Traditionally, Takayama was an vital and affluent service provider city, identified for its carpenters, craftsmen, and artisans. A lot of that period has been preserved, making it one of many few cities within the nation the place you may take pleasure in its momentous previous.
For half two of our four-part journey to Takayama sequence, we’ll take you to among the must-visit sights and historic websites, together with Takayama Jinja, Jinya Asaichi, Takayama Metropolis Archives Museum, the historic district of Sanmanchi, and extra! These spots are all inside a brief stroll of one another, apart from the final one, Kokubun-ji.
Historic Buildings of Takayama
Takayama is thought for its well-preserved buildings and the craftsmanship that’s a part of the city’s id. Listed below are our favourite historic buildings from our go to to Takayama.
Takayama Jinya 高山陣屋: A Glimpse into Historical past
Takayama Jinya’s historical past dates again to 1692 when it functioned as a department workplace of the Edo Bakufu (Shogunate) through the reign of the Tokugawa Shoguns. In the course of the Tokugawa Shogun’s rule, there have been roughly 60 of those administrative areas, which the Bakufu ruled immediately, whereas the remaining had been dominated by feudal lords.
Of all of the Bafuku, Takayama Jinya is the one one nonetheless standing at present. It performed a pivotal position in conducting authorities affairs, comparable to tax collections, police, and monetary issues.
After 1867, when Japan returned to imperial rule, the constructing turned the prefecture’s authorities workplace. The workplace and grand corridor had been constructed within the early 1800s, whereas the rice storehouse on the again dates again to the 1600s.
Takayama Jinya is kind of massive with nearly 30 rooms for guests to discover, and you’ll simply spend 45-60 minutes there.
Most rooms have indicators explaining their function in English, and it’s also possible to request a free English-speaking information on the ticket workplace.
Takayama Jinya Asaichi 高山陣屋朝市: A Style of Custom
Alongside the Miyagawa Morning Market that we visited, there may be Jinya Asaichi, located proper exterior Takayama Jinya. It is named one among Japan’s three nice morning markets. These markets hint their historical past again to the 1820s. Jinya Asaichi relocated inside the metropolis a couple of occasions however has been positioned exterior Takayama Jinya since 1922.
In comparison with the Miyagawa Morning Market, Jinya Asaichi has a for much longer historical past, however it’s smaller in measurement. As an alternative of memento or present retailers, it options day cubicles run by farmers and native meals producers.
We purchased some Hoba Mochi, an area specialty, and loved it on our approach again to Yokohama.
Takayama Metropolis Archives Museum 高山市政記念館: Unveiling the Previous
After our go to to the morning market, we took a brief stroll and headed throughout the Nakabashi Bridge (中橋). Shortly after the bridge is the Takayama Metropolis Archives—the outdated City Workplace which is free for anybody to enter.
The constructing showcases the craftsmanship of native carpenters and artisans. It was primarily constructed utilizing hinoki (Japanese Cypress), permitting guests to understand conventional Takayama structure. Moreover, it’s the primary constructing within the space to characteristic glass home windows.
Apart from the liberal use of glass home windows, the curved lattice ceiling of the assembly room on the second ground (proven beneath) additionally incorporates Western-style components. Upstairs within the constructing, you’ll discover quite a few exhibitions.
Takayama Sanmachi Suji/Kami Sannomachi 三町: Strolling by way of Historical past
The Sanmachi Suji (generally known as “little Kyoto”) and Kami Sannomachi Alley, proper throughout from town archives museum, is without doubt one of the best-known options of the area, the outdated road of Sanmachi, attracting lots of of 1000’s of vacationers yearly. This distinctive outdated road nonetheless has many buildings and homes from the Edo interval standing.
Alongside the road, there are retailers, sake breweries, eating places, cafes, and artisans displaying native crafts. You may take pleasure in native specialties like Hida beef, conventional Japanese sweets, and numerous different snacks.
