What a video. Watched it twice . From trains ,to buses and cable cars. The only thing you didn't do was fly. What a time of the year to see the Japanese Alps. Definitely bucket list for us. You guys covered a lot of ground. And as usual so well . Thank for sharing this wonderful video. Sending you much love❤ Richmond, Va. Harriet, Jim and Yuki
Aww, thank you! We're glad you guys enjoyed this day trip across the Japanese Alps. It was one of the highlights of the trip for us. We've never seen autumn foliage quite like that. I think we need to start planning more autumn trips to scenic places! 🍂🍁🧡🎃
The colors of Audrey's jacket, blouse, bag and especially her cap perfectly match the autumnal landscape (which is truly amazing, btw; the explosion of beautiful colors seems like withering leaves' swan song); if she had got lost in the woods, it wouldn't have been easy to find her :)
Wow!! What a fun filled day you guys had. The scenery looked amazing and all those modes of transportation. Another great video from you guys. We just got back from Bansko and among other things we took a gondola to the ski area which was over 2,000 meters. If you guys want to come to Bulgaria we'd be happy to show you the sites here.
It's a very common and convenient service because Japanese people travel very lightly within the country and public transportation usually doesn't accommodate luggage and large bags. Many people use it after landing at an airport because they need to get back to their homes by train and/or bus. It's also great if you do a lot of shopping while traveling and want to have the items shipped back to your hotel or home so you don't have to lug them around on your trip (as you did).
Glad to know you two had a fun & pleasant time in the Northern Japanese Alps. At right place at right time, indeed. Been there twice myself in the opposite direction but that was not "at the right time", to my regret.
This area is known as one of heavy snow fall in Japan. In spring, when they remove snow on the road before reopen , 20 meters snow walls both side of road. The visitors can walk on the snow wall road.
this is so incredible! i will be travelling to Kanazawa Japan this August 2024. I plan to book an overnight stay in Toyama so i can get the first train to Tateyama. I plan to stop in Kurobe Dam and traverse back. Another option is to go straight to Nagano, like what you did and just take the shinkansen back to Kanazawa... I'm still thinking whats the best between the two.
For my recent trip, I made a couple of reservations that needed me to translate my name to katakana or hiragana and I just used the google translate, it worked fine for me.
One idea for luggage is also ta-q-bin or similar service. Then you can even send from a convenience store close to your hotel straight to your next hotel! Although you probably need to send it the night before but it’s nice to have it straight to the hotel, and similar cost if not lower
Thanks Paul! We're glad you enjoyed this episode. The autumn foliage was just magical - hands down one of the coolest things we did in Japan. We still have a couple more episodes before the Japan adventure comes to an end. Thanks for watching and happy weekend! 😊
What an incredible trip! I was just thinking of that trip you’d taken years ago in the summer that had me rethink it all 😅 To be honest at that stage I just don’t care when I just want to go! I’m really enjoying all your Japan vlogs immensely Thank you very much indeed for your hard work Sabrina🇫🇷🇬🇧
Even as time goes by and the surface of a town changes, nothing changes in the underlying foundation of the unique Japanese culture. The common root of the creation of originality in Japanese culture is the uniqueness of its geopolitical location and the influence of its natural environment. Even if they import culture and knowledge from abroad, they are not dominated by it, and after a certain period of time, they select the content, integrate it with their own culture, improve it, and eventually create a new style. Why, then, have they been trying to improve existing things and create new ones? The reason is obvious: the unique natural environment of Japan, an island nation. Japan's ancient adaptive behavior to survive in the harsh natural environment has given birth to a Japanese culture of behavior, in which people always think creatively and without giving up on reality. Japan's original country name "NIPPON”means "the land under (of) the sun" , but another traditional country name is "WA (YAMATO) ” , meaning “Peacefull Harmony”. So Japan's real name means “the Land of the Sun” and” the Land of "Great Peacefull Harmony (of People and Nature),” The history of Japan is very old, about 2,000 years since the Emperor's reign, but humans began to live in villages and communities in this island nation about 14,000 years ago, during “the JOMON pottery” culture. (That's 30,000 years ago, if you count the Neolithic period.) Surrounded on all sides by the sea and geographically isolated from the Eurasian continent in the Pacific Ocean, this island nation has a warm and humid climate, and because it is a volcanic island, mountains occupy about 80% of its land, it is rich in underground clear water resources through its natural filtration system, and is blessed with diverse vegetation and fishery resources. For this reason, people have lived here for tens of thousands of years, enjoying the abundant nature and living in peace with nature. Since ancient times, the people of this land have respected human harmony and have lived in peace by working together as a group. However, while the natural environment of this island nation is rich to live, it is also harsh to live and has both light and dark sides. They have shared and enjoyed the blessings of nature by pooling their wisdom and collectively overcoming numerous severe and harsh natural disasters, such as frequent volcanic eruptions, earthquakes, tsunami, summer typhoons, and heavy snowfall in winter. This is because this island nation has a harsh natural environment that cannot be overcome by a single person. Individuals are too weak to face the fury of nature when natural disasters suddenly strike the wealth they have built up and can destroy their cities overnight. That is why Japanese people believed that they should suppress their egos, avoid conflict among humans, cooperate with each other to create a livable environment and maintain public cleanliness, and join forces to prevent disasters before they occur and to restore the environment immediately after they have occurred. They believed that this is the most wise, efficient, and rational way to maintain peace and freedom in each other's lives, this would bring about better results rather than to create more chaos and conflict by insisting on each other's selfishness. because of the environment in which disasters frequently occur that cannot be resolved by individual