I highly recommend the Shimizu guest house. You can get directions from anyone in Shirakawago.

Takayama is a nice city. It also has some tourist spot like takayama old town. You can also stay at kanazawa and enjoy the beautiful japanese garden " kenrokuen" there

I did not stay at the guest house. Most of the workers at the shops speak simple English. I do not think any English speaking tourist will find any difficulty looking for places in the village. There is a bilingual map to show the location of some attractions in the village. I find the map helpful.

Last year, the snow came quite late, so mid-December onward would have been the time to go see the village. However, in 2017, the snow came early... Around mid-November. You really need to check it out closer to the time you plan to visit, it can change year on year. The amount of snow can also differ from year to year.

try to take Thunder Bird Train from Kyoto to Kanazawa which is a very scenic city with the most beautiful garden in Japan. Then take a train to Takayama which is not far, from there you take Nohi Bus to Shirakawa-go. Spend a day there, and some time in Takayama. Take a train to Tokyo - a very scenic journey. Take this route, very scenic and easy with JR Pass.

Hello, suggest you take the train to Takayama and then a tour bus to Shirakawa-go. Weekdays are probably less busy than on weekends. If you go to Takayama and the Alps are clear then it is worth to do a tour into the mountains. Hirayu is a small town in the Alps not too far from Takayama, with a pretty mountainside onsen if you would like to try the onsen experience on a day trip. Also, there is a lovely short waterfall walk just before you get to Hirayu to Hirayi Falls. If you stop in at the Tourist Info in Tokyo (airport) or Tourist Info at Takayama station they shall have all the information on day trips and they are very helpful.

1. Yes. It's possible. But it will be a tight schedule. 2. I went through this route this month. You can check the train schedule on hyperdia, its always accurate. Tokyo to Toyama 7:20 AM Shinkansen Kagayaki 503 (all reserved Shinkansen - seat reservation is a must) It will arrive Toyama at 9:31 AM Toyama to Takayama 9:52 AM Limited Express Hida 8 (seat reservation is recommended) It will arrive Takayama at 11:23 AM --- Takayama to Toyama 5:19 PM Limited Express Hida 13 (seat reservation is recommended) It will arrive Toyama 6:52 PM Toyama to Tokyo 7:37 PM Shinkansen Kagayaki 516 (all reserved Shinkansen - seat reservation is a must) It will arrive Tokyo 9:56 PM 3. JR pass would cover both shinkansen and limited express. I recommend to get the afternoon tour package to shirakawa-go with isitetakayama to make it simpler. (I booked with them because of a recommendation from a friend.) If you want to have more time, you can choose to get the Nohi route bus or express bus but you have to be mindful of their bus schedule so as not to miss your train back to Tokyo. 4. At least two hours. Note: There are restaurants near Takayama station, convenience store (Family Mart). The area is famous for Hida beef. I'm not sure how it compares to Kobe and Matsusaka beef. There's also a Mc Donald's restaurant nearby. The station itself has a waiting area where there is a small convenience store. If you decide to take the tour with isitetakayama, you might not have enough time to get a full meal when you return back to Tokyo. There's no one selling meals on Limited Express Hida but there is one on Shinkansen Kagayaki.

This place is very popular among locals and as part of school trips; I would say weekdays are a better choice for that reason.

夕方でしたら開いてるお店はあると思いますが、 たくさんお店があるわけではないので、 どうでしょうか？