Takayama

Takayama (高山市 Takayama-shi), sometimes called Hida-Takayama (飛騨高山) to distinguish it from other towns of the same name, is a city near the northern Japan Alps of Gifu prefecture, in the Chubu region of Japan.

Understand
Takayama is famous for its well-preserved quarter with Edo-style streets. Sometimes called "Little Kyoto of Hida" (飛騨の小京都), the traditional townscape is a major attraction to visitors, only rivalled by that of Kanazawa among cities in the Chubu region.

Much of the city had been established when it had been a castle town surrounding the Takayama Castle (高山城) since the 15th century until the 18th century. The central Tokugawa shogunate then took over the control and demolished the castle. Over the period of some 200 years since then, the city saw development of the forestry industry and boasted the crafts made by its artisans. The art of woodcraft and other works of craftsmanship has then been passed over through the Meiji era to the present day.

Having a humid continental climate, there is a large variation in temperature in the city in summer, sometimes from 0 to 35 °C in a day. With much of the area close to or midst of mountains, winter brings constant snowfalls to the city, with temperatures sometimes falling below -10 °C.

Tourist information site
The local tourist association has a multilingual guide site.

Get in
Takayama is the major transport hub of the Hida region.

By train


The Hida (ひだ) limited express train runs from Toyama in the north, 1½ hrs (¥3,360), and Nagoya in the south, 2-2½ hrs (¥6,030). Local trains from Toyama take 2 hours, including a transfer at Inotani (¥1,690).

From Tokyo there are two equally viable routes: the Tokaido Shinkansen to Nagoya on the Nozomi (4-4½ hours) or Hikari (just over 4½ hours), or the Hokuriku Shinkansen to Toyama on the Kagayaki or Hakutaka (4 hours). Both routes are around ¥15,000. Search engines may find only the Tokaido route; try searching with a stop in Toyama, or experiment with the departure or arrival time.

From Kyoto, take the Tokaido Shinkansen to Nagoya, which takes 2½-3 hours (around &yen;10,500). Alternately, one Hida leaves Kansai in the morning (#25 at 07:58 from Osaka Station) and returns in the evening (#36 at 15:38 from Takayama) using conventional lines. This is convenient because there are no transfers, and it's cheaper than the Shinkansen, but it's slower and no food or drink is sold on the train. Travel on this service from Kyoto takes around 4 hours (¥7,650), and from Osaka around 4¼ hours (¥8,300).

Using a JR East Pass, take the Azusa limited express train from Tokyo to Matsumoto, walk to Nohi Bus at the Matsumoto Bus Terminal, and then take an express bus to Takayama. The trip takes about 5½ hours depending on connections in Matsumoto. With a JR East Pass the Azusa is free and you can get a round-trip bus ticket between Matsumoto and Takayama at the discounted price of ¥2,500 (normally ¥5,500). The downside is that you can only buy these tickets at the JR East Travel Service Centers at Narita or Haneda Airports, or in Takayama at the Nohi Bus Center. If you're already in Tokyo, you'll need to go to Haneda Airport (free with the pass) and visit the JR East counter during business hours to buy a ticket.

By bus
From Chubu Centrair International Airport, Nohi Bus provides a bus service for ¥4,000. The 3½-hour trip requires a transfer in Meitetsu bus center in the Nagoya train station.

Nohi Bus runs highway buses from Tokyo (5½ hr, ¥6,690, jointly with Keio Kosoku Bus, great views along the way), Nagoya, Gifu, Kyoto, Osaka, Kanazawa, Shirakawa-go, Toyama and Mount Fuji.

There are 3-4 daily buses from Matsumoto for ¥3,500. With a stopover at Hirayu, the total fare will increase to about ¥5,200, and heading to Kamikōchi will set you back ¥3,500 each way.

Buses to and from the Oku-Hida Onsen Villages like Hirayu leave from the bus station adjacent to JR Takayama station.

Get around
Takayama is small enough to cover on foot, but bicycle rental (¥600 per day from the youth hostel) is also a good option.

Do
Takayama is famous for its two festivals:

Even though the festivals' origins are unknown, it is said that they were first celebrated between 1586 and 1692 when the Kanamori family governed the Hida-Takayama area. The spring festival is associated with Hie Shrine (日枝神社) and the autumn with Sakurayama Hachimangu Shrine (桜山八幡宮). They are much alike and feature a parade of large floats (屋台 yatai) decorated with thick curtains, lacquer ware, and mechanical dolls (karakuri). Twelve floats appear in the spring festival and eleven in autumn. The procession carrying the portable shrine (mikoshi) is unique to the autumn. During both festivals, this usually quiet town is lively and filled with visitors, so it is best to book accommodation (particularly on the night of the parade) and tickets early.



Buy
There are several crafts that Takayama is known for. Sarubobo amulets (lit. "baby monkey") are shaped like faceless humans and available in a variety of sizes. Shunkei lacquerware, beautiful wooden boxes, trays and utensils, with a lustrous transparent lacquer that lets the grain of the wood show through, are another good choice. Takayama is also known for its wood block prints, with many well known artists spending time each year in Takayama. Many shops sell original modern works at reasonable prices.





Eat
Takayama is famous for its ramen noodles, cooked in miso stock with thin noodles. As elsewhere in Gifu, you are also likely to encounter hōba miso (ほうば味噌), a version of the ubiquitous Japanese bean paste grilled on a hōba leaf and served as a dip or for eating with rice as is. Sounds pretty simple, but the taste is exquisite. Takayama is also famous for its steak (飛騨牛 hidagyu). You can find it at many restaurants throughout the city.



Drink
Takayama is pretty quiet at night. Some of the few bars which are open include:



Sleep
Takayama has more traditional-style accommodation than western-style hotels, but it is a great opportunity to experience a ryokan or temple stay. Keep in mind that in Japan, room rates are advertised as per person as opposed to per room. Accommodation is categorized below with the assumption two adults would be staying in the room.

Go next

 * Oku-Hida Onsen Villages &mdash; these remote and beautiful villages are less than an hour away by bus
 * Shirakawa-go &mdash; beautifully-preserved villages and an open-air museum
 * Gero Onsen &mdash; one of Japan's three famous hot springs, a short ride down the JR Takayama Line
 * Hida
 * Toyama
 * Matsumoto
 * Gifu
 * Nanto
 * Minoota