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Voykit pocket guide · Japan
Yaotsu
八百津町
Go only with a car: the Sugihara Memorial Hall and Gohou falls need one, and no bus reaches them. Without a car, skip or use a guided day trip.
Yaotsu is a small Kiso River town in south Gifu, known almost entirely for the Chiune Sugihara Memorial Hall, which tells how a Japanese diplomat in Lithuania issued visas that let thousands of Jews leave Europe. It is a half-day stop, not a base: the museum sits outside the centre, buses do not reach it, and most visitors come by car or as a day trip from Nagoya or the Kiso Valley.
- Country
- Japan
- Local name
- 八百津町
- Best months
- Mar–May, Oct–Nov
- Avoid
- Jul–Aug (hot and humid), mid-August Obon
- Stay
- 0–1 nights
Checked 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change; anything marked (check) is not confirmed.
Essentials
- Currency
- JPY
- Money
- Cities are increasingly cashless; temples, small restaurants and some lodging taxes still want cash.
- Daily spend
- Budget ¥6,000–10,000 excl. bed · Mid ¥10,000–16,000 excl. bed · High ¥16,000+ excl. bed (estimate; check)
- SIM and data
- Data-only eSIMs are the easy route: buy before you fly; voice SIMs need a residence card.
- Emergency
- Police 110 · Fire and ambulance 119 · Japan Visitor Hotline (24 h, English) 050-3816-2787
- Plugs
- Types A, B · 100 V · 50 Hz east (Tokyo), 60 Hz west (Osaka) · Most sockets are two flat pins without earth; European and UK plugs need an adapter. Phone and laptop chargers handle 100 V.
- Tipping
- Restaurants and bars: No tip; staff will chase you to return money left on the table.; Taxis: No tip; pay the meter.; Ryokan: Optional: ¥1,000–3,000 in an envelope for the room attendant; never loose cash.; Private guide: Not expected; a small gift or a thank-you meal is more usual.; Hotel porter: No tip.
- Water
- Safe from the tap everywhere; stations and parks have fountains.
- Toilets
- Free, clean public toilets in stations, parks and konbini; paper goes in the toilet. Rural and old stations may have squat toilets.
What things cost
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Memorial hall entry | ¥300 adults, free for children |
| Chinese-style soba at a local shop | ¥530 |
| Ramen bowl | ¥950 |
| Chestnut sweet (Kuri Kinton) | ¥170–220 |
| Sake, 720 ml bottle | ¥2,000–3,500 |
| Yao Bus ride | ¥300 |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- NGO · Chubu Centrair (Nagoya)
- Meitetsu to Nagoya, then rail or car toward Yaotsu; about 90 min by car from Nagoya
- KIX · Kansai (Osaka)
- Rail to Nagoya first, then onward; long transfer
Typical fares
- Yao Bus Akeshi → Yaotsu Honmachi
- ¥300, about 20 min
- Memorial hall entry
- ¥300 adults, free for children (check)
- Rental car, one day
- about ¥7,000 plus fuel (check)
Get around
Yao Bus links Akeshi Station (Kani) to Yaotsu Honmachi in about 20 min for ¥300, but it does not serve the eastern or northern sides, so the memorial hall and the falls need a car. Rental cars are available in Nakatsugawa (about 60 min) or Nagoya (about 90 min).
See and do
Known for
- Chiune Sugihara Memorial Hall
- Jindonooka Park monuments
- Gohou (Five Treasure) Waterfalls
- Senbei rice crackers and sake breweries
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Sekigahara | Car via Route 418 and the Nakasendo, or rail via Nagoya | check |
| Magome | Car via Nakatsugawa, about 80 min | About 1.5 h |
| Takayama | Car via Mino-Ota and the Tokai-Hokuriku expressway, about 2 h | About 2 h |
| Gifu | Car or rail via Mino-Ota, about 1 h | About 1 h |
Sleep
- Yaotsu Honmachi (town centre)
- Bus stop, senbei shops, sake breweries and the two small inns; walkable core.
- Gohou waterfall area
- One inn near the falls, 5 km north of the centre; car needed.One inn near the falls, 3.1 mi north of the centre; car needed.
- Nagoya or Kiso Valley (outside town)
- Most visitors sleep elsewhere and come in for the day; limited beds in Yaotsu.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Excuse me / Sorry | すみませんsumimasen |
| Thank you | ありがとうございますarigatō gozaimasu |
| How much is it? | いくらですか？ikura desu ka |
| Can I pay by card? | カードで払えますか？kādo de haraemasu ka |
| Where is the toilet? | トイレはどこですか？toire wa doko desu ka |
| Is it far? | 遠いですか？tōi desu ka |
Etiquette, safety and scams
Etiquette
- Greeting: A small bow; a handshake if the other person offers; avoid: Hugs, back slaps, loud greetings
- Names: Family name plus -san; avoid: First names unless invited; adding -san to your own name
- Paying: Put money in the tray at the register; avoid: Tipping, or leaving loose cash for staff
- Trains: Queue at the floor marks, phone on silent, ask before reclining on the Shinkansen; avoid: Phone calls, eating on crowded commuter trains, blocking doors with bags
- Escalators: Stand on the side locals use — left in Tokyo, right in Osaka; stations now ask people to stand still on both; avoid: Stopping at the top or bottom
- Shoes: Off at the step-up entrance; toilet slippers only inside the toilet; avoid: Stepping on tatami in shoes or slippers
- Shrines: Rinse hands at the basin; bow twice, clap twice, bow once; avoid: Walking down the centre of the approach, which is for the deity
- Gifts: Offer and receive with both hands; bring a small omiyage for hosts; avoid: Sets of four; cash outside an envelope
Scams and watch-outs
- The memorial hall is not reachable by public transport: arrange a car or taxi.
- Yao Bus is the only public transport and does not cover the north or east of town.
- Many shops and restaurants close one day a week; check before you go.
- English is limited outside the memorial hall; signs there are Japanese, English and Hebrew.
Very safe. The real risks are rural roads and narrow mountain lanes, summer heat, and no late public transport back to Nagoya: plan the last bus or drive sober.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Yaotsu yet. Suggested stay: 0–1 nights. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- Chiune Sugihara Memorial Hall
- Jindonooka Park monuments
- Gohou (Five Treasure) Waterfalls
- Senbei rice crackers and sake breweries
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- Yaotsu Town official website: www.town.yaotsu.lg.jp/
- Yaotsu Town Tourist Association: kankou.yaotsu.jp/
- Chiune Sugihara Memorial Hall: www.town.yaotsu.lg.jp/sugihara-museum/
- Kani City — Yao Bus: www.city.kani.lg.jp/3150.htm
- Wikivoyage: Yaotsu, revision 5286233 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=5286233
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
Yaotsu八百津町
ここまでお願いします
To this address, please
My hotel (write the name and address in the local script)
- Police110
- Fire and ambulance119
- Japan Visitor Hotline (24 h, English)050-3816-2787
No embassies in Yaotsu; most are in Tokyo, with consulates in Nagoya and Osaka.
Cash is safer in small shops; cards work at the memorial hall and larger stores.
Voykit · checked 2026-09
Printed from Voykit (/yaotsu). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.