Takayama – A City that No One Will Be Bored with

The city has more than 400 years of history and was built by the first ruler of Takayama Castle – Kanamori Nagachika (金森長近), modeling after Kyoto.

Doesn’t the old township in the photo remind you of Gion, Kyoto?

What we think is better at Takayama is the flowering vines that decorate traditional houses. In late spring, you will get the little purple wisteria flowers hanging above you, and from summer to autumn, the gorgeous morning glories color the wooden houses.

Hida Takayama is famous for its Hida beef. So most restaurants sell Hida beef sushi, Hida beef burger, Hida beef hot pot, or Shabushabu… which made us worry about whether we would be able to find a place for lunch.

The great news is the city is rather vegan-friendly compared to many other regional destinations in Japan. So, refer to our Guide to the Vegan-Friendly Restaurants in Takayama to plan your visit!

Are you a tea lover like us? If your answer is “YES”, you will definitely enjoy Shofuen Matsuno Tea Stall!

There are quite a few different kinds of tea that the stall sell. The best thing about this tea shop is you get to try them out before you make your decision to bring a certain one home (=ﾟωﾟ)ﾉ.

The most popular tea is the Ao no Hōjicha (青のほうじ茶). Compared to the normal hōjicha (Japanese roast tea), the Ao no Houjicha has a much nicer aroma and a lot stronger taste.

It was so delicious that we ended up buying three packs of tea leaves by the time we came out of the shop (´▽｀*).

Apparently, the roasting temperature is the key to making Ao no Hōjicha flavorsome. The nice aroma of the local, high-quality tea leaves came out from the tea roaster as we entered the shop. It was quite fun just to watch the roasted tea leaves drop into the metal container!

Apart from tea leaves, they also specialize in tea utensils. As Japanese Tea Ceremony practitioners, we had a really hard time deciding which utensils to bring home!

Buying matcha green tea powder from the shop is even harder… The number of different matcha Shōfūen has is countless. Since matcha is the only kind of tea they don’t allow you to try (the cost will be too high), trying to imagine the taste of the tea based on the tea’s name was just impossible.

There are so many different kinds of matcha based on the age of the tea tree, which part of the tree the tea leaves were taken from, and more. In the end, we bought the powder based on their price tag and the sound of their names (´▽｀*).

The climate and water quality at Hida Takayama is great for growing rice. When we combine good quality rice and water together, the result is great sake!

At Furui Machinami, there are quite a few sake breweries (especially at Kami-Sannomachi). The taste of the sake from each brewery differs, so if you have a great passion for the sake and don’t get drunk easily, why not plan your own sake-tasting tour based on the list of breweries HERE (≧▽≦).

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If you get a little bit hungry or just simply feel like eating, head to Mizuma Dango!

Usually, these rice dumplings in Japan are prepared by grilling first and finishing by brushing thickened soy sauce over the top.

The rice dumpling at Mizuma Dango is different. The dumpling is grilled with soy sauce making it crispy outside and chewy inside. It is just like the taste of heaven!

Having a skewer of rice dumpling while strolling around Kami-Sannnomachi can be quite an experience, especially if you are dressed up in a Kimono (*’▽’).

Important: You probably will have difficulty finding a bin at San Machi-Dōri. The best thing to do with garbage is to either hand it to the shop you bought the food from or hold onto it until you see a bin. The worst thing to do is toss it on the ground…

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One of our favorite shops in Takayama is Ohnoya. The shop specializes in making different types of miso and soy sauce.

Come and have a mini miso soup tasting if you visit Takayama on a cold day! This will surely warm you up (^_-)-☆.

Miso soup tasting at Ohnoya is free. But don’t abuse it! You really don’t want the staff of the shop to start staring at you because you come back so many times (´▽｀*).

Tips: We know Ohnoya’s miso soup is super delicious, but choose the size carefully. Don’t be like us, who ended up having trouble fitting everything into your suitcase (≧▽≦).

You can also refer to their website HERE before you head to their shop in Kami-Sannomachi!

• Ohnoya Miso is open from 8:30 am to 5:30 pm daily.
• The shop is closed on the 1st of January.
• Ohnoya Miso is around a 10-minute walk from JR Takayama Station.

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To all the chestnut lovers out there, when you are in Takayama, don’t miss out on this Japanese sweets shop – Enakawakamiya!

And when you drop by, spend some time relaxing at their café! Their Takayama Mont Blanc (高山モンブラン) is a must-try if you eat eggs (‘ω’)ノ.

On the top, there is a layer of chestnut paste, then three different layers of various flavored cream with a pie crust at the bottom.

Although this dessert set is not cheap (1,210 yen), it is definitely worthwhile to give it a try. You might discover a whole new world of taste when you add the sea salt that comes with the set (*´ω｀).

If you don’t eat eggs, there are also other mouth-watering menus in the café. And if you are in a hurry, just grab a few Japanese or Western sweets from the counter, and off you go!

