• Hakuba (Japan Alps) trip report Fall 2025

      We visited Hakuba as a day-trip from Matsumoto mid-October for some fall colors and were not disappointed! Train to Hakuba was 1 hr (1.5 hr if not express), allowed an extra 15 minutes to get a ramp / “ramp-u”, which was quick and easy. From Hakuba station, a taxi loaded up the 3 of us with a foldable wheelchair (thanks to bungee cords in taxi trunks, I think they’re extremely used to loading up ski/board gear) and head to Hakuba Iwate, a new gondola that’s extremely spacious and wheelchair-friendly. The views on the way up, and maybe 1/2 miles of paths at the top were easy enough to access, including getting into a coffee bar with fantastic views. I believe they’ve gotten more than a dusting of snow since we went, but for future years I can recommend this journey (and according to our taxi driver very good in cherry blossom season too!) There *is* a bus shuttle from the train station but sadly we didn’t get a chance to check out its setup.

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      Pao and Josh Grisdale
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