Points of Interest & Landmarks • Scenic Drives
THE 10 BEST Japan Scenic Drives
Scenic Drives in Japan
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Points of Interest & Landmarks • Lookouts
Points of Interest & Landmarks • Scenic Drives
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Points of Interest & Landmarks • Scenic Drives
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Okayamakuko Onsen
Points of Interest & Landmarks • Scenic Drives
Points of Interest & Landmarks • Scenic Drives
Points of Interest & Landmarks • Scenic Drives
Points of Interest & Landmarks • Scenic Drives
Points of Interest & Landmarks • Scenic Drives
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Points of Interest & Landmarks • Scenic Drives
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Points of Interest & Landmarks • Scenic Drives
Scenic Drives
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What travelers are saying
- purplebackpackSingapore, Singapore208 contributionsWe still managed to catch the snow corridor in its glory. Perhaps, it may not be a full snow experience but it was cold enough for us.
Even though it was quite difficult for the elderly in our group to walk up the various parts, we managed slowly. It was just our luck that it rained and windy whilst we were on the dam crossing. Still, it was an awesome experience.
I would like to do it again!Written June 26, 2024This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews. - กินเที่ยวไม่ซ้ำ จำที่ไม่ได้Bangkok, Thailand597 contributionsI visit after the snow storm. Thus, I experienced it is really great.
Google map: กินเที่ยวไม่ซ้ำ จำที่ไม่ได้
FB: กินเที่ยวไม่ซ้ำ จำที่ไม่ได้Written December 27, 2022This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews. - John AHong Kong, China511 contributionsThe rain was bucketing down when my wife and I took the exit to the Chirihama Beach Drive. With the rain coming in sheets and the surf heavy, driving on the beach was a completely magical experience. I had expected that the beach drive would be prohibited during heavy weather, but it was not — we enjoyed solitude on the beach as we passed the thundering waves and listened to the rain on the roof of our car. I let the tires wade in the seawater on the strand. Just so beautiful and something a visitor to should never miss!Written December 4, 2019This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
- kschyuanSingapore, Singapore73 contributionsOnly if you like nature and quiet places, then you should come here. It’s a scenic place, but don’t expect anything else. It will probably take you half and hour or so to take some pictures. It’s a long drive from Kyoto or Otsu town. There is a small shop here for you to rest and have some coffee after enjoying the scenery. Come during autumn when the weather is cool and nice.Written December 19, 2019This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
- SQKrisflyerSingapore375 contributionsThere are many straight roads in Hokkaido or Japan for that matter. To me, the most inspiring of them all is this 28.1 kilometre “Road (leading) to Heaven” (天に続く道, Ten ni Tsuzuku Michi) or commonly known as “Road to the Sky” in Hokkaido, not because it is the longest straight road in Japan (that honor belongs to the 29.2 km section from Bibai city to Takikawa city on National Route 12 in Hokkaido) but because of the incredible scenery of the road and its surrounding. It is for this reason that my family and I chose to visit the Road to Sky/Heaven as one of the several attractions in our 10-day Hokkaido self-drive itinerary where we spent about an hour in the late morning of a sunny weekday at the Observatory.
Getting there: There are two viewpoints or lookout points for the Road to the Sky/Heaven attraction – the Observatory (天に続く道展望台) and the Starting Point (天に続く道出発点). We drove about 25 minutes from Oshinkoshin Waterfall to the Road to the Heaven/Sky Observatory using Apple Maps or Google Maps on the Apple Car Play in our rental car. As for reaching the Road to the Sky/Heaven Starting Point from Shiretoko National Park on National Route 334, you have to turn left to a secondary farmland road about 240 meters after Minehama Shrine, then in about 15 kilometers, a blue square sign board showing a bear taking a selfie and the white words “天に続く道ス夕ート地点 '' will appear; the car park is on the left. To have the sense of anticipation and excitement, I prefer to arrive at the Observatory or Starting Point from Shiretoko National Park rather than drive a portion of the Road to the Sky/Heaven and arrive at the Observatory or Starting Point. I do not see any local buses come here. Both Starting Point and Observatory are just 1.1 kilometer apart and both have car parks (9 marked parking lots at Starting Point and several unmarked parking lots on the gravel side road at Observatory) with free parking and no entry fees for the attraction.
