Japan's Spellbinding Town
Takayama is filled with interesting sights. It’s also the gateway to the hiking paradise of the Japan Alps and Shirakawa-go, a Unesco-listed thatch-roof village. Takayama is the heart of Japan’s inland mountain culture. The city is built around the beautifully preserved Sanmachi Suji district. Nearby, you can visit some incredible old homes, check out some fine temples and shrines, and marvel at the superb festival floats used in the Takayama Matsuri festival. A short distance from the city center, you’ll find Hida no Sato, a collection of thatch-roof houses from central Japan. A short drive away is the Unesco World Heritage Site of Shirakawa-go, where you can see these houses in their original setting. And, best of all, not far to the east are the peaks of the Japan Alps.
Sanmachi Street is one of the highlights in Takayama, where a large number of historical houses are lined up. You can taste a variety of regional food such as Hida Beef, Takayama Ramen and Japanese Sake. The old town holds regional Japanese festivals called Takayama Festival twice a year: spring and autumn. If you want to get pictures without the crowds, you’ll have to go pretty early in the morning.
Located a short walk from Sanmachi Suji, Takayama Jinya served as the local administrative offices of the Tokugawa Shogunate that ruled Japan from 1600 to 1868. You can tour the rooms and learn about how business was conducted back in the day.
About 2km west of Takayama Station is Hida no Sato, a collection of traditional thatch-roof houses taken from around central Japan and carefully reconstructed here. The houses are spread around lovely park with a central pond. You can enter many of the houses and marvel at the beams and construction techniques.
Sanmachi Street is one of the highlights in Takayama, where a large number of historical houses are lined up. You can taste a variety of regional food such as Hida Beef, Takayama Ramen and Japanese Sake. The old town holds regional Japanese festivals called Takayama Festival twice a year: spring and autumn. If you want to get pictures without the crowds, you’ll have to go pretty early in the morning.
Located a short walk from Sanmachi Suji, Takayama Jinya served as the local administrative offices of the Tokugawa Shogunate that ruled Japan from 1600 to 1868. You can tour the rooms and learn about how business was conducted back in the day.
About 2km west of Takayama Station is Hida no Sato, a collection of traditional thatch-roof houses taken from around central Japan and carefully reconstructed here. The houses are spread around lovely park with a central pond. You can enter many of the houses and marvel at the beams and construction techniques.