• Enakawakamiya’s café is open from 9 am to 5 pm
  • The last order is at 4:30 pm.
• This Enakawakamiya’s café is located in Honmachi Shopping District (本町商店街), which is across the Nakabashi Bridge (中橋大橋) and closer to JR Takayama Station.

Whilst this statue looks nothing like a monkey, the carver actually used a little monkey as a model.

Originally as a lucky charm, mothers and grandmothers would make these dolls for their grandchildren and daughters with wishes.

• Monkey in Japanese is pronounced as “saru”, which also means leaving. So the mothers and grandmothers hope the charm will protect their children and grandchildren and cause bad things to leave.
• They hope their daughters or granddaughters will find a good match and have a happy married life. In Japanese, a happily married couple is pronounced as “fufuenman” and a good match is said as “ryoen“. The “en” is another way to pronounce monkey, linking it back to the monkey-shaped charm.

If you are wondering which market to go to first, we recommend coming to Jinyamae first. This is because the market scale is smaller than Miyagawa Morning Market. To us, it is always better to start smaller, so things get more and more exciting (^_-)-☆.

At Jinyamae they have many fresh products and pickled vegetables. It is a great place to pick up some cheap fresh fruits. Also, you can usually find cut fruit in small boxes before buying it!

The prices between the two markets are around the same. So if you are eyeing some fresh fruit, don’t be like us, who compare the price between the markets and have to go back to Jinyamae market as there are more varieties (´▽｀*).

The morning market Jinyamae, is just in front of Takayama Jinya (高山陣屋). Takayama Jinya is another popular tourist spot that we would recommend. As it opens at 8:45 am, you can conveniently pop into Takayama Jinya after you finish browsing the market (=ﾟωﾟ)ﾉ.

The Miyagawa morning market is on the bank of the Miyagawa River.

This market has a lot more stalls selling artisanal craftworks, sweets (like pudding), clothes, souvenirs, and more!

If you love the hoba miso cuisine at Tayakayma or Shirakawa-gō, you can grab some Hoba leaves from the market too (^_-)-☆.

If you are wondering whether to include breakfast in your booking for accommodation at Takayama, we would say “no”.

You can easily grab something from the Miyagawa morning market when you stroll through all the stalls while enjoying the nice river view!

Jinya was the provincial governor’s office back in the Edo period (1603 ~ 1868).

When you come to Takayama, drop by Takayama Jinya to experience the atmosphere of what it would be like working for the Tokugawa shogunate! It is the only place across Japan where you can do so.

Takayama Jinya also had the “court” function back then. You will definitely see where the criminals were sitting while awaiting their adjudgement!

• Takayama Jinya is open from
  • 8:45 am to 5 pm from the 1st of March to the 31st of October
  • 8:45 am to 4:30 pm from the 1st of November to the end of February
  • It is closed from the 29th of December to the 1st of January.
• The admission fee is
  • 440 yen for adults
  • Free for senior high school students and younger if you show your student ID

Hida Folk Village is an open-air village museum. The village was created by relocating and restoring more than 30 precious gassho-zukuri-style houses. There is also a small shrine, waterwheel, and other facilities that replicate what a small village would be like back in the Edo period!

Local tradition and ancient living utensils are preserved perfectly here for anyone passionate about Japanese culture and history.

Ancient seasonal events that took place in Hida are also held in the village. So it might be worthwhile to check out the event calendar on their official website HERE and scroll down to the annual event section.

At Hida Folk Village, you can make your own lucky charm, “sarubobo” that we mentioned earlier, and the braided cord (組ひも) in the popular anime movie – Your Name!

• The Village is open between 8:30 am and 5 pm daily
• The admission fee is
  • 700 yen for adults
  • 200 yen for elementary and junior high school students
• The local sightseeing bus – Sarubobo Bus, stops at Hida Folk Village. You can find the timetable and a list of bus stops HERE. It will cost you 100 yen each time you board the bus, so if you prefer to explore Takayama with the sightseeing bus, get the 1-day free pass for 500 yen!

There is an old bell tower on the temple’s ground. It was actually relocated from Takayama Castle. With the yellow ginkgo tree in the background, who wouldn’t want to stop by to snap a selfie with it (^_-)-☆?

While there is no way that we can see the past glory of the 1250-year-old temple, the ginkgo tree that was planted at the time when the temple was erected is still here to add color to the temple’s ground in autumn (see how beautiful it is with the bell tower)!

To illustrate how tall this tree is, that big green tree in the photo on the right-hand side is the tree you will be looking for. This photo was taken in late October, so if you want to see the tree covered in yellow color, visit Hida Kokubunji Temple in mid to late November (=ﾟωﾟ)ﾉ.

• The temple is just a 5-minute walk from JR Takayama Station.
• It is free to stroll around the temple’s precinct, but if you would like to enter the main hall, it will cost you
  • 300 yen for adults
  • 250 yen for elementary and junior high school students
• The Main Hall is open from 9 am to 4 pm daily, but is closed in December and the 1st of January.