The Attraction: “天” is one of the oldest Chinese terms for "heaven", hence this road is more appropriately named as “Road to the Heaven” but modern day use of “天” is "sky", so that is why “Road to the Sky” is used more often. In both cases, the 28.1 kilometer long Road to the Sky/Heaven begins from the starting point as a secondary straight road passing through farmlands, joins National Route 344, continues as National Route 244 at an cross-road intersection, then as a secondary road 南3号基線道路again when National Route 244 bends right at Ohkanmaru Hotel and ends (天に続く道終点) at the location when 南3号基線道路comes to a 3-road intersection.
There are a few differences between the Road to the Sky/Heaven Starting Point and Observatory locations:
(1) Unlike the Observatory, the Starting Point has a blue rectangular sign board on an elevated wooden platform showing a bear taking a selfie and the white words “SHIRETOKO SHARI (ROAD TO THE SKY) 天に続く道ス夕ート地点28.1 Km” (“ス夕ート地点” translate as “sweet spot”); it does not have any toilet or roadside food stalls and café,
(2) Built in 2018, the Observatory is a man-made wooden observatory tower in which the deck or platform is about 5 metres tall,
(3) Nearby the Observatory is the Heaven Café and Souvenir Shop as well as toilets.
Between the Starting Point and the Observatory, we chose the latter, and enjoyed the following at the Observatory:
(1) Standing in the middle of the road taking photos of the star of this attraction - Road to the Sky/Heaven, which of course I have to look out for vehicles but fortunately were very few (less than twenty) throughout the half hour. I have driven countless roads in my lifetime, and this is the first (straight) road in which I was treated to the incredible view of its end heading into the sky. You have to be here to see it for yourself and at the same time let your imagination run wild that you could actually drive along this road to the sky,
(2) The fabulous panoramic views at the top of the observatory deck or tower of the surrounding crop and flower fields (some were already harvested), rows of windbreaker trees, the blue Sea of Okhotsk (on the right) and the 1416-metre-high Mount Unabetsu (on the back left).
(3) The peacefulness at the Observatory as there were not many visitors (I counted less than 10 (excluding us) during the time we were there),
(4) The occasional gentle breeze when standing at the observatory tower refreshed our bodies,
(5) Heaven Café and Souvenir Shop which was housed in a huge green rectangular cabin (the toilets are in the next cabin) and opens from 10am to 5pm - walk up the gentle slope from the observatory tower until you see a sign “Heaven Café” following which you just walk down a slope. The menu comprises freshly made Yezo/Ezo deer burgers, double burgers, cheeseburgers, double cheeseburgers and roast sandwiches (¥700 - ¥950 or ¥1100 - ¥1350 as a set with six fried small potatoes (“French Fries”) and a drink), Shiretoko salmon sandwich with salmon roe (¥850 or ¥1250 as a set) or without salmon roe (¥750 or ¥1150 as a set), soft serve ice cream with cute bear in different flavours (¥500), starch dumplings ((¥200) and beverages. We ate the Shiretoko salmon sandwich without the salmon roe alfresco at the outside benches and tables (no eating inside) and it tasted delicious. I liked the polo tee-shirts and the cup souvenirs with the word “天” meaning “sky” or "heaven"
Finally, as the icing on the cake, we drove about 30 minutes from the Observatory to the end point of the Road to the Sky/Heaven. it was a great scenic drive of the country side going past houses and farms going past and the best part was that after some distance, the 1547-metre-high Mount Shari (斜里岳, Sharidake) came into view on our left. Mount Shari is one of the "Nihon Hyakumeizan" (日本百名) or the 100 Famous Mountains of Japan (a 1964 publication by mountaineer author Kyūya Fukada).
The Road to the Sky (Observatory and Starting Point) is a “must visit” when you are at the Shiretoko National Park and its vicinity. Moreover, if you come between late September and early October, it was observed that the sun actually set in the middle of the road, which would be an even more incredible moment on top of the already incredible view of the Road to the Sky/Heaven.Written August 8, 2024This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews. - Michael LGold Coast, Australia292 contributionsA long way to go, but the stunning countryside makes the trip all worthwhile. Surprisingly there were about three tour buses there when we arrived making for a crowded scene. Still a really nice area with a few nice places to visit.Written December 30, 2018This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
- wanderlust_ramblerSydney, Australia916 contributionsReminded us of Hawaii’s big island and we loved it. Make sure you put in milk road or route 339 into your google maps as you would otherwise miss it on the way to Aso. We were hugely disappointed that we could not get to the crater due to increased volcanic activity but we loved stopping at the lookouts. You can see the devastation from the 2016 earthquake and how the land has transformed. Amazing amazing drive.Written April 17, 2019This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
- Eric JWels, Austria5,535 contributionsThe Ororon Line was my path from Haboro to Teshio and then from Teshio to Wakkanai. Having visited every prefecture in Japan except for Okinawa, and having bicycled the entire length of the country on this trip, I can tell you that you will not see a flatter, straighter road anywhere in Japan!
