In the heart of Gifu prefecture, the city of Takayama is a trendy destination among Japanese and foreign tourists. It’s a perfect location in the heart of the Japanese Alps, and the beauty of its old town, which allows you to go back in time and walk through the Japan of yesteryear, make this beautiful city an ideal place for your trip to Japan.
Takayama, or Hida-Takayama as it is known today to differentiate it from the many other Takayama in Japan, deserves to be included in Japan Takayama tours. If you are looking for a Japan that makes you forget the skyscrapers and neons of modern and large cities, Takayama will make you fall in love. Here you will find dozens of ryokan and traditional lodgings and sake cellars where you can do tastings in unique buildings.
Things to see and do in Takayama
Takayama is a relatively small city in the Chubu region that can be visited on foot without any problem. That is why people believe that to visit Takayama with a day and a half or two days, you have more than enough. If you take a good tour, you can visit many of the city’s highlights in a relatively short time.
Thus, the rest of the time, you can use Takayama as a base of operations to visit other points in the region of the Japanese Alps, especially the beautiful village of Shirakawago, the area of Kamikochi, or the nearby Hida-Furukawa, for example.
Revere early spring with one of Japan’s most well-known festivals
Every April 14th and 15th, tens of thousands of people flock to Takayama to participate in its spring festival. This event is universally recognized as one of Japan’s three most beautiful festivals featuring grand and sumptuous floats accompanied by a traditional musical soundtrack.
How to get
The most suitable way to reach Takayama happens to be by public transport.
Trains depart from Nagoya every hour, and the trip takes about 2 hours and 20 minutes. Takayama is also linked to Toyama and Matsumoto by regular road trains and buses.
Beautiful shows
The festival’s focal points are the yatai. These magnificent floats remain on display from morning until late afternoon, outside their sheds. Some of them are covered with puppets that are called karakuri dolls. The puppets “perform” a traditional dance in the mid-morning and early afternoon. During bad weather, warehouse doors are opened to house the yatai.
At night, the gigantic and heavy yatai are expertly guided by the streets by specialized teams. Small mikoshi, or walkers, are also taken by the streets. The screams and strain of effort, modern music played on flutes and stringed instruments, and swinging lanterns offer an intense and emotional experience that attracts people from all over Japan every year.
What to see and do in Takayama, complete guide
In the heart of Gifu prefecture, the city of Takayama is a trendy destination among Japanese and foreign tourists. It’s a perfect location in the heart of the Japanese Alps, and the beauty of its old town, which allows you to go back in time and walk through the Japan of yesteryear, make this beautiful city an ideal place for your trip to Japan.
Takayama, or Hida-Takayama as it is known today to differentiate it from the many other Takayama in Japan, deserves to be included in Japan Takayama tours. If you are looking for a Japan that makes you forget the skyscrapers and neons of modern and large cities, Takayama will make you fall in love. Here you will find dozens of ryokan and traditional lodgings and sake cellars where you can do tastings in unique buildings.
Things to see and do in Takayama
Takayama is a relatively small city in the Chubu region that can be visited on foot without any problem. That is why people believe that to visit Takayama with a day and a half or two days, you have more than enough. If you take a good tour, you can visit many of the city’s highlights in a relatively short time.
Thus, the rest of the time, you can use Takayama as a base of operations to visit other points in the region of the Japanese Alps, especially the beautiful village of Shirakawago, the area of Kamikochi, or the nearby Hida-Furukawa, for example.
Revere early spring with one of Japan’s most well-known festivals
Every April 14th and 15th, tens of thousands of people flock to Takayama to participate in its spring festival. This event is universally recognized as one of Japan’s three most beautiful festivals featuring grand and sumptuous floats accompanied by a traditional musical soundtrack.
How to get
The most suitable way to reach Takayama happens to be by public transport.
Trains depart from Nagoya every hour, and the trip takes about 2 hours and 20 minutes. Takayama is also linked to Toyama and Matsumoto by regular road trains and buses.
Beautiful shows
The festival’s focal points are the yatai. These magnificent floats remain on display from morning until late afternoon, outside their sheds. Some of them are covered with puppets that are called karakuri dolls. The puppets “perform” a traditional dance in the mid-morning and early afternoon. During bad weather, warehouse doors are opened to house the yatai.
At night, the gigantic and heavy yatai are expertly guided by the streets by specialized teams. Small mikoshi, or walkers, are also taken by the streets. The screams and strain of effort, modern music played on flutes and stringed instruments, and swinging lanterns offer an intense and emotional experience that attracts people from all over Japan every year.