power alone. And this thinkings have given rise to Japan's unique teachings, culture, and behavior. For example, it is fundamentally connected to the Japanese mindset of "Behaving in a way that does not bother others in public places," "Helping each other if someone is in trouble," and "Not doing bad things even if no one is watching." And one of the teachings of the ancient Shinto religion, "Purify yourself (kiyome) by getting rid of Defilement (kegare)," has been taken over today as a basic manner to "Not pollute even in public places," to “Always keep the environment and yourself clean”, and to make everyone, regardless of status, gender, or age. feel comfortable equally. The warm and humid island climate is not only a paradise for humans and animals, but also a paradise for bacteria and microorganisms to thrive. Without cleanliness in daily life, bacteria can easily multiply and food can spoil. It is clear why the ancient Japanese Shinto religion taught the importance of “maintaining a clean environment on a daily basis. Even before the development of science, they strictly taught cleanliness because they knew that laziness and uncleanliness would lead to plague and other disasters through the growth of invisible bacteria, leading to the death and destruction of a people. This is the ancient wisdom to survive safely in the dangerous natural environment unique to this island nation（the climate in Japan, unlike that of the continent, is humid, and pathogens can easily multiply.) Over the years, the wisdom to survive in this particular land has been formed into a unique Japanese behavior and culture that values cleanliness, flawless work, and diligence, which is different from other countries. Because otherwise they would not have survived for so long in this land. The Japanese people have lived in this land since ancient times, and based on their experience of the coexistence of heaven and hell, they believed that human beings are not the main actors in the natural world, but are only one member of the natural world and one of the objects that are kept alive by the natural environment. Therefore, with an attitude of humility, human beings thought that harmony with the natural world, other living creatures, and nature, as well as cooperative behavior and peaceful harmony among other human beings, were important. After all, They also believed that this was the wisest way of thinking for each individual human being born on this earth to live happily for the rest of his or her life. This particular environment gave birth to the Japanese spirit of harmony“WA”, ingenuity, improvement, and development orientation. The spirit of harmony“WA” in Japan, for example, was also present in the period when the samurai received imperial commands from the emperor and controlled the substantive affairs of state, only the administrative functions were transferred from the emperor to the samurai class (police and military organizations). During the 600 years of the samurai period, not a single incident occurred in which a samurai government destroyed the emperor's family and became king itself. The samurai maintained the emperor system as the emperor's servants despite the military regime.This is the reason why the lineage of the Emperors has continued for about 2,000 years until the present day. When Buddhism, which originated in India, was imported to Japan via China about 1,300 years ago, the Japanese did not start a religious war between Shinto, the traditional religion of Japan, and Buddhism, which was imported from a foreign country. The two religions coexisted and merged into one. This is the reason why there are many Shinto shrines and Buddhist temples throughout Japan today, and why the Japanese take refuge in both. This peaceful harmony with nature and avoidance of conflict between humans is characteristic of the spirit of harmony“WA”, the traditional behavior of Japanese culture. And this environment, both heaven and hell, has traditionally rooted another behavioral trait: ingenuity and pragmatic “improvement and betterment”. It has given birth to a culture that makes the most of the abundance of nature, and instead of despairing and giving up in the face of harsh realities, it has developed a culture of wisdom in how to improve and overcome the situation as much as possible. Rather than using imported technology as-is, the culture of technology took root in Japan's special natural environment, thinking of ways to improve and enhance it for even more effective use, and developing new methods for greater perfection. Technological developments in various fields did not begin in modern times, such as "earthquake-resistant construction techniques" for high-rise buildings created 1,300 years ago, unique "wooden construction techniques" that do not use iron nails but use a combination of wood to hold them firmly in place, "sword smithing" that synthesizes multiple types of iron to form strong steel, and "fermented food processing techniques" to preserve foodstuffs. About 400 years ago, before the importation of Western technology, Edo was built on an undeveloped muddy land after the construction of a large river track, coastal reclamation, and other soil improvements. In addition, a habitable city was constructed by separating "the water supply system" from the distant source of clear water to the center of Edo. This is the foundation of Tokyo's current prosperity. They have a long history of taking on the challenges of nature and solving problems without giving up. Japan's harsh natural environment has taught the Japanese the attitude of not giving up, but rather observing reality and creating ways to improve it. The ancient name of Japan, "YAMATO" "WA" (peaceful harmony between people and nature), represents "the wishes and reality" of the people who have been trying to survive in the rich and at the same time harsh natural environment unique to island countries, which is different from the dry and stable land of the Eurasian continent. And it is in this ancient Japanese country name "YAMATO/WA" that the essence of Japanese culture, the origin and secret of its unique culture, which is very different from the cultures of other Asian countries on the continent, is hidden.
Hi! this is such an informative video, I'm so glad i found it. As I will do the exact same route as you in late Oct, may i know how much time per stop you can stroll around? is the stop to stroll the area only at the peak?
Thank you for sharing this video! This amazing route is still on my bucket list, and I didn't get the chance to experience it during my visit to Japan. I have a couple of questions: In which month did you take this trip, and did you get to see the road with the giant ice walls during your visit?
We did this trip in mid-October. It was still too early for the snow. From what I've read, the snow walls can typically be visited mid-April to mid-June.