It was a joy to bicycle on. The sea was right on the side most of the way, the road surface was smooth and free of potholes / ripples / side crumbles and I did not see one truck. There was one item that made the needle jump on the Improbability Meter: a tunnel in the middle of nowhere. It didn't tunnel through anything at all. Very odd. Maybe a survival spot if the winter kicks up suddenly?Written June 11, 2019This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews. - ongwl82016Singapore, Singapore799 contributionsWe spent a while just to locate it as we were looking at a wrong spot on Google map. We parked the car by the carpark beside the road, and took a short to where tourists were gathering and taking photo shot of the tall tree ahead of them. Although Patchwork no Michi was just a tree standing there in a vast area of greenery, it was very picturesque. It is one of the spots in Biei that you should drive to, take a few tenths of minutes to see and appreciate.Written July 23, 2018This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
- Kimitaka STaichung, Taiwan15,193 contributionsMore than 30 years have passed since the bridge was inaugurated. But it was my first time to use this bridge to travel to Shikoku. The view from the train was, in spite of some bridged beams, wonderful.Written March 30, 2021This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
- 1966JamoTakaoka, Japan84 contributionsThe Hakusan National Park is beautiful, though winter access to the White Road isn't possible due to the snow. Access is from June to November.
It is called White Road because the Kanji for Hakusan is White Mountain and the Kanji for Shirakawa-Go is White River Village. The road connects Ishikawa to Gifu and named as such for each end point.
Autumn is the best time as the leaves turn from green to copper/gold. This is called Koyo and is extremely beautiful.
We went in July, which is Summer, and there was still plenty of snow, with the melt making the rivers and waterfalls run full. We went simply because we had a spare day off and chose this drive on that day.
The park can be hiked and there are many short walks to be taken to absorb the scenery. Unfortunately camping is not allowed, nor is taking flora or fauna from the park.
The one way trip costs around Y1400 - Y1600 depending on the size of your car. Mini buses pay around Y4900. There is a discounted return rate if you want to buy a return ticket when you enter the park.
The road is around 33km and takes around an hour non-stop due to the steepness and windiness of the road. However, you end up stopping at many spots for the photogenic scenery and the drive takes much longer.
There is also an onsen spa beside a waterfall which we walked to, so good shoes are a must if you want to stop and go walking.
Even on a rainy misty day, we were still amazed at the scenery. We do plan to go back next Autumn for the Koyo leaves.Written March 19, 2019This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews. - SmelltheflowerCorner of Earth1,659 contributionsBiei is best in winter. Ken and Mary looks better in winter so you probably won't want to visit outside of season. Of the sights we visited in Biei this is probably average.Written August 23, 2023This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
- Herman WCape Town, South Africa4 contributionsBeautiful views! I was here at the beginning of summer when the snow was still melting and then later again. Both times it is equally beautiful and stunning.
The road is quite narrow at some spots and there are multiple blind corners where some people come around at the wrong side of the road. So I would afvise to take it slow and soak in the glorious scenery!Written September 7, 2022This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews. - Wei TSingapore, Singapore602 contributionsWhile it’s a straight road with long stretches of ups and downs, there were 2 intersections and could be dangerous if the driver is speeding/not careful enough to spot any oncoming carsWritten October 30, 2019This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
- TassieTravellers99Launceston, Australia3,316 contributionsThis is one of the main ways to access the Izu Peninsula from our base at Hakone Gora. Alas it turned out to be a disappointing drive. For the first half there was no view. We were driving through lovely forest but we had expected a high plateau with sweeping views. It was a toll road similar to the coastal road and to go from end to end costs 1,000 yen - but with much less traffic it was a more pleasant drive than the coastal road. The second half of the drive did offer up nice views and useful viewpoints. We stopped at several of these and had decent views despite the cloudy weather down to the cities and oceans below. We could just make out Mt Fuji ahead of us, its head was still lost in the clouds.
In nice weather it would be a better experience otherwise it is simply a pricey way to get from A to B.Written August 5, 2024This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
