In the area at the foot of the sacred Mt. Hakusan, you can enjoy spectacular nature, including waterfalls and gorges, as well as a lifestyle that is unique to mountain villages. It is advisable to take a sightseeing taxi or rent a car.

Hakusan Shirakawa-go White Road

This is a 33.3 km toll road connecting Hakusan City, Ishikawa Prefecture and Shirakawa Village, Gifu Prefecture.
The whole length of the road is paved and wide enough for large buses, and you can also enjoy driving along it.
On the route there are a number of famous waterfalls, including Ubagataki and Fukube-no-Otaki, as well as a vast expanse of beech forest. Near the prefectural border, there is a breathtaking view of the summit of Mt. Hakusan. You can walk from parking lots along the route to intriguing places such as the summit of Mt. Sanpoiwadake or the Oyatani-no-yu outdoor natural hot spring. This driving route surrounded by nature extends to the village of Shirakawa-go with thatched-roof houses, a UNESCO World Heritage Site in Gifu Prefecture.

* "Oyatani-no-yu" is a 15-minute walk from "Jadani Garden Parking Area" along the Hakusan Shirakawa-go White Road. Steep steps take you to the hot spring.

Address Chugu, Hakusan
Open [Jun. ~ Aug.] 7:00am ~ 6:00pm [Sep. ~ Nov.]8:00~ 5:00pm
Closed Mid Nov. ~ Mid Jun.
Admission Standard size car: ¥1,600, Light vehicle: ¥1,400, Minibus: ¥4,900, Large size bus: ¥10,800
Access By car: 80min-ride from JR Matto Station, 90min-ride south on Route 157 from Hakusan IC
Tel 076-256-7341
Web site http://hs-whiteroad.jp/

Tedori Gorge

Tedori Gorge is a gorge with steep cliffs of about 20 to 30 meters in height that were formed by vertical erosion caused by rapid river flow. The view is particularly stunning here for about eight kilometers along the Tedori River, which flows from Mt. Hakusan into the Sea of Japan. Near Furo-bashi Bridge the gorge is spectacular. River rafting can be enjoyed during the summer.

Address Kamashimizu-machi, Hakusan
Access Kaga-hakusan bus: 2min-walk from Komon-bashi/ By car: 50min-ride from JR Matto Station, 50min-ride south on Route 157 from Hakusan IC Note: The landmark is Yoshino Post Office on Route 157.
Tel 076-255-5310

Watagataki Waterfall

Watagataki is a dynamic 32-meter-high waterfall in Tedori Gorge. It got its name from the fact that its water splashing down looked like wata (cotton). If you follow the trail to have a close look at the waterfall, you can feel the awe-inspiring power of nature.

Address Ho-1-4 Shimoyoshitani-machi, Hakusan
Access Kaga-hakusan bus: 8min-walk from Shimoyoshitani/ By car: 50min-ride from JR Matto Station, 50min-ride south on Route 157 from Hakusan IC
Parking 100 vehicles
Tel 076-255-5310

Hakusanroku Theme Park and Yoshioka Park

Just strolling around this park is fun. It features several zones with specific themes such as a "rock garden" inspired by the summit of Mt. Hakusan, a "big flower bed" with 1,000 pots of annual plants that produce colorful flowers from the spring through the fall, an "aquatic plant garden" where Lesser Emperor dragonflies fly over in the summer and a "coniferous forest" where you could encounter stag beetles or Japanese rhinoceros beetles.
There is a café in the park administration center located near the entrance. A long wisteria pergola that extends along Route 157 is a useful landmark for finding the park. A wisteria festival is held here every May.

Address 89 Yoshioka-nishi, Kawachimachi, Hakusan
Access Kaga-hakusan bus: 3min-walk from Yoshioka/ By car: 60min-ride from JR Matto Station, 40min-ride south on Route 157 from Hakusan IC
Parking 160 vehicles
Tel 076-272-3637

Hakusanroku Theme Park and Yoshino Auto Campground

You can enjoy camping or BBQing in rich natural surroundings at the foot of Mt. Hakusan. Facilities such as hot showers, washing machines, dryers, charcoal and gas cartridges are available (charged), and the site is wheelchair accessible. The campground has both vehicle and tent campsites. At the "BBQ Site," sets of barbecuing food are available (reservation required).
A variety of events are organized every Saturday during the summer vacation.
Nearby there are places where you can enjoy hot springs and nature, such as Tedori Gorge and Bird Humming Torigoe.

Address To-92-5 Yoshino, Hakusan
Open [Auto site/ Free site] Overnight: 12:00pm ~ 10:00am on the next day, Day use: 12:00pm~ 5:00pm
[Barbecue site] 10:00am ~ 5:00pm
Closed Winter
Fee [Auto site] Overnight: ¥5,000 Day use: ¥2,500
[Free site] Overnight ¥2,000 Day use: ¥1,000
[Barbecue site] ¥2,500 per barbecue
Access Kaga-hakusan bus: 5min-walk from Komon-bashi/ By car: 50min-ride from JR Matto Station, 50min-ride south on Route 157 from Hakusan IC
Parking 70 vehicles
Tel 076-255-5353

Bird Humming Torigoe

This leisure center has the hot spring facility "Kobo-no-yu," which is equipped with a sauna, a BBQ area that can accommodate up to 200 people (reservation required), and six sand-filled artificial-grass tennis courts (reservation required). Tedori Gorge is nearby.

