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Takayama is situated in the mountainous Hida Region, in northern Gifu Prefecture. Takayama’s old town is a top destination for both Japanese and foreign tourists especially among those who wish to add a rural element to their trips to Japan as it retains a sense of traditional Japan that is not always easy to find. It is also a great location from which to visit the UNESCO heritage site of Shirakawago.
Within Takayama itself, there is of course the Old Town, which is described below.
Another major attraction is the Hida Folk Village, an open air museum with 30 well-preserved traditional houses from the Hida region that are open to be explored and give a window into everyday life in the past in Japan. There are also workshops whereby visitors can learn how to make local crafts.
Furui Machinami (Old town) is located in the centre of Takayama city and has houses built in the Edo period that remain to this day. The dusty, medieval atmosphere of Takayama castle town remains in this impeccably preserved and very beautiful area. It is still home to old fashioned sake breweries and traditional merchants’ houses with latticed bay windows. The area also has small galleries, shrines and museums which make it a great place to wander around (or to be taken around by rickshaw for around £40).
The Takayama Festival is held every spring (the festival of the Hie Shrine, to pray for a good harvest) and autumn (the festival of the Hachiman Shrine). It is one of Japan’s most beautiful float festivals along with Gion Matsuri in Kyoto and Chichibu Yomatsuri in Saitama. The spectacle is fascinating; the floats themselves dating back as far as the 17th century. Each is exquisitely decorated, showing superb craftsmanship fashioned by the ‘artisans of Hida’. The floats (Yatai) are considered cultural assets by the national government.
Photo: Spring Festival
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