Hida Takayama

Last week, we went on a short trip to Takayama with my husband`s parents. Set deep within the mountains of Gifu Prefecture, Takayama is a leisurely place and even the center of the town has an authentic charm.

As Takayama is set on high altitude, the weather still feels like winter in mid March.

Our first night was at Sun Members Hirugano resort about 60km away from Takayama. As my husband is a member, he could enjoy free one night stay with dinner within 2　months from his birthday. It was a cozy boutique hotel with elegant furnishings.

In the morning, we were greated by a fantastic snow scenery It came as a surprise as it rained heavily with thunder on the previous night.

Near the reception area, I saw two unique violins. Its painted fairytale-liked.

We proceeded to Takayama town after breakfast . San-machi Suji the center of the old town of Takayama and is still a living part of the city, despite its old buildings. The streets are narrow and lined with stores selling traditional wares, craftsmen's works and breweries. It is also the main atraction of Takayama and the streets are filled with eager tourists. I managed a quick snap in front of the brewery with huge round balls of cedar hanging in front.


Spotted an interesting vending machine made of wood. It`s probably designed in a nostalgic way to fit into the atmosphere of old town Takayama.



In the evening, we checked into our ryokan and enjoyed a traditional japanese dinner. Beef is famous in Takayama known as Hida beef. An interesting dish served was hida beef roasted with miso on a magnolia leave laid over a clay urn.

The next morning, we went to the famous morning markets which are among the best known sights. It was freezing cold in the morning. Regardless of the weather, every morning, from 7 a.m. to noon, farmer's wives from nearby villages bring fresh produce like vegetables,pickles and flowers , local crafts to these markets. The locals eat a lot of pickled vegetables here due to harsh winters where fresh vegetables are hard to come by .

Next, we visited Shirakawa Village, a world heritage located about 50km away from Takayama. It is a mountain village with a population of only 1900 people. Traditional houses in the Gassho style are the main attraction. These kind of houses are unique and cannot be found anywhere else in Japan.

In the villages of Shirakawa-go , the roofs looked triangular and are angled very steeply. The structure is built to suit the environment in Shirakawa in order to withstand the weight of heavy snowfall.From the viewpoint, the view was great but the houses somehow look like toy houses.

It was raining on the day we went. The wind was strong and biting. I cannot imagine the lifestyles of the locals in winter season which is severe.