Japan Adventure Travel: Latest News & Everything You Need To Know
Stretching more than 3,000km north to south, Japan is a diverse country of varied landscapes. Most famous for its massive cities and temple towns, Japan is also a strikingly beautiful country where it pays dividends to escape the urban sprawl and explore its mountains, forests, rivers and coastline. With seventy percent of the country considered mountainous, the cities might get most of the attention but make no mistake, this is a country dominated by beautiful landscapes where it pays to seek-out a little adventure.
From world-class skiing and snowboarding to outstanding hiking and mountaineering, rafting, wildlife experiences and more, Japan has loads to offer when it comes to adventure travel including experiences that straddle and blur the line between adventure, culture and spirituality in uniquely Japanese ways. On this page, you will find the following information:
2 / Central Japan: Adventure Travel Hot-Spot
3 / Recommended Adventure Travel Destinations
4 / Best Outoodr & Adventure Experiences in Japan
5 / Book with Us! Nagano’s No.1 Tour & Charter Operator
No matter where you choose to go and what you choose to do, we hope the following information helps you plan and book your adventure!
1 / LATEST UPDATES & DEALS
Based in Nagano and operating all year round, we’re here to keep you up-to-date, so you can plan and book your adventure in Japan with confidence:
June 4 2021: While it’s only the start of June, we always have one eye on winter here in Nagano and with the snow less than six short months away, it’s time to start planning and book your getaway for winter 2021/22. Click the banner below or head straight to our ‘Winter Deals in Nagano 2021/22’ page to book your getaway including accommodation, tours, transport, ski/snowboard rental, packages and more!
June 4 2021: Welcome to our new Adventure Travel pages covering everything you need to know to book your next adventure getaway to Central Japan! Blessed with most of Japan’s tallest mountains, pristine forests and waterways, multiple national parks and the most ski resorts of any region in the country, Central Japan is without question an adventure travel hot spot. We hope you find the following pages helpful in planning your next visit and we hope to see you soon in Nagano and Central Japan!
Now let’s dive in…
2 / CENTRAL JAPAN: ADVENTURE TRAVEL HOT-SPOT
Central Japan offers more opportunities for adventure travel than any other region in the country with multiple large national parks and mountain ranges, rivers, lakes, forests and northern coastline. Also referred to as Chubu, Central Japan is our home and includes the following prefectures: Nagano, Niigata, Gifu, Toyama, Aichi, Shizuoka, Yamanishi, Fukui, and Ishikawa Prefectures. Though not considered part of Chubu, we also consider Gunma Prefecture as part of Central Japan – due to its proximity bordering Nagano and similar character as a place of mountains, forests, snow, hot springs and adventure!
Home to the majority of Japan’s tallest mountains – offering world-class skiing and snowboarding in winter and an array of outdoor adventures in spring, summer and autumn – Central Japan is the country’s true adventure travel hot spot. By itself Nagano is home to more than eighty ski resorts – the most of any prefecture in Japan – with neighbouring prefectures including Niigata, Gunma and Gifu also offering many and combining to make Central Japan a true wintersports hot spot.
Home to the majority of Japan’s tallest mountains and the ranges making-up the collective ‘Japan Alps’ it is no surprise that the region has just as much going on outside of winter, when the snow melts and the alpine landscape offers some excellent hiking and mountaineering. Many of these mountains lie within the national parks of the region including Chubu Sangaku National Park, Joshinetsu Kogen National Park, Myoko-Togakushi Renzan National Park and Fuji-Hakone-Izu National Park. The parks vary in size and character but all boast remarkable and important landscapes, home to an array of flora and fauna and plenty of adventure! Hiking, mountaineering, climbing, trail running, MTB, SUP, kayaking, rafting and more are all growing in popularity in the parks, with more and more people discovering what the region has to offer.
Central Japan can be easily accessed by train or car via the major hubs of Nagano, Toyama and Kanazawa – all stops on the Hokuriku Shinknasen line running from Tokyo – along with Nagoya – a stop on the Tokaido Shinkansen line – and Matsumoto – which reach be reached using the Limited Express Azusa service from Shinkjuku Station in Tokyo. Easy to access but a world away from the hustle and stress of the cities, Central Japan lies is the true heart of the country – a country with a real sense for adventure.
