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TAKAYAMA HOTELS

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Takayama (高山), is a city near the northern Japan Alps of Gifu prefecture, in the Chubu region of Japan. Takayama is also known as Hida-Takayama (飛騨高山). Takayama is a relatively unspoilt village that has lay forgotten in the Japanese Alps for centuries.

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Getting to Takayama

Takayama is the major transport hub of the Hida region.

By Train
From Tokyo Station, you can reach Takayama by taking a Tokaido Shinkansen train (Nozomi or Hikari) to Nagoya and then transfer to the Wide View Hida (ワイドビューひだ) Limited Express train for the run to Takayama. The ride takes just over 4 hours via Nozomi with a good connection, and costs ¥14800. By Hikari it takes 4 1/2 hours, but the ride is fully included in the Japan Rail Pass.

From Osaka and Kyoto in Kansai, Takayama is reachable by train in 3 1/2 hours.

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

A hundred years after Japan was modernised travellers discovered a small village hidden high in the Japanese Alps. Cut off from the world, Takayama had lain unaffected by the modernisation of Japan.

Realising the unique treasure they have in their care, the people of Takayama have preserved much of the old Japan. There are many museums devoted to folk art and craft as well as museums displaying items of archaeology, local history, and wild birds. These are often displayed in preserved heritage houses.

Shrines and Temples are to found in all parts of Takayama and are all preserved in excellent condition with well-tended gardens. They alone are sufficient reason to visit this gem of old Japan.

A custom built modern building houses the Festival Floats for which Takayama is famous. These are huge mobile shrines – spectacular creations with flamboyant carvings, metal and lacquer work with complex marionettes and puppets that perform amazing feats. Nearby is the Lion Mask Exhibition Hall displaying over 800 Lion Masks and antique musical instruments.

Besides the banks of the Miyagawa River which runs through the town are food markets, which display the local, produce. There are also colourful stalls presenting the works of local craftsmen. For generations, Takayama has been famous throughout Japan for the skill of its wood carvers. These craftsmen are responsible for the magnificent carvings at many Japanese Shrines including the world famous shrines at Nikko.

Just outside Takayama is the Hida Folk Village, a large open air Museum displaying dozens of traditional houses which once housed farmers and craftsmen in the region. These houses have been relocated here and preserved in their original condition.

From the Hida Folk Village are magnificent views of the Japanese Alps. Made even more breathtaking during the colder months when the autumn leaves make an almost unreal display of coloured foliage covering square kilometres of the mountainside.

Takayama is famous for its two festivals:

• Sannō Matsuri (山王祭り), April 14-15

• Yahata Matsuri (八幡祭り), October 9-10

Even though the festivals' origin is 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). Both 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 filled with visitors, so it is best to book accommodation and tickets early.

Takayama has to be seen, to be believed!

(Article based on Wikitravel article by Wikitravel users Jpatokal Article used under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 1.0. Additional content provided by Japan Package Tours)

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