We cherished the outdated buildings with their Japanese home windows; it felt like we had simply time-traveled to the previous.
The children requested us to purchase them picket swords so they might play-fight. Have a look at how glad they had been!
Takayama Museum of Historical past and Artwork 飛騨高山まちの博物館: A Step Again in Time
After strolling by way of the outdated streets, we headed up the hill to benefit from the Takayama Museum of Historical past and Artwork. This expansive museum consists of 14 rooms exhibiting practically 1,000 artifacts. These artifacts depict numerous durations within the wealthy historical past and tradition of the area, together with the Takayama Pageant.
Many of the gadgets on show had been on mortgage from non-public people, so no images had been allowed within the viewing rooms. Every artifact provides a glimpse into the area’s previous. The museum has free admission and is nicely price a go to.
Hida Kokubun-ji Temple 飛騨国分寺
After spending a while within the museum, the following cease is a bit farther away, however not too far (a 12-minute stroll). Head within the course of the practice station to achieve Hida KokuBun-ji Temple. The doorway price is 300 yen for adults and 250 yen for youngsters.
Inside Kokubun-ji Temple’s serene grounds, you’ll discover the temple itself, a three-story pagoda, a bell tower gate, and a ginkgo tree over 1,200 years outdated. The unique temple was inbuilt 746 however was subsequently burnt down. The present temple, constructed through the Muromachi interval (1336-1573), stands because the oldest construction in Takayama
The unique three pagoda was inbuilt 1615 by Kanamori Arishige (金森可重), who dominated the world. The present one was rebuilt in 1821. The bell tower gate on the temple grounds was constructed between 1573-1603.
The enormous 1,200-year-old ginkgo tree is completely gorgeous. We’d like to see this tree within the fall when its leaves flip a golden yellow! One of many folklores we heard is that on the day after all of the ginkgo leaves have fallen, the Hida Takayama space will obtain its first snow of the season.
Hida Folks Village
There are a couple of different locations of curiosity we didn’t have an opportunity to go to throughout our journey. The primary one is the Hida Folks Village, an open-air museum showcasing over 30 conventional homes from the Hida area. All of those homes had been initially constructed through the Edo Interval (1603-1868) and had been relocated to their present web site in 1971. The museum is a 30-minute stroll or a 10-minute bus experience from Takayama Station, west of town heart. The doorway price is 700 yen for adults and 200 yen for youngsters.
The museum options numerous constructions, together with logging homes, huts, the village head’s home, and gassho-zukuri farmhouses, which have roofs formed like praying palms. All of the buildings are meticulously preserved and maintained, permitting you to understand conventional structure and the supplies and instruments used throughout these occasions.
Inside these homes, the employees additionally demonstrates totally different arts and crafts comparable to wooden carving and lacquerwork.
Takayama Showa-Kan Museum
We additionally missed the Takayama Showa-Kan Museum. The Showa Period (1926-1989) was one of the crucial vital durations in Japan’s historical past, encompassing Japan’s gradual descent into fascism, World Warfare Two, and the next financial growth. On the museum, you may expertise life because it was throughout this tumultuous period. The doorway charges are 1000 yen for adults, 800 yen for highschool college students, 600 yen for junior excessive college students, and 400 yen for elementary college college students.
The museum recreates day by day life in Takayama through the Showa Period, that includes old-style sweet retailers, hostess bars, and basic vehicles.
Views of Takayama
Takayama was an incredible metropolis for us to go to. It wasn’t simply the breathtaking iconic landmarks and picturesque inexperienced mountain surroundings; we additionally had the chance to study its wealthy historical past and tradition handed down from the Edo interval.
It was one among our favourite locations that we’ve visited in Japan, and we extremely advocate you make a journey there. The ambiance and environment provide a stark distinction to the ambiance in Tokyo! If you’re staying in Toyama or Nagoya, it’s additionally manageable as a day journey. This small metropolis is wealthy in historical past, and its pure environment are in contrast to wherever else in Japan.