3 / RECOMMENDED ADVENTURE TRAVEL DESTINATIONS
Central Japan is a large region with plenty of great adventure travel destinations. From the ski resorts of Hakuba, Shiga Kogen, Nozawa and Myoko to the hiking and mountaineering on offer in the national parks, to nature and wildlife photography, pilgrimage trails and more, there are plenty of destinations and experiences to choose from. Our ‘Recommended Adventure Travel Destinations in Central Japan’ page is a great place to start when planning your visit.
4 / BEST OUTDOOR & ADVENTURE EXPERIENCES IN JAPAN
‘Adventure travel’ is a broad category of travel that means different things to different people. After all, one person’s adventures is another person’s boredom and clearly not everything on this list will appeal to all people. But hopefully it’ll pique your interest and get you thinking of all the fun that’s waiting for you all year round in Japan. From hiking to fishing, bird-watching to snowmobiling there’s no shortage of options when it comes to adventure travel in Japan. Our ’25 Best Outdoor & Travel Experiences in Japan’ page lists just some of the great activities waiting to be enjoyed while here!
Know what you’re looking? Then jump straight to our activity pages for: Wildlife, Bird-Watching, Horse-Riding & Fishing / Skiing, Snowboarding, Snowmobiling & Winter Fun / Hiking, Trekking, Mountaineering, Caving & Climbing / Well-Being, Spirituality & Tradition / Canoeing, Kayaking, Rafting, Canyoning & SUP / Running, Trail-Running, Cycling & Mountain-Biking (MTB) / Hot Air Ballooning, Hang-Gliding & Paragliding / Camping & Glamping
5 / BOOK WITH US! NAGANO’S NO.1 TOUR & CHARTER OPERATOR
Based in Nagano and operating all year round, we are Nagano’s No.1 tour and charter operator. We have the local knowledge of where to go, when to go and what to when when you’re there to make sure you get the most out of your adventure in Central Japan! As a registered travel agent we can arrange adventure experiences and tours, transport, accommodation and packages including ski packages to Nagano’s best ski resorts. So no matter what you’re looking for, we’ve got you covered starting with the monkeys and so much more…
Did you know that Japan has more than 500 ski resorts with the majority lying within Central Japan? Needless to say you’re spoiled for choice when it comes to choosing where to go each winter! We’re here to help you plan and book your next winter adventure with great deals and offers available each season. Our ‘Japan Ski Resorts’ page is a great place to start including regional information, resort listings and recommendations, FAQs and of course, how to book your accommodation, tour or package through us!
We’re here all year round with experiences, tours and packages available through spring, summer and autumn. With the snow gone it’s a great time to explore the national parks of Central Japan including some of Japan’s most iconic experiences including the Tateyama-Kurobe Alpine Route, Kamikochi, Kiso Valley & Nakasendo and Mount Fuji. For guests wanting to access these destinations in the comfort of their own transport, we can arrange a private tour or charter customised to fit your needs, starting and ending at any destination in the region. Our drivers and vehicles are fully certified, allowing us to transport you to and from your preferred destinations in combination with any activity that suits your schedule.
All vehicles are fitted with a protective screen – separating the driver from passenger and luggage area – and our drivers wear protective masks, allowing you to move between your destinations in comfort and safety.
We can arrange both private tours with an English-speaking guide or a private charter, including a private vehicle and driver but without a guide. We’d love to be part of your adventure in Central Japan and help you discover even more!
Why choose us?
Awarded a 2019 TripAdvisor Travelers’ Choice Award for our 1-Day Snow Monkeys, Zenko-ji Temple & Sake Tour – recognised as one of the Top 10 Experiences in Japan – we have the local knowledge and experience to help you get the most out of your time in Nagano.
Got a question about visiting Nagano and Central Japan? Contact us and let’s get planning together!
