A Road Trip in the Mountains

A rental car trip to discover the beauty of the valleys and mountains of the Kaga City area. The best time to go is from spring to autumn.

Time Required: 2h – 3h

The Kaga City area is located between mountains and sea and offers many off-the-beaten-track sites, away from the usual tourist routes. To discover all of its charms, we recommend renting a car for a day or half-day.

On your arrival at the Kaga City area’s main railway station, Kaga Onsen station, you will find several car rental agencies nearby. Once you have the keys to your car in hand, we recommend starting with a visit to the local handicrafts town of Yamanaka Onsen, one of the major sites for the production of lacquerware pieces made by woodturning. The workshop in Rokuro-no-Sato Arts and Crafts Hall (1), located in a traditional country house, gives visitors the opportunity to experience mechanical woodturning, part of the lacquerware production process, and to view various lacquerware items such as bowls, plates and dishes in the showroom. You can also get a workshop at mokume (2), which is one of the best places in Yamanaka Onsen to try Yamanaka lacqueware.

Driving south from Yamanaka Onsen, will lead you to the Kutani and Wagatani dams (3), surrounded by pine tree forests. From here, the road then winds its way up the mountainside to Sugi no Mizu where you can stop for a break at the MAGNOLI Cafe (4), and have lunch at excellent local restaurant, Soba Kobo Gonbei (5). The speciality here, as the name suggests, is soba (buckwheat) noodles, which can be enjoyed cold or warm with deep fried, Japanese tempura and mountain vegetables.

Travelling back to Yamanaka Onsen, we recommend a stop at Kayano no Osugi, the name of which literally means ‘The Great Cedar of Kayano‘, inside Sugawara Shrine, a small Shinto shrine. This sacred site has been revered for hundreds of years and feels mysterious as gigantic cedars loom, symbols of vitality and strength - one in particular is estimated to be over 2300 years old.
Across the road in front of the Sugawara Shrine, a tiny teahouse, Osugi Chaya (6), offers delicious grass dumpling (‘kusa dango’) which loved by local people. The recipe of round sweet dumplings made of rice flour and mugwort topped with soybeans powder kept unchanged.

You can end your visit by stopping at the centre of Yamanaka Onsen and take a stroll through the Kakusenkei Gorge (7), as well as the Yuge Kaido street (8), the latter along which you can buy souvenirs and visit art galleries.

The workshop in Rokuro-no-Sato Arts and Crafts

Kutani Dam, a 15 minutes drive from Korogi Bridge

Recommended Places (2h – 3h)

Rokuro-no-Sato Arts and Crafts Hall

Of all the lacquerware produced in Japan, Yamanaka lacquerware, from its earliest origins, has always been distinguishable by its woodturning techniques. Try your hand at woodturning at Rokuro-no-Sato Arts and Crafts Hall, where you can make your own bowl, and it will be sent to your place. It is about 5 minutes by car from Yamanaka Onsen, in a neighbourhood that has retained its traditional atmosphere and is home to a Yamanaka lacquerware woodtu

mokume

Wagatani and Kutani Dam

Visitors come here in the spring to enjoy the cherry blossom trees that cover the banks, and in the autumn to see the mountain shed its layer of green for a vivid coat of red, yellow, and orange. There is a red suspension bridge near Wagatani Dam which leads to the mountain trail of Mt Fujishagadake. Nearby there is another dam, Kutani Dam that you can also see.

MAGNOLI

Soba-kobo Gonbe

Osugi Chaya

Kakusenkei Gorge

While the Kaga City area has three historic hot spring towns, Yamanaka Onsen has always been loved by many for its enchanting landscape created by mountains and rivers. A short walk from its town centre, Kakusenkei Gorge is a lush green area that enjoys the clear flow of the Daishoji River, graceful waterfalls and soothing bird calls. The river is crossed by three bridges. Korogi Bridge, built in the most traditional way using only cypress wood,

A main street in Yamanaka Onsen, it contains craft shops and atelier, café and some eatery

Yuge Kaido Street

Yuge Kaido Street is Yamanaka Onsen’s main street which extends from the square at the heart of town. ‘Yuge’ means steam from hot springs, the fragrance of which heralds the arrival of a relaxing onsen. Filled with cafes, restaurants and souvenir shops, this elegant and picturesque street has managed to preserve the lively atmosphere of typical Japanese onsen towns. There are also specialty shops of local craft ateliers in particular, Yama