An in-depth look into the Takayama Nohi Bus Center, with necessary sightseeing information you need to know.
It might be known to you that Takayama Nohi Bus Center is the departure hub for popular tourist spots such as Shirakawago, Kamikochi and Gero. In this article, we are going to take an in-depth look into the Takayama Nohi Bus Center and go through some important information which you need to know before traveling.
Contents
Basic information of Takayama Nohi Bus Center
First of all, let me start by introducing the Takayama Nohi Bus Center. Its accessibility, bus routes, as well as facilities will be covered in the article. Please check it out.
―Access
The Takayama Nohi Bus Center is located just next to Takayama Station East Exit (Norikura Exit). The green lettering is the iconic sign.
―Bus platform
Bus routes departing from Takayama Nohi Bus Center are listed below. The bus stops are lined up in a row so it is easy to locate the right boarding spot.
Bus Stop No 1: Gero, Akigami, Kuguno, Sarubobo Bus (Hida no sato), Nora-my-car
Bus Stop No 2: Kamioka, Furukawa, Miza, Kiyomi, Shokawa, Machinami Bus, Takumi Bus (East & West)
Bus Stop No 3: Shinjuku, Kyoto, Osaka, Gifu
Bus Stop No 4: Shirakawago, Kanazawa, Toyama, Takaoka
Bus Stop No 5: Hirayu, Shinhotaka (Bound for Okuhida Onsengo)
Bus Stop No 6: Nagoya, Matsumoto, Tsumago, Magome
Bus Stop No 7: Regular sightseeing bus
―Facilities
Here is the list of facilities you can find at Takayama Nohi Bus Center. No matter if you are Japanese or overseas visitors, you will find your trip becomes easier with these facilities.
- ・Ticketing counter
- ・Currency exchange
- ・Shop
- ・Coin lockers
- ・Restrooms
- ・Tour information counter (inside the Bus Center)
- ・Hida Takayama Tourist Information Center (outside the Bus Center)
⇓ Let’s look at the photos here ⇓
【Ticketing counter】
Staff at the ticketing counter can speak English!
◎ Office hours 6：15～19：00
【Currency exchange】
There are a bill dispenser machine and a foreign currency exchange machine installed near the entrance.
【Shop】
Shop inside offers a wide variety of Hida Takayama specialties, groceries, and daily necessities.
◎ Operating hours 7：30～18：00
【Coin lockers】
Coin lockers of various sizes are available in 3 locations. It helps a lot as you can store carry-on luggage in the lockers.
【Restrooms】
Restrooms are located just next to the bus platform. But please be aware that the restrooms are open for use at certain hours only due to security reasons.
◎ Open hours 6：15～19：00
【Tour information counter (inside the Bus Center)】
There is a tour information counter inside the Takayama Nohi Bus Center, where you can get all kinds of sightseeing information as well as tour information.
◎ Office hours 9：00～17：00
【Hida Takayama Tourist Information Center (outside the Bus Center)】
The Hida Takayama Tourist Information Center is located about 100m ahead of the Nohi Bus Center. It is a must-visit place for travelers as you can get tourism-related pamphlets or brochures for free and available in multilingual versions.
◎ Operating hours 8：30～18：30（Until 17:00 from Nov to March）
It is not simply a bus terminal. Introduction of surrounding sightseeing spots or recommended gourmet foods
Hida Takayama is a great place to visit. Why don’t you enjoy sightseeing and gourmet foods before heading on your trip?
◆Vintage photo taking at a historic old town
The Takayama old town consists of three main streets that were once the bustling merchant center. It is a beautifully preserved old town and attracts visitors from all over the world throughout the year. Unfortunately, it happened that the day I visited was Wednesday when most shops closed on that day. But the town is overflowed with a traditional Japanese atmosphere that I felt like I was in feudal Japan just by strolling around.
