A 2-minute walk from JR Takayama Station
A 2-minute walk from JR Takayama Station
Old townscapes from the Edo and Meiji Periods still remain, along hot spring towns and the grand, gorgeous Northern Japan Alps.
Takayama, which is centered in the Hida region, is conveniently located within a 1-hour car ride from the main sightseeing spots.
Use this hotel as your main base to go out and explore the Hida Takayama region.
From UNESCO World Heritage Site Shirakawago to a lifestyle shared with nature best exemplified by woodworking, experience a unique culture from west to east here in Hida Takayama.
Here are some sightseeing spots where you can truly experience Hida Takayama’s charm through its people, places, and things.
The Takayama Festival, which is considered one of the three most beautiful festivals in Japan, is a catch-all name for the Sanno Festival in spring and the Hachiman Festival in autumn. The craftsmanship of Hida is on full display at these festivals that showcase finely crafted, movable mechanical dolls which are presented as an offering, different sorts of mechanical floats, and more.
A section consisting of three streets in Kamimachi and Shimocho areas that flourished as a commercial district during the Edo and Meiji Periods, known as the “Old Town”, is a popular spot for a stroll.
During the Nara Period, the “Hida no Takumi” system was established to send woodworks craftsmen to the capital instead of paying tax. Crafting techniques that use wood as efficiently as possible and a straightforward way of thinking are the cornerstones of Takayama’s culture, and those attributes have been passed down to today’s craftsmen as well.
SPRING
Snowmelt brings water to the region, and in spring, the grass and trees bloom. Swaying cherry blossoms over a red bridge are a metaphor for spring in Takayama.
SUMMER
Morning glories and wind chimes brighten up the town in summer. The Hida Takayama Fireworks Festival and the Takayama Jin’ya Night Festival also make for lively summer nights.
AUTUMN
In autumn, mountains are painted gold. Craft markets, workshop tours, and other events that show off an autumn of art are held throughout the region.
WINTER
Winter cold wraps Takayama in a world of deep snow. This wintry world is the perfect time to enjoy some fireplace-cooked meals and outdoor baths found in Takayama.
Miyagawa Morning Market
One of Japan’s three largest morning markets, and one of Takayama’s specialties. Held alongside the Miyagawa River every morning.
Traditional cooking from Hida Takayama as well as pickled goods, flowers, handicrafts, and other sundries are available at the stores that line the market.
We recommend visiting the downtown area of Takayama that flourished as a castle town in the Edo and Meiji Periods.
Old stores and houses still reside there today, as do plenty of eateries and souvenir shops.
A workshop where visitors can experience traditional Takayama crafts and one of a kind objects is also located here.
There were over 60 provincial governor locations standing at the end of the Edo Period, but this building is the only of its kind that still remains in all of Japan. After the Meiji Period, the building was used as a space for the Takayama prefectural office. In 1929 it was designated a national historical site.
This store creates crafts based on wood carvings. Various miscellaneous goods, such as wooden plates depicting Hida Takayama's festivals and lifestyle, along with woodblock print plush toys featuring the animals of the Zodiac and wilderness, are sold here. You might just find yourself reaching for your wallet...
This shopping center hosts four stores: a select shop selling Hida specialty products, a cafe, a restaurant where you can try a fusion of Hida and Italian cooking, and a furniture showroom. The shopping center opens early in the morning, so we recommend going on the last day of your trip.
Traditional crafts such as carving, sashiko embroidery, making sarubobo amulets, and more can be experienced at this facility (reservations must be made in advance). On Saturdays, Sundays, and holidays in the spring and autumn, visitors can rent traditional samurai clothing, try on traditional Japanese clothing (no reservation required), and enjoy strolling the town in a kimono.
This building brings back to life the lifestyle of retro Japan in the late fifties and early sixties with period stores, houses, schools, and more set up. Visitors are welcome to take photos of everything exhibited here. Every bit of the building’s interior was made to seem like a town, allowing visitors to time travel back to Showa Period Japan.
The former residence of the Kusakabe Family flourished as a purveyor to the government in the Edo Period. Tools and objects from daily life at that time are on display. Visitors can enjoy buildings that have been designated as important cultural properties, while seasonal exhibitions and music events are also held.
Excellent local food is the best part of any trip.
We will introduce some gourmet dining spots where you can enjoy Hida Takayama's food while walking around town or hopping between drinking locations.
A number of stores can be reached on foot from this hotel. Enjoy these shops and you won’t resist talking about them to someone else.
You’ll want to gulp down every last drop of the delicious seafood- and chicken-based broth poured over super thin noodles at Men’ya Shirakawa. This delicious bowl of noodles is even better when topped with a soft-boiled egg. Men’ya stays open late, so drop by here to round out your night.
A merchant shop from nearly 400 years that has been converted into a pure, charming coffee shop that is decorated with woodblock prints. One must-try item on the menu is the “Chatsu sweet”. This dish features an arrangement of sweets on a Shunkei-nuri lacquerware wooden plate. The townscape through a lattice is also gorgeous, making it the perfect place for a quick break during your stroll.
Perfect for some late night bar-hopping, Dekonaru Yokocho includes nearly 20 stalls and shooting game shops all in one convenient location. Drink, eat, and enjoy Takayama’s nightlife at a location where locals and visitors from abroad can all mingle.