As a Canadian who's married to a Japanese person I have to say you guys are brave for all of the travels within Japan with out speaking the language. I have been to Japan 11 times and I have only seen 10% of what you have. I am not that brave....lol. But why back to Japan when you have been already a few times?
Haha, thank you! It was only our second time back in Japan. We decided to come back because our first trip was mainly centred around Tokyo/Osaka/Kyoto, but we quickly realized we preferred the smaller towns out in nature. We decided to make that the focus of this trip and had a much better experience. As for the language barrier, we're okay pointing, signing and playing charades - it's just part of the adventure!
I did some research and found your video, which confirms everything I'm skepital of. Amazing video. Breath taking view that you had. Thanks for the video!
Great video guys! I'm thinking of doing the ALPINE ROUTE in Autumn season next year! I was wondering if you guys could let me know, how much time do you get to spend at each stop?
When my wife and I did this journey several years ago, we were able to purchase our tickets when we picked up our JR Rail Pass in Tokyo. Be prepared for weather regardless of season.
Thank you for posting such a detailed video of the route! It was a very beautiful trip, especially with the foliage while coming down from Mt Tate. I’m also a bit intimidated by the web ticket site and would likely chance it with the same day tickets. You mentioned that you were still having breakfast around Dentetsu Toyama station around 7am, what time did you start queueing for the tickets and what time slot did you get for the Tateyama cable car? Also what time did you eventually reach Ogizawa then Nagano? I saw the official website said it would take 8-9 hours to traverse the whole way, I wonder if it means up to Nagano. Thanks again for the videos and looking forward to seeing more of your travels!
Hii, may I know when you do luggage forwarding at dentetsu toyama, do you need to also provide the destination address? Or can just pickup at shinano omachi station? Thanks in advance🙏🏼
I was signing up for tickets; all you have to do is convert your name to Katakana which sounds super strange; I don’t know why this isn’t a tip for travelling in Japan. This will have been my second time doing this to sign up for stuff.
I was thinking about doing this from Toyama sometime in October 2025, but I wonder how easy it will be. I read that you can get altitude sickness around Murodo because it's at an altitude of 2450m. But now that you say it may be hard to get tickets, I'm wondering. Were the tickets for reserved seats or could you catch any of the trains/ buses/ ropeways if you wanted some time to spend at Murodo, Daikanbo, Kurobe Dam, etc.? Maybe because it was edited as such, but it seemed like a bit of a rush without much time at each of the stops along the way. Did you need a day of rest the next day or was a good nights sleep enough to recuperate?
Gorgeous! And I feel ya both, I used to be like the energizer bunny on trips, now I drift off when I'm seated and take any and all napping opportunities 😀
Hello! thank you for your informative video! i am going there in April to buy the day tickets, would like to find out a bit more about the tickets! 1. do you happen to know how many day tickets do they sell each day 2. was there already a queue upon opening time 0730h during your visit? 3. After you got the tickets @2:20 with immediate payment, you mentioned did you pay on the spot for the entire ride but also mentioned that 'after paying for all of this' you needed to figure out the luggage. May i know if you paid in full at the dentetsu toyama window or you still have to pay elsewhere along the route?
All very good questions! I have answers for some of these. 1. I have no idea how many day tickets are released each day. I found this link on the Alpine Route website that talks about how many tickets they were releasing for a busy long weekend in August. This might be a good indicator: www.alpen-route.com/en/10373-2 That's why we wanted to be there are soon as they opened - to get in with the first wave of released tickets. 2. There were maybe 10-15 people buying same day tickets when we got there in the morning. We were the first to arrive and then people slowly trickled in. We went on a weekday, so I imagine this is why it wasn't too busy. 3. We paid for the full route from Toyama to Ogizawa when we purchased the tickets at the start of the day. Then we paid for the luggage forwarding service (it's now at 3000 yen per bag). Lastly, when we arrived in Ogizawa at the end of the route, we paid for 2 more buses: one to Shinano Omachi to pick up the luggage and another one to Nagano City (there's an express bus from Ogizawa to Nagano if you don't have luggage). I hope this helps a bit! It's a lot of info, but definitely doable.
Cool and chill vibes! Subscribed! I always loved to go Toyama, seeing this video I am going to try the Tateyama Kurobe alpine route! May I know if you only have an allocated time between each segment of the route? For example, how long can we stay at Kurobe dam before boarding the bus again? Thanks!
We did have a timed ticket for the Tateyama Cable Car. That was the second mode of transportation. You could stay at Kurobe Dam longer if you wanted too - many people do in order to enjoy the boat ride and visit the museum.
Hi, Thank you so much for the video. It;s very informative and helpful! I'm planning to take alpine route by staying overnight in Murodo and continuing the journey to Ogizawa the next day. If this the case, how should I purchase the transportation tickets? should I purchase it one way from toyama-ogizawa just like you did, or is there any ticket counter up there along the journey that I should buy on the 2nd day? I'm just worried that the purchase also came with the time of the ride. Thanks in advance :)
Hallo Samuel and Audrey! We're going here in November so I've been watching videos to help me prep. Did I get it right that you paid for the entire route up front in Toyama Station? And there was no need to pay anymore each time you changed transportation? Thanks!
If the only hurdle to getting online tickets is Japanese input on a form simply ask the hotel staff to translate your names to katakana and have them send it to you via email so you can cut and paste. My first name is Thomas which is トーマス in katakana. It's totally doable.
