Autumn

To call Shirakawa-gō a popular site would be a massive understatement. This is where iconic wooden farmhouse with steep, gabled thatched-roof designs are preserved. The Unesco World Heritage-listed villages are often filled with tourists. round the year. So much so that tourists vastly outnumber locals in Takayama.

As we headed to the famous Tenshukaku Observatory lookout, we had been prepared for disappointment because we weren't sure if it's closed. And it is. My wife decided to drive along the road instead of turning back. That would be a route different from what we had planned. As we followed the Google Map to head for Hida City, we'd noticed that we were having an epic drive along the Amou Mountain Pass. The 50-minute journey runs through Amou Prefecture Natural Park blessed with beautiful marshlands and bursts of autumn colours.

We didn't know how lucky we are until we checked the website: this road is going to be closed within one week as winter approaches.