Old Townscape

The old town of Hida Takayama, with its scenery resembling that of the Edo period, features a water channel flowing under the eaves that continue with latticed windows, and "sakebayashi" made of cedar leaves hanging from the eaves of sake breweries. It has been designated as a "Preservation District for Groups of Traditional Buildings," a national designation. Especially in the Kamisannomachi and Kamisan-no-machi areas, where traditional inns and shops gather, there are many buildings that display the wooden plaques of the "Landscape Design Award," which recognizes buildings that are suitable for creating a harmonious landscape with nature.

Hida Takayama is a picturesque town where the sight of rickshaw pullers with smiling faces has become a common sight, just like in famous tourist spots such as Kyoto and Asakusa. However, the rickshaws in Hida Takayama have been running since 1970 and are said to be the origin of all tourist rickshaws in Japan. Professional rickshaw pullers will guide you through the old town while telling you about the history of Takayama. Why not enjoy the town's scenery from a different perspective than walking around?

One of the charms of visiting Hida Takayama is not only the quaint townscape, but also the opportunity to enjoy local gourmet food while strolling around. In fact, the shops where you can sample Hida beef, kabura-miso (turnip miso), mitarashi dango (sweet soy sauce-glazed rice dumplings), and more are gathered in the old townscape, so you can cover them all just by taking a walk. Among them, the highly recommended dish is Hida beef nigiri sushi on top of an ebisenbei (shrimp cracker) in the Takayama style. Not only is it easy to eat, but you can also enjoy the ebisenbei, which serves as a substitute for a plate, until the very end. So, be sure to enjoy the food while taking a stroll.

Takayama has seven sake breweries, famous for their local sake made from water and rice sourced from the Hida mountain range. Various sake breweries can also be found throughout the old town, where you can buy a small cup and compare the local sake of Hida through tasting. Of course, you can enjoy comparing sake while strolling around the town, but it's also a good idea to purchase your favorite sake and bring it back to your accommodation as a souvenir to savor the memories of your trip at home.

When it comes to Takayama, the "Takayama Festival" held every year on April 14-15 in spring and October 9-10 in autumn is famous and is considered one of Japan's three most beautiful festivals. This festival, registered as a UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage, features luxurious and gorgeous floats showcasing the skills of Hida's artisans. You can enjoy the magnificent atmosphere of the festival procession, where people dressed in traditional costumes and floats are paraded, and the floats are lined up. Especially on the first night of the festival, where each float is lit up with about 100 lanterns and slowly travels through the town, you can enjoy a fantastic atmosphere different from that of the daytime. If you plan to watch the festival, it's recommended to have an early dinner and head there in advance to not miss the night festival.