Takayama or Shirikawa-go??
 

We are two couples spending 10 days in Japan in October. I have one night to spare between Kyoto and Matsumoto. I am trying to decide between takayama and shirikawa-go (or any suggested alternative). We like to stay in 4-5-star ryokan or hotels (or the closest thing), and are looking to spend this night in a mountain village setting as opposed to a city. Recommendations on destination and accomodation are greatly appreciated!

Shirakawa-go is less accessible for one night, but possible. You will not find anything 4 or 5 star there, though. All accommodation is minshuku, and most are very nice and friendly. You need to reserve them directly, or a couple are reservable through www.japaneseguesthouses.com. Price is set by the coop there, at just about 8000 per person per night with dinner and breakfast included.

If that is not your style, then Takayama would be better as there are plenty of hotels and ryokan of high standard. Here is my bookmarked list of places. Sorry, some sites are only Japanese.

http://www.wanosato.com/season/summer.html
http://www.takayama-kh.co.jp/plan/index.html
http://www.tanabe-ryokan.jp/heya02.html#
https://www.e-onsen.co.jp/roomtype.html
http://www.kotoyume.com/
http://www.hanaougi.co.jp/voice/index.html

Do keep in mind that Takayama is not at all a small mountain village, but a small city that looks like and acts like a city. Shirakawa-go is a village, but is very touristy, with most of the village being actually a cluster of souvenir shops and restaurants. During the day, it is typically crowded tourists, but after 5 or so it is quiet and peaceful. More peaceful, less touristy, and also less accessible, are the nearby villages of Gokayama, which we really enjoy very much. Gokayama is really best by car, though.

Thank you so much for your thoughtful suggestions. A difficult decision. Where would you suggest that we go, keeping in mind the following itinerary:
Tokyo - Four Nights
Hakone - One Night
Kyoto - Two Nights
Unaccounted for - One Night
Matsumoto - One Night
Fly out from Narita

If we were to go to Gokayama, is there an accomodation that you would recommend? Your thoughts are much appreciated!

Hi, jcantlin -

It depends on what you want to see and experience, but 2 nights is not much time in Kyoto. You might consider staying there longer.

Enjoy!

KJA is right.
Skip Hakone altogether in favor of another night in Kyoto--you need more than 2 nights there. Takayama is a nice town--worth a couple nights on a longer trip.

Gokayama is sparse for accommodation...all are minshuku, and certainly have limited English. In Ainokura village in Gokayama, there are several places. Goyomon 0763-66-2151 is nice, right in the middle of the village. Nakaya 0763-66-2457 is on the edge of the village, and my notes say it is small, clean, quiet and cute. Yomoshiro 0763-66-2377 is also in the center area and is cute. You can walk from one side of the village to the other in probably 10 minutes. You would need to reserve directly, easiest way being to have your first hotel concierge call and make the reservation for you. There is a bus stop right at the edge of the village, but I do not know the bus route or schedule for that area...we always drive.

It would not be at all unreasonable for you to take the train to Kanazawa and pick up a rental car to go to Gokayama. From Kanazawa, it is almost all highway, marked in English. You could ask for a navigation system, and although it would be in Japanese in all likelihood, you could ask the rental staff to program in your destination and your return, then all you have to do is push go...and if you had trouble programming it to return, ask the minshuku owner to help...simple.

Ainokura in Gokayama would certainly be a very nice village setting, not at all city. If you were OK with Japanese mountain vegetable and river fish for dinner, and Japanese breakfast, and sleeping on futon, I think it would be very enjoyable.

About the rest of your itinerary.

I agree with the others that you don't have long enough in Kyoto. And, if you wanted to include Gokayama and have time to do more than just get there, sleep and leave, you'd have to change some things. I count 9 nights total, which is really very little time indeed. If you are coming from the US or Europe, do not discount the effects of jetlag as well.

I recommend the following for simplicity the most sightseeing time.

Tokyo 2 nights upon arrival (Sumida river cruise, Hamarikyu Garden, Sensoji in Asakusa, Meiji Shrine, Edo Tokyo Museum)
Peninsula has a great location and has competitive rates if you book with a Virtuoso agent. The Four Seasons Marunouchi is very well liked. A notch down but still very nice is the Conrad. Another notch down is the Marunouchi hotel, Park Hotel, Keio Plaza, Hilton in Shinjuku.

Kyoto 4 nights (http://www.jnto.go.jp/eng/location/rtg/pdf/pg-503.pdf)
Hyatt Regency if you wanted a western style hotel. For a special ryokan experience, Hiiragiya is pretty much a favorite with many, and it is very foreigner friendly. There are countless other options as well, for all tastes and budgets.

Gokayama 1 night (From Kyoto, take and early train to Kanazawa, pick up car, about 1 hour drive to Gokayama area, lots to see in the area. You could continue along the same highway for about 10 minutes or so, and end up in Shirakawa-go for lunch (Irori is our current favorite lunch spot.,..just ask where it is), then head back by local road to Gokayama, stopping along the way at various villages. Get to minshuku around 4:00 or 5:00. Next morning have sightseeing or a short hike - they have maps with marked walking paths - head back to Kanazawa at lunchtime, return car)

Kanazawa 1 night (Kenrokuen, Higashichaya, Samurai district...that will fill your afternoon and next morning). Tokyu Excel hotel is in a great location and is pretty nice...the top end of business hotels. Asadaya ryokan special and very gracious and welcoming, good location near the market and gardens, wonderful food and service, certainly comparable with Hiiragiya in Kyoto. Plenty more choices as well for all tastes and budget.

Tokyo 1 night - depending on your flight time, stay in Tokyo or Narita.

OR,
stay another night in Kanazawa and fly to Narita from Komatsu airport, daily morning flight only. Door to door taxi service to Komatsu airport from Kanazawa is ¥1000 per person booked ahead with special taxi company (let me know if you want to do this and I'll give you the number) and very good. Or there is bus for ¥1100 per person.

Thank you so much for your thoughtful responses! I just wish we had more time. I think we have decided to spend less time running around...

4 nights Tokyo
2 nights Hakone
3 nights Kyoto (1 day in Nara)

As much as I would love to get into the mountains....we'll just have to come back!!