Before you go
Are you planning to drive around some of Japan’s famous sightseeing spots?
It’ll be a good trip.
Before you set off, here’s just one way of thinking about it.
Before you look for “where to park”, decide “where to get out of the car”.
That alone makes the whole day of your trip feel lighter.
For each place you go, look at these three
① When does it get crowded?
② Where do you get out of the car?
③ Can you book?
Just those three.
Below, we’ll explain why it’s these three.
The answers differ from place to place, so they’re in each place’s own article.
① When does it get crowded?
Crowds at Japan’s sightseeing spots are more predictable than you might think.
The season, the day of the week and the time of day mostly decide it.
And the local authorities announce it in advance.
They say things like “This period will be busy” and “Please avoid these hours.”
In other words, you can know before you go.
And you can shift your plans.
Shifting by just half a day can make one whole line disappear.
You shift not to cut back on sightseeing, but because it makes your trip more fun.
② Where do you get out of the car?
This is the most important question.
At Japan’s sightseeing spots, sometimes you can’t drive into the place itself.
There’s a village that asks you not to drive in during certain hours.
There’s a mountain you can’t drive up in your own car during the summer.
Even where there’s no rule like that, getting out before you reach it is often quicker.
That’s because there are systems for leaving the car and switching to a train or bus.
In Japanese, this is called パーク＆ライド (Park & Ride).
It’s odd to say this in an article about driving, but it works well.
You get to your destination without sitting in traffic or hunting for a parking lot.
Sometimes it comes with a discount ticket, and sometimes the parking is free.
It can even turn out that walking, or switching to a train or bus, was the fun part.
So once you’ve picked where you’re going, this is the next thing to decide.
Park inside the destination, or get out before you reach it?
③ Can you book?
Once you know it’ll be crowded, you’ll want to book ahead.
This is where Japan’s sightseeing spots get confusing.
Many parking lots at sightseeing spots can’t be booked for an ordinary car.
Some places take bookings from tour buses only.
Some city-run parking lots have no booking system at all.
Some parking lots let in a fixed number of cars a day, first come, first served.
And if a lot is full, you can’t always wait for it on the road.
So the answer goes back to ①.
Get there early, or go on another day.
Those two work best at Japan’s sightseeing spots.
On to each place’s article
Everything up to here applies anywhere.
From here on, the answers differ from place to place.
At Shirakawa-go and Takayama, you don’t drive into the Shirakawa-go village during the day. In Takayama, you park after checking where there’s space.
On Mount Fuji, the rules differ from trailhead to trailhead.
In Kamakura, the Park & Ride parking lots are down to two.
In Kyoto and Nara, there’s a way to park before you get there and switch to a train or bus.
Hakone is a different place on weekdays and on weekends and holidays.
In Nikko and Nasu, the busy hours are clearly set.
Kanazawa is covered briefly, just the key points.
Check these three things in the article for where you’re going, and most of your worries for that day will be gone.
After that, just look forward to going.
※ Parking charges and opening hours, the periods when restrictions apply, and the days Park & Ride runs differ from place to place and change from year to year. Check each place’s article and the official pages of the local authority or the operator.
