statue ever brought...
Jigokudani Monkey Park
Snow Monkeys Bathing in Hot Springs
The world-famous site where wild Japanese macaques bathe in natural hot springs, especially photo...
Chureito Pagoda
Standing five stories tall against the backdrop of Japan's best-known mountain, Chureito Pagoda o...
Gujo Hachiman
Gujo Hachiman - Castle Town of Dance and Crystal Waters
A scenic Gifu castle town famous for its clear waterways, the all-night Gujo Odori dance festival...
Tojinbo Cliffs
Dramatic volcanic columnar basalt cliffs stretching one kilometer along the Sea of Japan coast, a...