Shin-Hotaka Ropeway Tickets

The Shin-Hotaka Ropeway carries visitors high into the Northern Japan Alps above the Okuhida hot spring villages, and its second stage is famous as Japan’s only double decker gondola, climbing to an observation station over two thousand metres up. At the top, the jagged peaks of the Hotaka range fill the horizon in a panorama that has earned the ropeway a place on lists of the world’s great cable car rides.

The ride and the summit station

The journey rises in two stages, with the double decker cabins of the upper section clearing the treeline as the mountains unfold. The summit observation deck delivers the full alpine spread, snowbound for much of the year, blazing with colour in autumn and cool even in midsummer. Between the stages, a visitor centre and open air hot spring baths let you break the descent, and marked walking paths at altitude open in the green season for those wanting to stretch the visit.

Seasons and sense

Autumn foliage and deep winter snow are the two marquee seasons, and each draws crowds on fine weekends. Weather at altitude turns quickly, so carry a layer even in summer and check the mountain webcams before committing the day, as cloud can swallow the view entirely.

Getting there

Buses run to the ropeway from Takayama via Hirayu Onsen in about ninety minutes, and from Matsumoto over the mountains in a similar time. Most visitors base themselves in Takayama or the Okuhida onsen villages, and combining the ropeway with a rotenburo soak is the classic plan.

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