We tried asking for help at 2 different tourism offices, but they recommended we just buy the tickets in person. I also thought of translating our names into katakana, but was worried it would be an issue if it didn't match our IDs. Thankfully, It all worked out in the end!
Thank you for making this video. It’s very helpful. I am plan to fly to Toyama in this mid October and take Alpine Route trip. When and where do you buy the bus tickets? But online or at the bus stop after you finish all the rides? Thanks.
If you're Japanese, I would suggest buying them online on the official Alpen Route website. If you're a foreigner, you can follow the exact steps we showed in this video. Arrive at Dentetsu-Toyama Station and get in line before the ticketing booth opens. A select number of same-day tickets are released and you can buy those in person.
If you're Japanese, you can book online. However, if you're a foreigner, you'll want to go in person - and try to go early if you're travelling during high season!
You may be surprised to learn that most travel vloggers do post their content several months after the trip. Editing is very time consuming and it's simply not sustainable to do it whilst travelling.
We visited mid-October. How long the foliage lasts really depends on the rain and wind! We had peak foliage last year and we could already see some snow on the mountain peaks.
What a stunning mountain view!!
Such a contrast between the rainbow of colours and the snow
It was quite the treat! Winter wonderland one moment and peak autumn foliage the next. We couldn't have timed it better! 😊
This is one of your most interesting and visually pleasing Japan videos!
What a journey! Thank you for the new video, guys!
The colours are unbelievable
One of the most beautiful scenic trips you have done on this Japanese 🏯 tour
Thanks Stephen! We're glad you enjoyed this episode. It was one of the highlights of our trip and worth the extra bit of effort.
素晴らしいタイミングで行けて良かったですね❤
だけどどの季節に行ってもここは裏切らないところですよ😊
立山連峰のハイキングもおすすめです🥾
What a video. Watched it twice . From trains ,to buses and cable cars. The only thing you didn't do was fly. What a time of the year to see the Japanese Alps. Definitely bucket list for us.
You guys covered a lot of ground. And as usual so well . Thank for sharing this wonderful video. Sending you much love❤ Richmond, Va. Harriet, Jim and Yuki
Aww, thank you! We're glad you guys enjoyed this day trip across the Japanese Alps. It was one of the highlights of the trip for us. We've never seen autumn foliage quite like that. I think we need to start planning more autumn trips to scenic places! 🍂🍁🧡🎃
Sam and Audrey watching your video Japanese Alp from our hotel in Yokahama Japan Our first week here Loving it so far
Oh, very cool! I hope Japan is treating you well so far. Enjoy Yokohama - we loved the food there! 😊🍜
What a fun journey 😊
Me and my wife are planning to visit this Alpine Route this coming May of 2024...you video is big help...
That's amazing! That means you'll get to see the giant walls of snow!! Wishing you a great trip - that's coming up soon. 😊
@@samuelandaudrey Yeah we wanna see the snow wall hopefully...Thanks
Thank you for this beautiful video you are the best couple!!
素晴らしい景色でした！
室堂で1時間ほど散策すると最高です、雪で歩きづらかったから残念、春夏シーズンにまた来て下さい😊
Kurobe Dam 😮
WOW BEAUTIFUL!
Wonderful mountain views! I am impressed!😍⛰⛰❤
It's an ingenious package when you can squeeze out 2 sauces at once.
It was pretty cool! We've only ever seen that type of packaging in Japan.
That's awesome! Spring is a great time to do the crossing because you get to drive through the giant walls of snow!!!
The colors of Audrey's jacket, blouse, bag and especially her cap perfectly match the autumnal landscape (which is truly amazing, btw; the explosion of beautiful colors seems like withering leaves' swan song); if she had got lost in the woods, it wouldn't have been easy to find her :)
Haha, good eye! I do like autumn colours, so my wardrobe tends to veer that way. 🍁🍂
Indeed a feast for the eyes
I love your channel so so much! Thank you for always sharing your travels with us who live vicariously through you!!
Wow!! What a fun filled day you guys had. The scenery looked amazing and all those modes of transportation. Another great video from you guys. We just got back from Bansko and among other things we took a gondola to the ski area which was over 2,000 meters. If you guys want to come to Bulgaria we'd be happy to show you the sites here.
That sounds amazing! We've heard lots of good things about Bansko. Who knows, we might end up visiting one day!
Scenery was gorgeous, worth all the transfers!
For sure!
Brilliant, thanks
Great video! I never heard of a baggage forwarding service. Looks like something that could be useful in many tourist areas. 👍 👍 👍
It was our first time using this type of service. I'm not sure if it's an 'only in Japan' type of thing, but it was super handy!
It's a very common and convenient service because Japanese people travel very lightly within the country and public transportation usually doesn't accommodate luggage and large bags. Many people use it after landing at an airport because they need to get back to their homes by train and/or bus. It's also great if you do a lot of shopping while traveling and want to have the items shipped back to your hotel or home so you don't have to lug them around on your trip (as you did).
What a "Mind Bending" trip across and through the mountains!!!
We have also a car forwarding service in the area.
I've used it everytime i've been in Japan . So easy and convenient .
Glad to know you two had a fun & pleasant time in the Northern Japanese Alps. At right place at right time, indeed. Been there twice myself in the opposite direction but that was not "at the right time", to my regret.
