Takayama is is filled with interesting sights. It is also the gateway to the hiking paradise of the Japan Alps and Shirakawa-go, a Unesco-listed thatch-roof village. Here is the list of attractions in and around Takayama.
Sanmachi Street
Sanmachi Street is where you will probably head first. This is the Takayama Old Town and definitely the most popular place to visit in Takayama thanks to the street being lined with Traditional Wooden Buildings that have been very well-preserved.
The best time to visit Sanmachi Street is in the morning when it is quieter, in the morning you can really take in the beauty of the buildings. With that being said, many of the shops and cafes are closed early in the morning not seeming to open until about 10:00 am and seeing these open, tasting the food they have to offer and seeing the buzz of Sanmachi Street, later on, is also very good. If you want to do some shopping in Takayama for local and traditional Japanese products, this is where to go.
Takayama Festival Floats Exhibition Hall
Held annually in the spring on April 14 and 15 and in the autumn on October 9 and 10, the Takayama Matsuri festival is one of the great festivals of Japan. During the festival, 11 lavishly decorated floats are pulled through the town. Some of the floats have small stages on which intricate marionettes are made to dance by incredibly complicated arrangements of strings manipulated by expert puppeteers.
Of course, most people are not lucky enough to visit when the festival is being held. But, do not despair, you can check out some of the floats and see videos of the festival at the fine Takayama Festival Floats Exhibition hall. This attraction is easily paired with the nearby Sakayama Hachimangu Shrine.
Shiroyama Park
If you want to get into nature within a 5-minute walk from the busy street of Sanmachi head into Shiroyama Park.
This was perhaps my favourite part of the city. There are many Temples in the park and many footpaths to take. It was also so quiet up here in the park even on a busy Saturday in town so you can walk and hike here.
Hida no Sato (Hida Minzoku Mura Folk Village)
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 park with a central pond. You can enter many of the houses and marvel at the beams and construction techniques. Hida no Sato is too far from the station to walk. A taxi from the station will cost around ¥1,100. Or, you can take the “Sarubobo” bus that leaves from in front of the station.
Street Food
The street food of Takayama is mainly along Sanmachi Street and there are quite a few things on offer from Ice Cream, Mochi, Dango, Rice Crackers to Buns, Sushi, Sushi with Hida Beef.
If you do want to go for a good meal in Takayama, Sanmachi Street is a great place to eat in Takayama as not only does it have Street Food it also has some nice Cafes and Restaurants too.
See more:
Top 5 popular Christmas dishes in Japan
Source Internet
