How Do You Stay Safe in Takayama? Winter Tyres, Bears, Yakedake and Disaster Tools

Published 2026-10-04 · Sources checked 2026-10-04 · Treasure Hunting Co., Ltd.

This guide is for visitors to Takayama, in Gifu Prefecture, especially those who plan to drive, hike or visit in winter. It covers winter tyre rules, bear sightings, the nearby volcano Yakedake, tools for getting disaster information in English and how to call an ambulance.

We used pages from Hida Takayama Tourist Information, run by Takayama City, the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) and the Fire and Disaster Management Agency (FDMA), all read on 2026-10-04. Conditions change, so check current road and weather information on the day.

The short answer: winter driving is the biggest risk

Takayama's tourism pages carry a plain request: do not drive a rental car with normal tyres to Takayama in winter. The city says Takayama is a mountain area more than 500 metres above sea level, and temperatures fall below freezing from December to March.

The city adds that even if there is no snow around the airport, the roads in Takayama may have snow or ice. It says cars with normal tyres have an extremely high risk of slipping, which can lead to fatal accidents.

What can go wrong with normal tyres

The city lists these situations:

• Accidents caused by slipping.
• Being unable to climb hills and reach a lodge, or to come back from it.
• Being unable to use expressways because of winter tyre restrictions.

It also says driving on snowy or icy roads with normal tyres is against the law, with fines and penalties, citing the Road Traffic Law and Gifu Prefecture's enforcement rules. It says that heavy snow can close roads.

What the city asks you to do

• When you book a rental car for winter, choose snow tyres. The city says it is hard to change to snow tyres after you arrive in Japan.
• Before driving, check road conditions and weather. The city links the Central Nippon Highway traffic information.
• Remove all snow from the car before driving. Snow left on the roof can slide onto the windscreen and block your view, even with snow tyres.
• Drive carefully and keep a good distance from other cars. The city says sudden braking, turning and acceleration are strictly prohibited.

If you do not want to drive, see our guide to buses, taxis and walking in Takayama.

Bears

The city's page "Beware of Bears" has one sentence. It says there have been many reports of bear sightings in Takayama City in recent years and asks visitors to be careful. It gives no further advice, so we do not add any of our own. Check the city's current notices before you walk in woods or on mountain trails.

The Yakedake volcano

Yakedake is an active volcano. In its notice, JMA names two municipalities concerned: Takayama in Gifu Prefecture and Matsumoto in Nagano Prefecture.

On 4 March 2026 at 14:00, JMA lifted its eruption warning for Yakedake. It lowered the alert level from Level 2 (crater area restrictions) to Level 1, "be aware this is an active volcano". JMA's list shows no later warning.

The same notice still gives cautions for hikers. Volcanic gas can suddenly come out inside the expected crater area, including near the summit. JMA asks climbers to watch for changes in volcanic activity, wear a helmet and not stay in the steam vent zone.

JMA's list for Norikura shows only a forecast issued in March 2019 and no warnings since.

Getting disaster information in English

The city lists tools for visitors who want to find information themselves in a disaster:

• The Japan National Tourism Organization (JNTO) global website, with a page of notices for natural disasters.
• JNTO's tourist call centre, which takes calls in English, Chinese, Korean and Japanese 24 hours a day.
• NHK World-Japan, a 24-hour English channel.
• The Japan Official Travel App, which sends alerts such as emergency earthquake reports.
• The "Safety tips" app, available in five languages including English.
• A voice translation system called VoiceTra, which works in 31 languages.
• A list of medical institutions that accept international visitors, searchable by language.

Calling an ambulance

FDMA's English guide says to call 119 when you need an ambulance. It says anyone in Japan can use the service.

One tourism page on Takayama's site, about manners, lists different numbers: 199 for an ambulance and 100 for the police. We did not use them, because they do not match FDMA's guide.

What we could not verify, and therefore left out

• Where bears have been seen in Takayama, and what the city advises. Its bear page gives no details.
• Current snow and road closures. The city links a PDF about road closures in heavy snow, which we did not read.
• The police number. We did not find a page from the police or the national government.
• Whether 119 operators answer in English.
• Earthquake and flood advice for Takayama.

Related guides

• How do you get around Takayama? Loop buses, taxis and walking times
• What is the Autumn Takayama Festival (Hachiman Matsuri)?

Sources

All URLs retrieved 2026-10-04.

1. Please do not drive a vehicle with normal tires (rental car) to Takayama during the winter season! (Hida Takayama Tourist Information, Takayama City) — (winter tyre request, risks, law, advice)
2. Beware of Bears (Hida Takayama Tourist Information, Takayama City) — (one-sentence bear notice)
3. Useful tools for tourists when a natural disaster occurs (Hida Takayama Tourist Information, Takayama City) — (JNTO, NHK World, apps, translation, medical lists)
4. 噴火予報：警報解除（焼岳） (Japan Meteorological Agency) — (warning lifted 4 March 2026; Level 2 to Level 1; hiker cautions)
5. 火山に関する情報の発表状況（焼岳） (Japan Meteorological Agency) — (history of Yakedake warnings and forecasts)
6. 火山に関する情報の発表状況（乗鞍岳） (Japan Meteorological Agency) — (Norikura: forecast in March 2019, no warnings since)
7. Guide for Ambulance Services (Fire and Disaster Management Agency) — (call 119 for an ambulance; anyone in Japan can use it)
8. Manners (Hida Takayama Tourist Information, Takayama City) — (page whose emergency numbers differ from FDMA's guide)