 Japan City Guides: Takayama, Gifu Prefecture
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Takayama
- Situated 110km north of Nagoya
- Known as a "little Kyoto" for its gridiron street plan and preserved, historic, wooden buildings
- Population: 68,000
- Famous for its traditional crafts, local food, fine sake and spring & autumn Takayama Festivals
- Easy to navigate on foot, rickshaw, rental bicycle or bus
- Town has excellent museums
- Number one attraction is Hida-no-Sato
- Bus and train connections from Nagoya, Osaka & Tokyo
Takayama is an historic, easy-going town 2 hours, 10 minutes by train from Nagoya. Set in the mountains of northern Gifu prefecture in an area known as Hida, Takayama is a lovely combination of historic streets, temples, rivers and museums that attracts an increasing number of tourists from Australia, Europe and the rest of Asia.
Hotels in Takayama
Takayama Green Hotel
Hida Plaza Hotel
Associa Takayama Resort Hotel
Best Western Hotel
Washington Plaza Hotel
Hostels in Takayama - Hostelworld
Takayama Matsuri held twice over two days in April (Sanno 14-15th) and October (Hachiman 9-10th) is one of Japan's most famous festivals, when ornately decorated floats (known as yatai) are paraded through the city streets in a procession of people in Edo Period costume accompanied by sacred flute and percussion music.
The Takayama Matsuri Yatai Kaikan (Tel: 0577 32 5100) exhibits 4 of the 11 floats used in the October festival on a rotation basis. The floats are known for their detailed and colorful carvings, lacquer- and metalwork and amazing marionettes (karakuri). The museum is located in the grounds of Sakurayama Hachiman Shrine.
Nearby are the Shishi Kaikan (Tel: 0577 32 0881) with exhibits of lion dance masks and karakuri puppets and the Sakurayama Nikko-kan with elaborate scale models of the shogunate shrines in Nikko complete with computerized lighting effects.
Takayama Jinya (Tel: 0577 32 0643) dates from the early 19th century and is the sole surviving district office of the Tokugawa shogunate. The wooden buildings include a rice warehouse and a torture chamber. Takayama was under the direct control of the Tokugawa regime at the time due to the importance of its timber resources and trade.
Walking east across the vermillion Nakabashi Bridge is Furui Machi-nami an area of wooden buildings in the Sanmachi area of town.
Sanmachi and the adjoining streets of Ichinomachi, Ninomachi and Sannomachi are the heart of Takayama's old town, when the city prospered as a merchant center for its timber trade and the streets are full of traditional wooden houses, craft shops and sake breweries (recognizable by their cedar balls - sugidama - hanging from the roof).
This area includes the Fujii Folkcraft Museum (Fujii Bijutsu Mingei-Kan) (Tel: 0577 35 3778) a preserved merchant's store house with exhibits of Japanese furniture (tansu), lacquerware, and ceramics. Look out for the beautiful wooden gate and paper lantern outside.
The Takayama Museum of Local History (Takayamashi Kyodokan) (Tel: 0577 32 1205) has local wood carvings and neat gardens.
The Hirata Folk Art Museum (Hirata Kinen-kan) (Tel: 0577 33 1354) is another preserved merchant's house with an eclectic display of the area's arts and crafts.
Heading north from the Sanmachi area are two fine examples of Edo Period domestic architecture: the Kusakabe Folk Art Museum (Kusakabe Mingeikan) (Tel: 0577 32 0072) a former money-lender's house now open to the public and the Yoshijima Heritage House (Yoshijima-ke) (Tel: 0577 32 0038) a former sake merchant's residence.
Further north again is the Inro Bijutsukan (Tel: 0577 32 8500) which exhibits over 300 examples of inro - small, elaborately carved boxes in wood, ivory or bone - that were hung from kimono in place of pockets and are now extremeley valued by collectors worldwide.
Takayama has two daily morning markets (asaichi): one along the banks of the Miyagawa River and the other just outside the Takayama Jinya. The many stalls sell the area's prized local vegetables, pickles (tsukemono) and fruits. Both start around 6 or 7am and are winding down by midday.
Directly east of Takayama Station walking along Yasugawa Street is the Higashiyama Teramachi tranquil area of temples and shrines nestled in the forested hills and the site of Takayama's old castle in Shiroyama Park. A 3.5km sign-posted walking course leads through the various temples, shrines and gardens and there are good views down over Takayama below.
Walking west past the Green Hotel or riding the Hida-no-sato bus from the bus station next to Takayama Station are some other of Takayama's more recent attractions.
The Hida Folk Village (Hida-no-sato) (Tel: 0557 34 4711) is a collection of traditional wooden farm houses and storehouses that have been reassembled around a central lake in pleasant wooded countryside. There are also intersting demonstrations of local art and craft production.
Just down the hill is the Hida Takayama Museum of Art (Tel: 0577 35 3535) complete with 1960s London bus, which tours Takayama picking up visitors and a glass water fountain from Paris.
Slightly farther west along route 158 is the huge World Shrine - HQ of Sukyo Mahikari, a new Japanese religion founded in Takayama in the 1960s. The vast building with a red snooker ball on top of its roof can easily be seen from the grounds of Hida-no-sato and the surrounding area.
Takayama has a long history of timber production and is well-known for its high quality wooden antiques as well as its delicious food.
There are a number of shops selling Takayama's signature goods scattered around the town. Good souvenirs included the local beer, sake and pickles.
The local beef (hidagyu), mountain vegetables, soba noodles, dango (sweet rice on a stick) and pickles are all considered delicacies and there are many fine restaurants and roadside stalls to sample the healthy fare on offer.
Takayama deserves at least an overnight stay if not longer if you wish to explore the other sites of interest within easy access of the town including: Shirakawa-go, Hida Furukawa, Gero Onsen, Kamikochi, Gujo Hachiman and Matsumoto.
Tourist Information
Takayama Tourist Information Office (Tel: 0577 32 5328) is just outside JR Takayama Station and has good information available in brochures in a variety of languages.
Access
Air
 Chubu International Airport is the nearest large international airport to Takayama. There are direct connecting trains on the Meitetsu Centrair service to Nagoya and Gifu.
Rail
Takayama is 110km north from Nagoya. By Tokaido Shinkansen, Nagoya is 52 minutes from Osaka and 1 hour 40 minutes from Tokyo.
From Nagoya Station, Takayama is 2 hours, 9 minutes by JR Takayama Line on the Hida Express. From Toyama there are also trains taking about 90 minutes. There are also direct trains to Osaka (4 hours, 11 minutes), though it is quicker, though more expensive, to take the Shinkansen to Nagoya and change.
Bus
There are long distance bus services from outside Takayama Station to Tokyo (Shinjuku; 5 hours, 30 minutes), Kyoto, Osaka (5 hours), Nagoya (2 hours, 45 minutes), Kanazawa (3 hours), Hida Furukawa (30 minutes), Gero Onsen, (90 minutes), Matsumoto (2 hours), Kamikochi, and Gujo Hachiman (1 hour, 15 minutes).
Getting Around
Cheap bicycle hire is available from the Tourist Office, Takayama Green Hotel and other places around town. There is also a circular sightseeing bus which leaves from the bus station. Most places can be reached easily on foot.
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