This area is known as one of heavy snow fall in Japan. In spring, when they remove snow
on the road before reopen , 20 meters snow walls both side of road.
The visitors can walk on the snow wall road.
Yes, that's how we first learned about this place! We'd love to do it again in the springtime for a completely different experience.
立山黒部アルペンルートへようこそ！秋の紅葉と先取りした真冬の混在したとても綺麗な季節に訪れ最高でしたね！！
タイミングも完璧でした。訪問できてとても幸運でした！それは私たちの日本旅行のハイライトの一つでした。
So interesting all the different unique modes of transport!
For sure! The ropeway was a real treat - I wish that part had been a bit longer. 😊🚠🍂
this is so incredible! i will be travelling to Kanazawa Japan this August 2024. I plan to book an overnight stay in Toyama so i can get the first train to Tateyama.
I plan to stop in Kurobe Dam and traverse back. Another option is to go straight to Nagano, like what you did and just take the shinkansen back to Kanazawa... I'm still thinking whats the best between the two.
立山に行ってくれてありがとう👏私の故郷である能登半島から海越しに見える立山連峰はほんとに素晴らしかったです🥹今は行けない状況ですが…😢
For my recent trip, I made a couple of reservations that needed me to translate my name to katakana or hiragana and I just used the google translate, it worked fine for me.
One idea for luggage is also ta-q-bin or similar service. Then you can even send from a convenience store close to your hotel straight to your next hotel! Although you probably need to send it the night before but it’s nice to have it straight to the hotel, and similar cost if not lower
This video, while not the same, reminds me of a movie called "Planes, Trains and automobiles. RIP John Candy.
Ahh, a classic. We like that one too.
@@samuelandaudrey 😀
北アルプスで雪と紅葉の絶景を同時に観たいなら１０月中旬〜１１月中旬が最適。雪の回廊や雪の大谷観たいなら５月が最適
Hermoso !!! ❤
Japón en otoño es pura magia! 🍂🍁✨
Utterly fantastic Vid. Brilliant Vistas and Audrey was right one short of Crowded House "4 Seasons in one Day"....Keep them coming, loving them
Thanks Paul! We're glad you enjoyed this episode. The autumn foliage was just magical - hands down one of the coolest things we did in Japan. We still have a couple more episodes before the Japan adventure comes to an end. Thanks for watching and happy weekend! 😊
What an incredible trip!
I was just thinking of that trip you’d taken years ago in the summer that had me rethink it all 😅
To be honest at that stage I just don’t care when I just want to go!
I’m really enjoying all your Japan vlogs immensely
Thank you very much indeed for your hard work
Sabrina🇫🇷🇬🇧
Oh, that infamous summer in Japan! Haha, yeah, it wasn't the best time to visit. That being said, escaping to the mountains provided some relief.
@@samuelandaudrey yes a totally different trip in the same country 😂😘
All you can see it beautiful adventures
Hola Audrey y Samuel.
Primero en ver el video y en darle link.
Saludos desde Córdoba Edgardo 🍷.
サミュエルとオードレーは日本人が知らないいい場所をいつも紹介してくれる。ありがとう。
最高の時期に行けたようですね。
Enjoy you video's..........Thank You!!!
What time do you arrive at Omachi bus station? I plan to take train from there to Matsumoto, then day trip to Kamikochi.
立山黒部アルペンルートにお越しいただきありがとうございます。私何回もおとずれてます。いつの季節でも楽しめますね。
Que bello😍😍😍😍😍
Even as time goes by and the surface of a town changes, nothing changes in the underlying foundation of the unique Japanese culture.
The common root of the creation of originality in Japanese culture is the uniqueness of its geopolitical location and the influence of its natural environment.
Even if they import culture and knowledge from abroad, they are not dominated by it, and after a certain period of time, they select the content, integrate it with their own culture, improve it, and eventually create a new style.
Why, then, have they been trying to improve existing things and create new ones?
The reason is obvious: the unique natural environment of Japan, an island nation.
Japan's ancient adaptive behavior to survive in the harsh natural environment has given birth to a Japanese culture of behavior, in which people always think creatively and without giving up on reality.
Japan's original country name "NIPPON”means "the land under (of) the sun" , but another traditional country name is "WA (YAMATO) ” , meaning “Peacefull Harmony”. So Japan's real name means “the Land of the Sun” and” the Land of "Great Peacefull Harmony (of People and Nature),”
The history of Japan is very old, about 2,000 years since the Emperor's reign, but humans began to live in villages and communities in this island nation about 14,000 years ago, during “the JOMON pottery” culture. (That's 30,000 years ago, if you count the Neolithic period.)
Surrounded on all sides by the sea and geographically isolated from the Eurasian continent in the Pacific Ocean, this island nation has a warm and humid climate, and because it is a volcanic island, mountains occupy about 80% of its land, it is rich in underground clear water resources through its natural filtration system, and is blessed with diverse vegetation and fishery resources.
For this reason, people have lived here for tens of thousands of years, enjoying the abundant nature and living in peace with nature.
Since ancient times, the people of this land have respected human harmony and have lived in peace by working together as a group.
However, while the natural environment of this island nation is rich to live, it is also harsh to live and has both light and dark sides.
They have shared and enjoyed the blessings of nature by pooling their wisdom and collectively overcoming numerous severe and harsh natural disasters, such as frequent volcanic eruptions, earthquakes, tsunami, summer typhoons, and heavy snowfall in winter.