The Sakurayama Hachimangū Shrine was built approximately 1600 years ago. As the Main Shrine that looks after Takayama, it is mostly known for the Takayama Festivals.

The Takayama Festival is one of Japan’s three most beautiful festivals. Unlike the Chichibu Festival in Saitama Prefecture and Gion Festival in Kyoto, Takayama Festival comes in 2 parts!

The well-decorated floats are pulled through the streets of Takayama. Traditional lion and folk dance performances are also important parts of the two festivals.

If you can’t visit Takayama during these four days, the floats used in the festivals are also displayed at the Takayama Festival Floats Exhibition Hall. The hall in Takayama Matsuri Yatai Kaikan is located on the ground floor of the Sakurayama Hachimangū Shrine.

Note that although a reservation to enter the Exhibition Hall is not required, they would appreciate it if you could notify them of your visit in advance. This can be done by emailing them at [email protected].

They would also love to receive the notification in Japanese if possible… So, below is a template for you to use (=ﾟωﾟ)ﾉ.

• The Shrine is a 20-minute walk from JR Takayama Station. It isn’t too far, and you can walk off all the calories from all the food you ate at Kami-Sannomachi
  • Or you can take the Machinami Bus and get off at Sakurayama Hachiman-gū shrine
• The museum is open from
  • 9 am to 5 pm from March to November
  • 9 am to 4:30 pm from December to February

At Takayama city’s outskirt, there are a couple of temples. If you have done enough shopping and eating in the city center, how about taking a side tour to visit these temples well-preserved temples?

These temples are linked by the Higashiyama Walking Course. The 3.5 km course starts from the Higashiyamamachi (東山町) – located at Takayama’s east. After around 2 hours of exploration of these cultural rich assets, you will find yourself at Shiroyama Park (城山公園).

The promenade, residing on a leafy hillside overlooking the old township, is one of the most scenic spots of Takayama during the cherry blossom season and autumn!

Shiroyama Park was where Takayama Castle was located before it was ordered to be destroyed by Tokugawa Shogunate in 1695.

It is now a place of relaxation for the local residents and is the biggest park in Takayama. From the top of the park, the Japanese Alps are on your east, and Takayama city is to your west.

Unryūji (雲龍寺) is s temple with a charming bell tower and garden. It is also the starting point of the stunning Higashiyama Walk Course. Of course, you can start from Shiroyama Park too!

Shiroyama Park is a 30-minute walk away from JR Takayama Station. If you are coming from Kami-Sannomachi, it’s a lot closer!

If you plan to spend more than one day at Takayama, why not take a short excursion to the Northern Japanese Alps?

Direct bus services departing from Takayama Bus Terminal will bring you straight to Shinhotaka Ropeway in just an hour and 40 minutes.

The ropeway will bring you all the way to the magnificent Northern Japanese Alps to enjoy the fresh air and the spectacular panoramic view, 2000 meters above the ground!

In spring, summer and autumn, there are a few days that the ropeway operates at night, between Shirakabadaira Station (しらかば平駅) and Nishihotakaguchi Station (西穂高口駅).

Imagine how many more stars you could see without the light pollution from the city!

Tip: Check out the average temperature around the ropeway’s stations HERE to prepare for the cold weather.

• The 27th to the 29th of April: The ropeway departs for Nishihotakaguchi Station from Shirakabadaira Station between 7 pm and 8:20 pm. The last ropeway departs for Nishihotakaguchi Station from Shirakabadaira Station at 9 pm.
• The 27th to the 29th of September/the 4th to the 6th and the 25th to the 27th of October/the 1st of November: The ropeway departs for Nishihotakaguchi Station from Shirakabadaira Station between 6 pm and 8:20 pm. The last ropeway departs for Nishihotakaguchi Station from Shirakabadaira Station at 9 pm.

• The bus timetable and ticket prices for services departing from Takayama Bus Terminal are on Nohi Bus’s website HERE.
• Refer to Shinhotaka Ropeway’s website HERE for operating hours and fares information.

Tip: If you also plan to visit the stunning Kamikōchi, consider purchasing the Okuhida & Kamikochi Bus Tickets with Shinhotaka Ropeway (Takayama Departure).

Hida Furukawa is a city that looks similar to Takayama. It can be accessed with a 15-minute direct train ride from JR Takayama.

Compared to Takayama, it is definitely more relaxing and less crowded. Also, if you are a big fan of the anime movie, ‘Your Name’, you may want to do a pilgrimage tour in this gorgeous city!

For more information, please refer to our article on Hida Furukuwa!

If you visit Takayama and at least 2 of the following spots, the Mitsuboshi Kaidou Three-Star Route Option Ticket will save you money! The ticket is valid for 7 consecutive days, allowing you to save time to sightsee in each of the destinations!

• Kanazawa
• Shirakawa-gō
• Gokayama
• Matsumoto

If you also want to go to Kamikōchi, consider the 4-Day Alps WIDE Free Passport!

More details about the ticket are in our Chūbu Region Transportation Guide article!