6 Best Sights in The Japan Alps and the North Chubu Coast, Japan

At the country's largest wasabi farm, the green horseradish roots are cultivated in flat gravel beds irrigated by melted snow from the Alps. The chilly mineral water is ideal for the durable wasabi. The on-site shop sells the farm's products, which range from wasabi cheese to wasabi chocolate and wasabi ice cream (sounds bad, tastes pretty good), while the several cafes and restaurant's also serve wasabi-focused fare. The closest train station is Hotaka, 26 minutes (¥330) north along the JR Oito Line from Matsumoto Station. To reach the farm from Hotaka Station, take a 40-minute walk along a path (the station attendant will direct you), rent a bike, or hop in a taxi for about ¥1,300.

Originally established as an inn and sake shop in 1767, but brewing since the Meiji period, Imayo Tsukusa is one of the ninety or so sake brewers that have made Niigata famous for nihonshu (sake). They run 30-minute tours of the brewery every day (hourly from 9 to 4 on weekends, and 1 to 4 on weekdays), where staff explain the sake brewing process. That's followed by a tasting session, where you can sample multiple brews. Better yet, it's free, and there is an English speaker available for each 2 pm tour. You need to book in advance, online or by phone, but that can be done same day. It's a 15-minute walk east of Niigata Station.

Just south of the village of Suzu is a dramatic offshore rock formation called Mitsuke-jima, a huge wedge of rock topped with lush vegetation, connected to the shore with a pebbly path popular with lovers, who can ring a bell here to wish for everlasting love. Locals, however, also have a very unromantic name for it; “Gunkan-jima” (Battleship Island), because it resembles a warship sailing to attack.

Although inland buses will get you around faster, the coastal route is recommended for its scenic value. The 16-km (10-mile) stretch between Fuku-ura and Sekinohana, known as the Noto Seacoast, has fantastic wind- and wave-eroded rocks, from craggy towers to partly submerged checkerboard-pattern platforms. Among the best is Gan-mon, a rock cut through the center by water. Gan-mon is about 45 minutes north of Hakui and is a stop on tour-bus routes. The Wajima Tourist Information Center can give you details of boat tours, if you want to see the coast from the water.

This market in the center of the downtown was established almost 300 years ago. Today, the 170 or so vendors here run the gamut from fishmongers selling highly prized crab and seafood from the Sea of Japan, to sake stores, grocers and restaurants. The place is full of energy and color. Most stores are open from 9 am to 5:30 pm, although the restaurants in the second floor stay open later.

Built in 1599, Oyama Jinja was dedicated to Lord Toshiie Maeda, the founder of the Maeda clan. The shrine's unusual three-story gate, Shin-mon, was completed in 1875. Previously located atop Mt. Utatsu, the square arch and its stained-glass windows were believed to once function as a lighthouse, guiding ships in from the Sea of Japan to the Kanaiwa Port, 6 km (4 miles) northwest. You're free to walk around the shrine.