This is because this island nation has a harsh natural environment that cannot be overcome by a single person.
Individuals are too weak to face the fury of nature when natural disasters suddenly strike the wealth they have built up and can destroy their cities overnight.
That is why Japanese people believed that they should suppress their egos, avoid conflict among humans, cooperate with each other to create a livable environment and maintain public cleanliness, and join forces to prevent disasters before they occur and to restore the environment immediately after they have occurred.
They believed that this is the most wise, efficient, and rational way to maintain peace and freedom in each other's lives, this would bring about better results rather than to create more chaos and conflict by insisting on each other's selfishness.
because of the environment in which disasters frequently occur that cannot be resolved by individual power alone.
And this thinkings have given rise to Japan's unique teachings, culture, and behavior.
For example, it is fundamentally connected to the Japanese mindset of "Behaving in a way that does not bother others in public places," "Helping each other if someone is in trouble," and "Not doing bad things even if no one is watching."
And one of the teachings of the ancient Shinto religion, "Purify yourself (kiyome) by getting rid of Defilement (kegare)," has been taken over today as a basic manner to "Not pollute even in public places," to “Always keep the environment and yourself clean”, and to make everyone, regardless of status, gender, or age. feel comfortable equally.
The warm and humid island climate is not only a paradise for humans and animals, but also a paradise for bacteria and microorganisms to thrive.
Without cleanliness in daily life, bacteria can easily multiply and food can spoil.
It is clear why the ancient Japanese Shinto religion taught the importance of “maintaining a clean environment on a daily basis. Even before the development of science, they strictly taught cleanliness because they knew that laziness and uncleanliness would lead to plague and other disasters through the growth of invisible bacteria, leading to the death and destruction of a people.
This is the ancient wisdom to survive safely in the dangerous natural environment unique to this island nation（the climate in Japan, unlike that of the continent, is humid, and pathogens can easily multiply.)
Over the years, the wisdom to survive in this particular land has been formed into a unique Japanese behavior and culture that values cleanliness, flawless work, and diligence, which is different from other countries. Because otherwise they would not have survived for so long in this land.
The Japanese people have lived in this land since ancient times, and based on their experience of the coexistence of heaven and hell, they believed that human beings are not the main actors in the natural world, but are only one member of the natural world and one of the objects that are kept alive by the natural environment.
Therefore, with an attitude of humility, human beings thought that harmony with the natural world, other living creatures, and nature, as well as cooperative behavior and peaceful harmony among other human beings, were important.
After all, They also believed that this was the wisest way of thinking for each individual human being born on this earth to live happily for the rest of his or her life.
This particular environment gave birth to the Japanese spirit of harmony“WA”, ingenuity, improvement, and development orientation.
The spirit of harmony“WA” in Japan, for example, was also present in the period when the samurai received imperial commands from the emperor and controlled the substantive affairs of state, only the administrative functions were transferred from the emperor to the samurai class (police and military organizations).
During the 600 years of the samurai period, not a single incident occurred in which a samurai government destroyed the emperor's family and became king itself. The samurai maintained the emperor system as the emperor's servants despite the military regime.This is the reason why the lineage of the Emperors has continued for about 2,000 years until the present day.
When Buddhism, which originated in India, was imported to Japan via China about 1,300 years ago, the Japanese did not start a religious war between Shinto, the traditional religion of Japan, and Buddhism, which was imported from a foreign country.
The two religions coexisted and merged into one. This is the reason why there are many Shinto shrines and Buddhist temples throughout Japan today, and why the Japanese take refuge in both.
This peaceful harmony with nature and avoidance of conflict between humans is characteristic of the spirit of harmony“WA”, the traditional behavior of Japanese culture.
And this environment, both heaven and hell, has traditionally rooted another behavioral trait: ingenuity and pragmatic “improvement and betterment”.
It has given birth to a culture that makes the most of the abundance of nature, and instead of despairing and giving up in the face of harsh realities, it has developed a culture of wisdom in how to improve and overcome the situation as much as possible.
Rather than using imported technology as-is, the culture of technology took root in Japan's special natural environment, thinking of ways to improve and enhance it for even more effective use, and developing new methods for greater perfection.
Technological developments in various fields did not begin in modern times, such as "earthquake-resistant construction techniques" for high-rise buildings created 1,300 years ago, unique "wooden construction techniques" that do not use iron nails but use a combination of wood to hold them firmly in place, "sword smithing" that synthesizes multiple types of iron to form strong steel, and "fermented food processing techniques" to preserve foodstuffs.
About 400 years ago, before the importation of Western technology, Edo was built on an undeveloped muddy land after the construction of a large river track, coastal reclamation, and other soil improvements. In addition, a habitable city was constructed by separating "the water supply system" from the distant source of clear water to the center of Edo. This is the foundation of Tokyo's current prosperity.
They have a long history of taking on the challenges of nature and solving problems without giving up.
Japan's harsh natural environment has taught the Japanese the attitude of not giving up, but rather observing reality and creating ways to improve it.
The ancient name of Japan, "YAMATO" "WA" (peaceful harmony between people and nature), represents "the wishes and reality" of the people who have been trying to survive in the rich and at the same time harsh natural environment unique to island countries, which is different from the dry and stable land of the Eurasian continent.
And it is in this ancient Japanese country name "YAMATO/WA" that the essence of Japanese culture, the origin and secret of its unique culture, which is very different from the cultures of other Asian countries on the continent, is hidden.
