Japan had so many highlights but if I had to pick just one, it would be Kamikochi. If I had to pick a second, it would be Takayama. (Not just because of our great stay in a ryokan!)
Though Takayama was very touristy, it was one of those small towns that wore it well. It was an enjoyable place to walk around and possibly the highest on my list of places in the world where I have actually enjoyed souvenir/gift shops. (And not just because you could sample all the local foods before buying!) The Japanese know how to do gift giving.
The main draw of Takayama to me is the fact that it has retained many of its traditional elements and is surrounded by beautiful mountains. Due to its isolation and relatively remote location in the Japanese Alps it has built its own unique culture over 300-odd years. We walked down historic streets with houses and building dating back from the Edo period when the city blossomed as a town of merchants. We visited some of the open houses that show how the merchants used to live. Now there are also inviting coffee houses, breweries, shops and sake breweries.
Takayama is known for its sake which was the perfect excuse for us to sample some at a great restaurant we happened upon. (It turned out to be number one on Trip Advisor for Takyama- details below.) We also thoroughly enjoyed the sake tour we took in town that also taught us about local culture, calligraphy and gift wrapping. Sake breweries in Takayama have a sugidama (ball made of cedar branches) out the front. They put it up at the start of the brewing season and the changing colour of the branches indicates to customers the stage of maturity of the sake.
During our stay we also visited some shrines and temples on the Higashiyama Walking Course. There are some beautiful gardens dotted throughout the area and we enjoyed the sights on the walk.
Though Takayama was very touristy, it was one of those small towns that wore it well. It was an enjoyable place to walk around and possibly the highest on my list of places in the world where I have actually enjoyed souvenir/gift shops. (And not just because you could sample all the local foods before buying!) The Japanese know how to do gift giving.
The main draw of Takayama to me is the fact that it has retained many of its traditional elements and is surrounded by beautiful mountains. Due to its isolation and relatively remote location in the Japanese Alps it has built its own unique culture over 300-odd years. We walked down historic streets with houses and building dating back from the Edo period when the city blossomed as a town of merchants. We visited some of the open houses that show how the merchants used to live. Now there are also inviting coffee houses, breweries, shops and sake breweries.
 |
| Enjoying a stroll in historic Takayama |
 |
| Lovely Takayama street (even lovelier in the peace of the late afternoon!) |
 |
| Sake brewery with brown sugidama hanging out the front |
 |
| Learning to wrap sake/wine/beer gifts |
 |
| A sight on our walk around the temples and shrines |
 |
| Samurai armour on display outside the Hida Archaeology Museum |
Sake tour: Discover the Sake by Satoyama Experience
Great restaurant: Heianraku (small so book ahead) - they cater for vegetarians
Eat Hida beef, especially worth looking out for the guys below:
Great restaurant: Heianraku (small so book ahead) - they cater for vegetarians
Eat Hida beef, especially worth looking out for the guys below:
 |
| Hida beef buns: delicious! |
No comments:
Post a Comment