landmark
Shibu Onsen
A cobbled onsen village of wooden inns where guests in yukata and geta make a circuit of nine small public bathhouses. It is the road-end village below the snow monkey valley.
2 km · about 5 min drive
AsiaJapanNagano
Hirao
Nagano, Japan · Asia
About Hirao
Hirao works well as a base: 10 minutes from Nakano, 4km from Jigokudani Monkey Park.
Hirao is in Nagano, Japan, with about 11,000 people. You drive on the left here. The nearest town is Nakano, about 5 km away.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is there to see near Hirao?
Within an hour or so of Hirao: Shibu Onsen (2 km), Jigokudani Monkey Park (4 km), Shibu Pass (14 km), Nozawa Onsen (20 km).
Are there any good drives near Hirao?
The nearest famous roads are Shibu Pass, Usui Pass and Mount Haruna Touge.
Where is Hirao?
Hirao is in Nagano, Japan, about 5 km from Nakano.
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Quick Information
- Population
- 11,352
- Continent
- Asia
- Country
- Japan
- Region
- Nagano
- Timezone
- Asia/Tokyo
- Coordinates
- 36.7465, 138.4186
Emergency & Services
Essential numbers in Japan
Japan Helpline (24h English assistance): 0570-000-911. An International Driving Permit (1949 convention) is required to drive.
Full driving guide for JapanTags
Worth the detour from Hirao
8 notable places within an hour's drive.
natural wonder
Jigokudani Monkey Park
A unique hot spring area where wild Japanese macaques famously bathe in steaming thermal pools surrounded by snow.
4 km · about 10 min drive
mountain pass
Shibu Pass
At 2,172 m this is the highest point on any Japanese national highway, on Route 292 between Nagano and Gunma. In spring the road is cut through snow walls several metres high.
14 km · about 25 min drive
landmark
Nozawa Onsen
A steep village of thirteen free communal bathhouses maintained by residents, plus an open hot-spring cooking pool where locals blanch vegetables. The Oyu bathhouse is a wooden temple-roofed landmark at the centre.
20 km · about 25 min drive
photogenic
Kusatsu Yubatake
The steaming timber sluice at the centre of Kusatsu, where 4,000 litres a minute of highly acidic spring water is cooled across wooden channels before reaching the baths. Floodlit and clouded in steam after dark.
21 km · about 25 min drive
mountain pass
Usui Pass
Historic pass on the old Nakasendo route between Gunma and Karuizawa, packed with 180-plus corners and the brick Megane-bashi viaduct. Another Initial D battleground beloved by drivers and rail historians alike.
49 km · about 55 min drive
famous road
Mount Haruna Touge
The winding climb to Lake Haruna in Gunma, immortalised as 'Mount Akina' in Initial D. Gentle hairpins, a crater lake at the top, and constant pilgrimages by fans of Japan's street-racing manga.
50 km · about 55 min drive
landmark
Bessho Onsen
A thousand-year-old spa at the foot of the Nagano hills, ringed by ancient temples including a rare octagonal three-storey pagoda. Three small public baths still serve the village for a few coins.
50 km · about 60 min drive
Driving roads near Hirao
- Right hereShibu PassAt 2,172 m this is the highest point on any Japanese national highway, on Route 292 between Nagano and Gunma. In spring the road is cut through snow walls several metres high.
- 49 kmUsui PassHistoric pass on the old Nakasendo route between Gunma and Karuizawa, packed with 180-plus corners and the brick Megane-bashi viaduct. Another Initial D battleground beloved by drivers and rail historians alike.
- 50 kmMount Haruna TougeThe winding climb to Lake Haruna in Gunma, immortalised as 'Mount Akina' in Initial D. Gentle hairpins, a crater lake at the top, and constant pilgrimages by fans of Japan's street-racing manga.
- 75 kmVenus LineA 76 km free touring road across Nagano's Kirigamine and Utsukushigahara highlands, rolling over open alpine meadows at up to 1,959 m. One of Japan's best-loved drives for bikers and grand tourers.
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