Thank you for making this. Its been on my list. Ill go next month🤙🏽
Awesome! Wishing you happy travels.
@@samuelandaudreygoing tomorrow. Cant wait. Thx
Hi! this is such an informative video, I'm so glad i found it. As I will do the exact same route as you in late Oct, may i know how much time per stop you can stroll around? is the stop to stroll the area only at the peak?
Thank you for sharing this video! This amazing route is still on my bucket list, and I didn't get the chance to experience it during my visit to Japan. I have a couple of questions: In which month did you take this trip, and did you get to see the road with the giant ice walls during your visit?
We did this trip in mid-October. It was still too early for the snow. From what I've read, the snow walls can typically be visited mid-April to mid-June.
As a Canadian who's married to a Japanese person I have to say you guys are brave for all of the travels within Japan with out speaking the language. I have been to Japan 11 times and I have only seen 10% of what you have. I am not that brave....lol. But why back to Japan when you have been already a few times?
Haha, thank you! It was only our second time back in Japan. We decided to come back because our first trip was mainly centred around Tokyo/Osaka/Kyoto, but we quickly realized we preferred the smaller towns out in nature. We decided to make that the focus of this trip and had a much better experience. As for the language barrier, we're okay pointing, signing and playing charades - it's just part of the adventure!
Thank you guys, such an inspiring journey ❤ I am the subscriber now
Looks like a wonderful adventure.
生まれ故郷の富山を楽しんでくださってありがとうございます(*^^*)
立山黒部アルペンルートを一緒に旅してるような感じでした！
I did some research and found your video, which confirms everything I'm skepital of. Amazing video. Breath taking view that you had. Thanks for the video!
Your video gave much good details we are looking for ❤
日本の秋は、素晴らしく景色が綺麗です。
北アルプスの山々🏔️が美しく立山、黒部は、ダムが有名で、黒部ダムは、日本を代表する程ダイナミックです。
上高地も素晴らしく美しいのでセットで旅が出来たら最高です。
Great video guys! I'm thinking of doing the ALPINE ROUTE in Autumn season next year! I was wondering if you guys could let me know, how much time do you get to spend at each stop?
お疲れ様です！
Hi, I’ll be travelling in end nov. Would there be the same view of the autumn leaves? 😍
Thanks for the awesome videos!
When my wife and I did this journey several years ago, we were able to purchase our tickets when we picked up our JR Rail Pass in Tokyo. Be prepared for weather regardless of season.
Thank you for posting such a detailed video of the route! It was a very beautiful trip, especially with the foliage while coming down from Mt Tate.
I’m also a bit intimidated by the web ticket site and would likely chance it with the same day tickets. You mentioned that you were still having breakfast around Dentetsu Toyama station around 7am, what time did you start queueing for the tickets and what time slot did you get for the Tateyama cable car? Also what time did you eventually reach Ogizawa then Nagano? I saw the official website said it would take 8-9 hours to traverse the whole way, I wonder if it means up to Nagano.
Thanks again for the videos and looking forward to seeing more of your travels!
Hii, may I know when you do luggage forwarding at dentetsu toyama, do you need to also provide the destination address? Or can just pickup at shinano omachi station? Thanks in advance🙏🏼
Picturesque video! What month did you do this alpine route? Thanks
This was in mid-October. It was peak autumn foliage!
We visited Alpine Route this last May ang planning to visit again this autumn...may I know the actual date of your trip...Thanks
So gorgeous sceneries! Enjoyed the beauty! So relaxing views! And colors!
We're glad you enjoyed it! This was one of our favourite travel days of the trip. 😊
Can you tell me which date or month you go there? If we go around 12-16 okt is it possible see the snow?
beautiful, what dates this trip was done?
How much in US dollars did it cost? Just tickets 2024
Also this is so relaxing 😌 Big fan
All the fares are listed here: www.alpen-route.com/en/transport/fare.html At the moment, it's ¥15,270 or $102 USD one way.
Can you say at what date you did this trip? Probably at the end of October?
I was signing up for tickets; all you have to do is convert your name to Katakana which sounds super strange; I don’t know why this isn’t a tip for travelling in Japan. This will have been my second time doing this to sign up for stuff.
Just wonder what are the departing time beside 8.11 as shown in your video. Thanks
ようこそ富山へ
I was thinking about doing this from Toyama sometime in October 2025, but I wonder how easy it will be. I read that you can get altitude sickness around Murodo because it's at an altitude of 2450m. But now that you say it may be hard to get tickets, I'm wondering. Were the tickets for reserved seats or could you catch any of the trains/ buses/ ropeways if you wanted some time to spend at Murodo, Daikanbo, Kurobe Dam, etc.? Maybe because it was edited as such, but it seemed like a bit of a rush without much time at each of the stops along the way.
Did you need a day of rest the next day or was a good nights sleep enough to recuperate?
Gorgeous! And I feel ya both, I used to be like the energizer bunny on trips, now I drift off when I'm seated and take any and all napping opportunities 😀
There's something soothing about a bus or train gently swaying you to sleep...😴
beautiful video! may i ask what were the dates of your visit?
We did the Alpine Crossing on October 16, which turned out to be peak foliage season.
omg why did i randomly watch this video and not recognize u guys until three minutes into the video. 🧔
What a great long journey. What month exactly when you went there? (I know its when autumn) ... thank you
Hello! thank you for your informative video! i am going there in April to buy the day tickets, would like to find out a bit more about the tickets!
