Takayama
Important Preservation District For Groups Of Traditional Buildings; The Takayama Festival Floats Are Part Of UNESCO'S Yama, Hoko, Yatai Intangible Heritage Listing · Takayama, Gifu
An old merchant town in the mountains of the Hida region of Gifu, whose preserved centre of dark wooden houses, sake breweries and small canals is one of the most atmospheric in Japan. The core is Sanmachi Suji, three narrow streets of Edo-period merchant houses, where cedar balls hanging over doorways mark the breweries that offer tastings. Two morning markets, one by the river and one in front of the old government house, Takayama Jinya, sell pickles, vegetables and crafts. The Jinya itself is the only surviving local government office of the Tokugawa shogunate. Takayama is also famous for Hida beef, eaten as sushi, skewers or grilled on a magnolia leaf with miso, and for its festivals in spring and autumn, when towering, intricately carved floats are paraded through the streets; the rest of the year they can be seen in a museum hall. The Hida Folk Village preserves old thatched farmhouses on a hillside. Takayama is the natural base for Shirakawa-go and the Northern Alps, and is reached by the scenic Hida limited express train from Nagoya.
Sanmachi Suji, Kamisannomachi, Takayama, Gifu, 506-0846, Japan
NO OPENING TIME HERE WAS CHECKED. The structure: the morning markets run from early morning, around 6 or 7 am, to around noon; the Jinya, the Folk Village and the float hall open from morning to late afternoon, around 4:30 to 5 pm, with shorter winter hours; shops and breweries in the old town close from about 5 pm. Traps: the town is quiet at night and restaurants close early; the Shirakawa-go buses are reservation-only; on festival days in April and October streets are closed to traffic. Confirm times before relying on them.