◎ Basic information “Takayama old town”
| Business hours | ※ Vary by store (most stores close after 17:00) |
| Closing day | ※Vary by store（most stores close on Wednesday） |
| Google map | https://goo.gl/maps/wJtLPotDEbmiNveG6 |
| Tel | 0577-32-3333（Takayama City Tourism Division） |
| Related site | https://www.hida.jp/english/index.html |
◆Snacks to take on walks along the historic old town
Speaking of specialties in Hida Takayama, Mitarashi-dango (skewered dumplings) is one of the popular snacks that you must try.
Don’t you think that dango has a sweet and salty flavor?
In fact, dango at Hida Takayama are grilled with authentic soy sauce instead of sweet soy sauce, and therefore not sweet at all. It has a simple flavor that everyone, from kids to adults, would love.
◎ Basic information of Fujimiya, Kajibashi store
| Business hours | 8：00～17：30 |
| Closing day | Irregular |
| Google map | https://goo.gl/maps/L1tDReBwfkews9qb8 |
| Tel | 0577-33-1210 |
| Tabelog site | https://tabelog.com/gifu/A2104/A210401/21007771/ |
Next, I visited the “Funasaka Sake Brewery”, it is a shop that everyone who likes alcohol would be attracted to.
There was a signboard at the entrance written as “sake theme park”, it seemed that there was no reason of not getting a look inside.
Why is it called a sake theme park? You will know the reason after seeing the photo above. They offered sake tasting for as many as 15 types!
First, get a sake cup by inserting a 100 yen coin into the capsule toy machine, and exchange tokens at the coin exchange machine, then you will be able to try various types of sake at your own choice.
Once you insert a token and press the button, your cup will be automatically filled with sake.
I chose two types of liqueurs, Budojirou and Yuzubei which both are popular sakes in the nation. I enjoyed the unique flavor, aroma and juiciness of fruits, as well as the richness and taste that only sake can offer.
If you think it is difficult to carry the sake bottles, they also offered a web store where you can place an order online. Isn’t it a good idea to find out your favorite liqueur first by tasting and order your favorite sake online afterwards.
◎ Basic information of Funasaka Sake Brewery
| Business hours | 8：30～18：00 |
| Closing day | Irregular |
| Google map | https://goo.gl/maps/cEJJPDXg61Ar2jJm6 |
| Tel | 0577-32-0016 |
| Official site | https://english.funasaka-shuzo.co.jp |
◆Get a bowl of Takayama ramen in a hurry
Takayama ramen and Hida soba are two major gourmets you can find in Hida Takayama. Particularly, there are many ramen restaurants located around Takayama Nohi Bus Center.
Among all, “Chitose” is one of the hidden gems which you might not know.
As you can see from the menu, Chitose’s specialty is yakisoba. Of course, you can try yakisoba, but everyone there was having Chuka-soba (Chinese soba).
Look, these were the traditional Chinese noodles. The thin and curly noodles were served in rich broth with soy sauce. Although I am not an expert on ramen, I still enjoyed it.
The chashu pork was soft and tender. As the restaurant is only a 5-min walk from the bus center, it is easy to stop by even if you are in a hurry.
◎ Basic information of “Chitose”
| Business hours | 11：00～14：00 17：00～19：00 |
| Closing day | Tuesday |
| Google map | https://goo.gl/maps/xvqALPdfAKTgS8rp8 |
| Tel | 0577-32-1056 |
| Official site | http://gifukenchuka.jp/chitose/ |
Takayama Nohi Bus Center is a centralized transportation hub
The Takayama Nohi Bus Center is a user-friendly bus terminal to both locals and overseas visitors. Make sure you can do some quick sightseeing around the terminal before starting on your trip.
>>Book now for Takayama Nohi Bus Center ⇒ Shirakawago ・Kanazawa ・Toyama
Please go to “Japan Bus Online”.
The information in this article is current at the time of writing.
It may differ from the latest information.
Writer
