we have a full itinerary, I just posted it do we have time or should we go to either of the two towns. I can not find much on Yamanaka other than a hot spring but it has been suggested. also what info can you give on Kanazawa. Also what about the Unesco villages of Shirakawago. We are going in July and really appreciate any feed back xoox

Based on your itinerary in your other post, you have little time to spare. To include any of the places you mention here you would need to cut somewhere else. With only 10 days, I would really recommend going to Tokyo and Kyoto, basing in those two cities, and taking day trips from there if you want to...decide when you are there.

If you did want to go to Yamanaka, Kanazawa or Shirakawa-go, you are best to take 3 days to do two of those places.

Yamanaka is a popular onsen town. You can visit for a day or stay a night in an onsen ryokan. You can do some easy walks along the river...there is a nice bridge that spans the river for walking. It is about an hour drive from Kanazawa. Train would get you to Kaga Onsen and from there you would need taxi or hotel transportation. There are some infrequent public buses as well. Yamanaka is a great place to relax.

Kanazawa is a smallish city with some great sightseeing spots....Kenrokuen, Higashichaya, Samurai district, good museums. It is a pretty walkable citiy, which makes it nice.

Shirakawa-go is the most popular gassho village in the area. It is picturesque, well geared up for tourists, and indeed sees many day trippers. For that reason, it is best to spend a night in a minshuku there to see the village without hordes of tourists. The nearby villages collectively known as Gokayama are smaller and less touristed, and have some lovely walking paths, a gun powder making museum, paper making you can try. The whole area is lovely, and we visit several times each year.

Kim Japan,

I've read your posts for a couple of years now and you always give great insight to itineraries. My family and I are also traveling on June 22nd to Japan and visiting the Kanazawa / Takayama area. We would love to go to Shirakawa-go, but were wary of the bus travel from Takayama and if our JR passes would cover that. Is it best to get there from Kanazawa or Takayama and will the JR passes get us there. If not, what would the cost be approximately, to get to Shirakawa-go?

As the bus between Takayama and Kanazawa is not operated by JR, your JR Pass is not usable for the bus...but it is not so expensive. Shirakawa-go is the stop between the two. The best info in English I know of for the bus is here.

http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2366_t....html#kanazawa

http://www.japan-guide.com/bus/shirakawago.html

Thank you for the information KimJapan. As we will have extra charges for seven people, we are going to skip Shirakawa-Go this time and stick to visiting Kanazawa and Takayama only.

I do have another question regarding Kyushu island. We are planning to stay in Kurokawa to take advantage of the onsens in the area. Are there any other "must see" cities close to the Mt. Aso area that we could visit for the day and then get to Kanazawa by the same night?

Kyushu is a long trip from Kanazawa I know...but we've not been down there. Even Hiroshima is a big trip. But I see on another thread you are reconsidering how far south to go....

thanks for all your imput, will we be missing a different picturesque part of Japan if we stick to Tokyo, Fujii,Kyoto and Hiroshima.? Do we still get to see the \'crouching tiger... kind of scenery. What are your comments on Takayama?