Shiramine白峰

Shiramine was selected as a national Important Preservation District for Groups of Traditional Buildings on 9 July 2012 (10.7 ha, a mountain-village and silkworm-farming district). The landmark is the large headman’s house, the Yamagishi-ke (旧山岸家住宅), with ochre walls and tall narrow windows, designated an Important Cultural Property in 2020. Edo- to Meiji-era houses line the street, and some are now cafés and shops.

A guided 1.5-hour walk costs ¥5,000 for 1–5 people, starts at the Sōyu and must be booked by the evening before with the Hakusan City Tourism Federation (076-259-5893). The Hakusan Foothills folk museum, with old houses moved from the valley, closes in winter.

A public bathhouse built from local timber, with an open-air bath, a sauna and a rest area. It costs ¥750 (¥360 for elementary school children; older listings say ¥650–¥670). Hours are 12:00–21:00, from 10:00 at weekends and holidays, with last entry 30 minutes before closing. It is closed on Tuesdays (the next day if a holiday) and on 31 December and 1 January.

Free parking for about 40 cars. The Sōyu is also where the guided walk starts.

Tochi-mochi is rice cake pounded with horse chestnut, bitter at the edge and sweet with red-bean paste. A confectioner called Shinsa sells single pieces, and reviewers say it is best eaten the day you buy it. The folk museum holds a mochi-pounding event in December.

The village’s other dishes are oroshi udon, botamochi and kata-dofu, a very firm tofu. Stalls sell them at the snowman festival.

Shiramine gets over 2 m of snow, nearly 4 m in some winters, and each February residents build snowmen across the village and light them with candles. In 2026 it fell on Friday 6 February: lighting 17:00–21:00, food stalls 16:00–21:00, no through traffic 15:00–21:30. Entry is free; parking is by voluntary contribution.

The 2027 date is not announced. The last scheduled bus leaves hours before the lighting, so book a room: see Where to stay.

Hakusan is one of Japan’s three sacred mountains. The Ishikawa-side trailhead is Bettodeai, up the mountain road from Shiramine past the Ichinose car park (市ノ瀬). That road usually closes from late November until late May or June, and the summer climbing season is ending as the huts close for the winter.

In 2025 private cars were barred between Ichinose and Bettodeai at busy times, with a shuttle at ¥1,000 each way. A 2025 guide gives about 2 hours for the Hokutetsu climbing bus from Kanazawa Station to Bettodeai. The 2026 shuttle fare and dates were not confirmed.

The bus follows the Tedori River up the valley for about an hour, from the plain at Tsurugi into the snow country. The area is part of the Hakusan Tedorigawa UNESCO Global Geopark and the Mount Hakusan Biosphere Reserve, and winter snow in the village exceeds 2 m.

If you have time at Tsurugi, the Shishiku Highland Ropeway (¥500 one way, closed December to March) is a 20 to 40 minute walk from the station.

A mountain toll road runs from the Ishikawa side, near Ichirino Onsen, across the Hakusan range to Shirakawa-go in Gifu. In 2026 it opened on 12 June and is due to close on 10 November. The toll is ¥1,700 for a car, ¥1,400 for a kei car, ¥5,000 for a microbus and ¥11,000 for a large bus.

Hours are 8:00–17:00, opening at 7:00 from 26 September to 18 October for the morning cloud sea. It is a car road: there is no scheduled bus. Landslides have shut it for weeks before, so ring the Gifu-side office (05769-6-1664) before you go.