This cafe also serves as a craft shop and a gallery. Morning, lunch, and other menu, organic coffee, homemade cake, bread, and more are available. Warm wooden plates and ceramic cups are all on sale at the shop, too.
Located near the old town. This four-roomed tea house that surrounds a central garden and also includes a warehouse can be found down a small alley. Tatami mats, table seating, and sofas are available, while light sweets made from kudzu, rice flour, warabi powder, and more are also offered.
An extremely popular item at Tohoen is the maneki neko steamed bun, which was made from the idea of a group of cats that live in a back-alley next to this Japanese confectionery. White, black, calico, stripes, and Russian blue varieties are all made with different dough and different fillings. Limited seasonal sweets can also be found here, making this a great souvenir spot for cat lovers!
Seto River and White-walled Kura-style Storehouses
The main street of castle town Hida Furukawa still remains lined with old townhouses. The street's intersection is said to look like a board for the game of go.
Around 1,000 carps of different colors swim within the Seto River. Irises bloom alongside the canal in early summer, offering a nice visual treat for visitors.
Wide, relaxing countryside views and bountiful nature can all be felt in this area.
Along with Hida Takayama’s traditional crafts, workshops and select shops making goods used in everyday life are also located here.
We recommend vising the area via bicycle or vehicle.
Tools used in an older way of Japanese life are made at this private residence in Hida’s countryside that boasts a nearly 150-year history. The items available in the store are those that the storeowners came to love when they visited that item's maker. Those who know this shop know it well, and come from both within and outside the prefecture in search of unique products.
This workshop focuses on creating blue-striped and milky white, matte-glazed tableware. Great attention to detail goes into every good that is made here. From coffee cups and mugs to small plates and more, you'll enjoy using the items sold here for a long time.
This open-air village recreates rural village life and seasonal events by relocating and restoring Hida's private residences built in gassho-zukuri and other styles. Within the village, straw and quilt craftsmanship performances and experiences are held on different days.
This limestone cave measures nearly 800 meters in length and was formed over a period of 250 million years. The temperature in the cave sits around 12°C even in summer, making it the perfect spot for a summer getaway.
An exhibition featuring nearly 1,000 pieces of art and decorative equipment from the discoverer of the cave is also a must-see attraction.
From large furniture and vases to cutlery and other daily goods, this store makes all sorts of wooden tools that you can enjoy using. Most popular among these tools is a pincushion in the shape of a hedgehog wearing an adorable face. This standout workshop also displays its works overseas.
A guided course at a leisurely pace around the beautiful Hida Mountains area. Get away from the sightseeing spots and ride a mountain bike through gorgeous, serene nature as you get a glimpse of the Hida lifestyle. Instead of biking, mountain snowshoeing through fresh, deep snow can be enjoyed in winter (December – February).
UNESCO World Heritage Site Shirakawago
Thatched roof houses with their characteristic gassho-zukuri architecture can still be found here, offering rare views of what can also be called a pure Japanese village landscape.
At the Wada Family Residence and the Former Toyama Family Residence Folk Museum, which are both nationally designated important cultural properties, visitors can enjoy an exhibit showcasing the old Japanese village lifestyle along with the local area’s agricultural tools and silk-growing industry.
The views of the mountains here, especially the Northern Japan Alps, are second to none. Some of Japan’s best outdoor baths, activities in this mountain town, and more can all be enjoyed here. Below are some of the best spots for visitors looking to stay active in Hida Takayama.
This activity combines bicycles and abandoned railroad lines as visitors ride on two bicycles fixed as railbikes to the former Kamioka Railway tracks. Packed with tunnels and bridges, this course will offer a thrill to all who ride it. Hop on railbikes and let’s ride as we enjoy the sights and sounds of beautiful green nature.
Hida City’s Kamioka-cho area once flourished as a mining town, and even today is an area ripe with nostalgia for Japan’s olden days. Buildings from the early 1900s, beautiful nature, old-fashioned confectioneries and tofu stores, drinking establishments, and more can all be enjoyed by visitors who take a guided walk through the town.
The address is where the tour meets.
Visitors can enjoy this natural park that is home to a wide variety of nature, from a primeval forest to skunk cabbage communities. Multiple courses are available, taking between 40 minutes and 3 hours, so choose the one that's best for your physical fitness level. Be sure to wear a pair of sneakers as you walk around this paradise of alpine vegetation, wild birds, and more.
A total of 16 outdoor baths (7 for men, 9 for women) at this hot spring resort where visitors can enjoy soaking in the very source of the spring water while taking in the great outdoors. The color and temperature of the water varies from bath to bath, so visitors can enjoy trying each one. Food and a cafe are also available, making this a great spot to spend the day.
Gassho-zukuri-style houses are lined up at the Hirayu Folk Museum that also hosts a bathing facility. These hot springs are surrounded by an abundant forest and are characterized by a somewhat dark brown color. A foot hot spring is also available that guests can freely use. These baths are located at the heart of Hirayu Hot Springs, making it the perfect place for a short break.
Place your entrance fee into the entrance fee box to enter the shared open-air bath on the Kamata River bank. Female visitors can rest easy, however, as separate baths for men and women are provided. Visitors can enjoy these baths until 10 PM, so some lucky guests will enjoy bathing beneath a night sky filled with stars in these baths where you can truly feel the great outdoors.
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Hida Takayama Hachiman Market
December