Address Ya-74 Kamino-machi, Hakusan
Open 12:00pm ~ 9:00pm
Closed 3rd Wednesday (if it is a holiday, the following day)
* Barbecue site and tennis courts are closed from Dec. to Mar.
Admission [Bath] Adults: ¥370 Primary school students: ¥100 3-year old or older: ¥50
[Tennis court] ¥1,200/hr
Access Community bus "Megûru": 3min-walk from Bird Humming Torigoe/ By car: 50min-ride from JR Matto Station, 50min-ride south on Route 157 from Hakusan IC
Parking 100 vehicles
Tel 076-254-2146

"Chugu Museum" Nature Conservation Center

You can virtually experience the beech forest of Mt. Hakusan in the area called "Mori-ni-asobu," where you can touch real animal hair, touch and compare tree trunks, and listen to the sounds of insects or the chirping of birds. In the "Haku-san-to Ikiru" area, you can time-travel into a classroom from days gone by and learn how people lived their lives in the area at the foot of Mt. Hakusan. Other exhibits include a reproduction of an avalanche and a presentation of riparian creatures and alpine plants. Everything is displayed in a way that makes the visitor's experience fun.

Address O-9 Chugu, Hakusan
Open 9:00am ~ 4:30pm
Closed Closed in Mid Nov. ~End of Apr. (winter season)
Admission Free
Access By car: 70min-ride from JR Matto Station, 70min-ride south on Route 157 from Hakusan IC
Parking 30 vehicles
Tel 076-256-7111
Chugu Guide Walk

You can take a tour of Jadani Nature Observation Park with a knowledgeable guide.
Tour: Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays between May and November 10th (Tour could be cancelled when other events take place.)
Time: 10:00am~12:00pm and 1:00pm~3:00pm for 30 minutes to 2 hours (depending on your preference)
Participation fee: Free
Please drop by before you enter Hakusan Shirakawa-Go White Road.

Torigoe Ikkōikki History Museum

The Ikkōikki History Museum serves as a guide to the Torigoe Castle Ruins and Futoge Castle, designated as a National Historic Site. In the museum's "guidance room," the history of Ikkōikki rioting at the foot of Mt. Hakusan can be viewed in a 20-minute video clip. Any age group from children to the elderly can learn the history easily.

Address Kou-26 Deai-machi, Hakusan
Open 9:00am ~ 5:00pm
Closed Monday (if it is a holiday, the following day), Year end and New Year's holidays and the period of exhibit change
Admission Adults: ¥300 (group of 15 or more people: ¥250)
Junior high school students or younger: Free
Access By car: 40min-ride from JR Matto Station, 50min-ride south on Route 157 from Hakusan IC
Parking 30 vehicles
Tel 076-254-8020

Hakusan City Museum of Farming Culture

This museum, located just across from the Ikkōikki History Museum, has displays on farming and exhibits of everyday tools used in the early Showa Period. You can see how local people used to live in the Torigoe area. You can also enjoy folktales in the local dialect.

Address Kou -33 Deai-machi, Hakusan
Open 9:00am ~ 4:30pm
Closed Monday (if it is a holiday, the following day)
Admission Free
Access By car: 40min-ride from JR Matto Station, 50min-ride south on Route 157 from Hakusan IC
Parking Available
Tel 076-254-2953

Yoshino Art & Craft Village

This is the perfect place to drop by on the way to your destination. A variety of works by craft artists are exhibited outdoors in a large lawn area called "Performance Hiroba." At the "Furusato-kobo workshop," crafts are exhibited and sold. You can try creating something on your own in the ceramics, washi paper or glass workshop. "Uzura-so House," a private house from the mid Edo Period, was relocated here, and can now be used as a venue for cultural events.

Address 29 Yoshinoharu, Hakusan
Open 10:00am ~ 5:00pm
Closed Tuesday (if it is a holiday, the following day), Year end and New Year's holidays
Access Kaga-hakusan bus: Yoshino Kogei-no-sato/ By car: 50min-ride from JR Matto Station, 50min-ride south on Route 157 from Hakusan IC
Parking 40 vehicles
Tel 076-255-5319

Oboku Cedar Tree

This cedar is a natural monument designated by the central government. It is called Oboke-sugi or Oboku-sugi because it looks like a rice offering for Buddha (Oboke or Obuku). It is also known as sakasa-sugi or "upside-down cedar." The name is said to come from the fact that each branch of the tree first hangs down and then extends upward. When you walk around beneath the tree, you can clearly see how big the main trunk is and how its branches extend in all directions. It is not only a national natural monument; it has also been selected as one of "the New Japan 100 Most Beautiful Trees." This giant 18.8-meter-tall tree with a trunk of 7.6 meters in circumference is over 660 years old and one of the so-called "power spots".

Iwama Funsento-gun (sinter cones)

Special Natural Monument of Japan
The lime content in the nearly 100-degree-Celsius hot spring water is precipitated and converted into tufa towers. The stark contrast between white and green caused by the chemical composition of the towers is so amazing that we are awestruck by the natural wonder. There is currently no access, because the road is closed.

Address Ozou, Hakusan
Access By car: 80min-ride from JR Matto Station and 90min-walk
Parking Iwama-onsen parking lot
Tel 076-274-9579

Mint Reino with a Herb Garden and a Forest of Melodies

This is a place where clean fresh air at the foot of Mt. Hakusan meets the soothing scent of herbs and beautiful melodies coming out of music boxes. You can enjoy healthy dishes made from local ingredients at the restaurant.
Why don't you relax your body and mind through music-box therapy or yoga?

Address Kou-58 Onabara, Hakusan
Open 10:00am ~ 4:00pm (Sat, Sun and holidays: until 4:30pm)
Closed Wednesday and Winter (Dec. ~ early Apr.)
Access Kaga-hakusan bus: Sena/ By car: 60min-ride from JR Matto Station
Parking 30 vehicles
Tel 076-256-7660