Takayama Station: trains, buses, lockers and car rental

1. 1

   Get to Nagoya

   From Tokyo, take the Tokaido Shinkansen (Nozomi) to Nagoya. The Shinkansen doesn't run to Takayama itself.

2. 2

   Ride the Limited Express Hida

   The Hida runs from Nagoya to Takayama in about 2.5 hours; an unreserved adult seat costs ¥5,610.

3. 3

   Arrive at the station

   Leave by the East Exit (Norikura-guchi) or West Exit (Hakusan-guchi). Nohi Bus express routes leave from the bus centre here.

4. 4

   Walk into the old town

   Sanmachi is a 12-minute walk, and the Jinya-mae Morning Market is a 10-minute walk.

Bus fares are one-way, and the Hida fare is for an unreserved adult seat.

• Book a Nohi express bus through a booking site with Japanese-language support and you get ¥500⁶ (about US$3) off.
• Round-trip tickets for the Nagoya bus aren’t sold on the bus⁴.
• The Takayama-Hokuriku Area Tourist Pass runs for 5 consecutive days, its Shirakawa-go bus seats need a reservation, and the child pass is for ages 6 to 11⁸.

Takayama Station sits at 22-2 Showamachi 1-chome¹¹, and it’s the front door to the town.

• Exits: two¹¹, the East Exit (Norikura-guchi) and the West Exit (Hakusan-guchi).
• Ticket office: open 6:00 a.m. to 8:50 p.m.¹¹
• Takayama Nohi Bus Center: the express buses and the town loop buses start here.

Toyota Rent a Car Takayama Ekimae is a 1-minute walk from the West Exit (Hakusan-guchi), at 1-319 Showamachi¹⁶.

• Hours: 8:00–20:00 from 4 January to 31 December¹⁶
• New Year hours: 9:00–17:30 from 1 to 3 January¹⁶
• Phone: 0577-36-6110¹⁶

Before you pick up the keys:

• You must get an International Driving Permit before leaving home, and it lets you drive for one year¹⁷ from arrival.
• Permits issued under other treaties, such as the 1968 Vienna Convention, aren’t valid in Japan¹⁸.
• Drivers from Switzerland, Germany, France, Belgium, Monaco and Taiwan need an original licence plus a Japanese translation¹⁷ instead.
• Traffic drives on the left¹⁷, and most rental companies rent out ETC toll cards.

The Takayama city road that detours along the opposite bank limits the size of vehicles¹⁹ that can use it.

Driving in winter

Winter brings constant snowfall⁵, and the official tourism site warns against driving a rental car on normal tyres²⁰ to Takayama in winter. Ask for winter tyres when you book.

Questions people ask