The Chubu region can be found in the centre of Japan’s largest island, Honshu, and consists of nine prefectures. These prefectures are often split into three smaller areas, known as Hokuriku (Fukui, Ishikawa and Toyama), Tokai (Shizuoka, Aichi and Gifu) and Koshinetsu (Yamanashi, Nagano and Niigata).
Hokuriku lies along the coast of the Sea of Japan, and boasts beautiful coastal geography and rural peninsulas such as the Noto Peninsula in Ishikawa Prefecture. Additionally, Toyama’s famous Alpine Route through the Northern Alps makes for an unforgettable journey through one of Japan’s most interesting geographical landscapes.
In Tokai, the mountainous region of Shirakawago and Gokayama in Gifu Prefecture boasts a picturesque UNESCO World Heritage Site housing traditional and preserved gassho-zukuri farmhouses dating back over 250 years, while Aichi Prefecture’s historic main city of Nagoya is the third largest economic centre in the country and provides ample efficient transport links to various interesting locations across Japan.
Finally, visitors to the Koshinetsu region should take the time to explore the beauty of Mount Fuji and the surrounding five lakes in Yamanashi Prefecture before visiting the hot-spring bathing monkeys of Yamanouchi in Nagano or the famous ski resort of Yuzawa in Niigata.