1. do you happen to know how many day tickets do they sell each day
2. was there already a queue upon opening time 0730h during your visit?
3. After you got the tickets @2:20 with immediate payment, you mentioned did you pay on the spot for the entire ride but also mentioned that 'after paying for all of this' you needed to figure out the luggage. May i know if you paid in full at the dentetsu toyama window or you still have to pay elsewhere along the route?
All very good questions! I have answers for some of these.
1. I have no idea how many day tickets are released each day. I found this link on the Alpine Route website that talks about how many tickets they were releasing for a busy long weekend in August. This might be a good indicator: www.alpen-route.com/en/10373-2 That's why we wanted to be there are soon as they opened - to get in with the first wave of released tickets.
2. There were maybe 10-15 people buying same day tickets when we got there in the morning. We were the first to arrive and then people slowly trickled in. We went on a weekday, so I imagine this is why it wasn't too busy.
3. We paid for the full route from Toyama to Ogizawa when we purchased the tickets at the start of the day. Then we paid for the luggage forwarding service (it's now at 3000 yen per bag). Lastly, when we arrived in Ogizawa at the end of the route, we paid for 2 more buses: one to Shinano Omachi to pick up the luggage and another one to Nagano City (there's an express bus from Ogizawa to Nagano if you don't have luggage).
I hope this helps a bit! It's a lot of info, but definitely doable.
Thanks!
Thanks for the tip!
When was this? I’m heading there on the 11th of November this year, hoping the foliage is still spectacular in Mid November!
Cool and chill vibes! Subscribed! I always loved to go Toyama, seeing this video I am going to try the Tateyama Kurobe alpine route! May I know if you only have an allocated time between each segment of the route? For example, how long can we stay at Kurobe dam before boarding the bus again? Thanks!
We did have a timed ticket for the Tateyama Cable Car. That was the second mode of transportation. You could stay at Kurobe Dam longer if you wanted too - many people do in order to enjoy the boat ride and visit the museum.
Hi, Thank you so much for the video. It;s very informative and helpful!
I'm planning to take alpine route by staying overnight in Murodo and continuing the journey to Ogizawa the next day. If this the case, how should I purchase the transportation tickets? should I purchase it one way from toyama-ogizawa just like you did, or is there any ticket counter up there along the journey that I should buy on the 2nd day?
I'm just worried that the purchase also came with the time of the ride. Thanks in advance :)
Hallo Samuel and Audrey! We're going here in November so I've been watching videos to help me prep. Did I get it right that you paid for the entire route up front in Toyama Station? And there was no need to pay anymore each time you changed transportation? Thanks!
would you mind telling me when this footage was taken? thank youuuu
We visited in mid October.
If the only hurdle to getting online tickets is Japanese input on a form simply ask the hotel staff to translate your names to katakana and have them send it to you via email so you can cut and paste. My first name is Thomas which is トーマス in katakana. It's totally doable.
We tried asking for help at 2 different tourism offices, but they recommended we just buy the tickets in person. I also thought of translating our names into katakana, but was worried it would be an issue if it didn't match our IDs. Thankfully, It all worked out in the end!
what month did you go and how much is the total cost of this route?
departing from dentetsu Toyama to Murano, can u get a u turn bus back to Toyama or must sit all the way till the end ?
When did you guys visit?
Thank you for making this video. It’s very helpful. I am plan to fly to Toyama in this mid October and take Alpine Route trip. When and where do you buy the bus tickets? But online or at the bus stop after you finish all the rides? Thanks.
If you're Japanese, I would suggest buying them online on the official Alpen Route website. If you're a foreigner, you can follow the exact steps we showed in this video. Arrive at Dentetsu-Toyama Station and get in line before the ticketing booth opens. A select number of same-day tickets are released and you can buy those in person.
Are you recommend to book the route ticket online? Or buy at the Toyama station is better?
If you're Japanese, you can book online. However, if you're a foreigner, you'll want to go in person - and try to go early if you're travelling during high season!
Hi, may i know which month and date the video taken ?
Thanks
This was mid-October.
hi, nice info. what month did you go there?
We visited in mid-October. It was peak foliage season!
Hi , please let me know did you guys book all the tickets onspot or pre booked anything?
We showed up early and booked our tickets right on the spot. We explain and show the whole process in the video.
Hi, can I ask which month you went there? I’m planning to go in autumn too. Thank you!
This was in mid-October.
Just how long have you been holding your videos..... 6-7 months?
You may be surprised to learn that most travel vloggers do post their content several months after the trip. Editing is very time consuming and it's simply not sustainable to do it whilst travelling.
What date did you go? Were going in Oct 30, does it snow? Is there fall foliage?
We visited mid-October. How long the foliage lasts really depends on the rain and wind! We had peak foliage last year and we could already see some snow on the mountain peaks.
still liked your testing pizza years ago
Haha, we do have a lot of pizza videos on the channel! 😅🍕
It was in 2017 or 2018, you guys take care
When was this specifically? 🥺 Im going in mid-October
We also did this trip in mid-October. The colours were just perfection!
@@samuelandaudrey thank youuu 🥺
そのバーガーはあなたの好みに合わせて作られたものではありませんが、日本人の味覚に合うように調理されています。余計なことを言わずに、どうぞお召し上がりください。😂😅🤤