Old town

After Hiroshima and Miyajima it’s time to head off to Takayama. Takayama is a city in the mountainous Hida region of Gifu Prefecture. Takayama retains a traditional touch like few other Japanese cities, especially in its beautifully preserved old town. It’s a place I was looking forward to go to. But before getting to excited , a long journey is waiting for me.

When you travel there is always two ways to do things. Either you pay the price to have an easy journey or you dont pay the price and have a long journey. I went for the second option. From Hiroshima I tooked a Willer Express night bus to Kyoto. After an intermittent sleep I then tooked a highway bus to Takayama. And i’m glad iI brought some friends with me to give me compagny for that journey.

Roasted green tea or “Ojicha” flavor KitKat box.

Each part of Japan has is own Kitkat flavors. In Kyoto you can try this one or the matcha flavor. I got really curious about trying theses Kitkat funky flavors. I was quite impressed because it actually had an aftertaste of roasted green tea. If you like KitKat and challenge you could go on a “catch them all” KitKat trip across Japan… You’ll probably end up with diabete type two but you’ll have accomplished something great. I forced myself not to go down this road.

After a 15h journey I’m finally in Takayama. After a good night of sleep i’m ready to explore this cute little town.

And my weapon of choice for this stay is … ?

The good old bicyle. It turn out to be an eletrical one that my host kindly shared with me. On the front it’s a baby basket just in case you wonder.

Takayama accommodations get easily booked off so I had to stay in a far away hotel. Not an issue with a bicyle which allows me great freedom. Make sure to book way in advance for Takayama.

First stop of the day : the Jinya Mae morning market.

Hida’s apples in the market. Apple is one of the food speciality around. You should try them.

The apples in Japan are much more expensive than back home but how good they are. Some of them would cost 1200 yen (9 euro) per unit ! I could’nt believe my eyes. I went for the cheapest 100 yen (0.80 euro) and was very good. The market was smaller than I thought but the produces all looked amazing. In front of the market you’ll see the Takayama Jinya.

Entrance of the Takayama Jinya.
The Takayama Jinya served as the local government office headed by the officials dispatched from Edo (present day Tokyo). It was an interesting place to visit.

Inside the Jinya there is a beautiful Japanese garden. It’s important to work in a comfortable enviromnent if you want to be productive.

I love how wood takes a central part in Japanese constuctions. This is especially true in Takayama because it’s surrounded by many pine forests. People call this region the “Japanese Alps” actually. Takayama feels a like a quaint ski town. I already love the fresh atmosphere of that city. It has a human scale that feels organic to me. I’m glad to stay 5 nights here. Let’s explore the preserved old town now.

Takayama old town streets.
Can you spot the Japanese flags ? Today was “workers day ” in Japan which also means a holiday therefore the streets were a bit crowded but nothing suffocating.

This area is so well preserved. It’s very enjoyable just to walk in thoses streets. Takayama has this laidback atmosphere that gives you the impression that the times has stopped. You can feel that Takayama used to be a wealthy town back in the days. Actually Takayama gained importance as a source of high quality timber and highly skilled carpenters during the feudal ages. The streets here are full of craft stores and also many food stores. Time to try some !

Mitarashi Dango or “rice balls dipped in soy sauce on a stick” (the japanese name sounds better isn’t).

Matcha tea break with two custard taiyaki. Theses taiyaki were wonderful by the way.

Two types of Miso. On the left it’s a 3 year fermentation , on the right 1 year.

Miso can be stored for more than one year and has many health benefits. It also gives great unamy / salty flavors to your dishes. In this store you could also taste a miso soup. Miso seems to be a speciality here. Talking about speciality here’s another one.

Hida beef stall.
Apparently Hida beef is one of the best in Japan. The animals here benefits from healthy outdoor environment. It’s almost as good as the Kobe beef but cheaper. Talking to a Japanese today I realised how expensive was this beef. Eating this type of meat is a luxury therefore most Japaneses will eat it in small portions and for occasions.

I was hungry for vegetarian food and got attracted by a menu. Let’s try a place called “Wakidjaya”.

For lunch , a vegetarian set with local veggies. On the right upper side it was a mix of : mushrooms, onions and green onions all in a miso paste. This mix was on a magnolia leaf. This was actually cooking at low heat. I had to wait 3 minutes before eating it. Dont forget to mix it well so that the miso blend well with the rest.

Eating in Japan can be experimental. I like how in certain dishes you can observe your food being ready to eat. It’s quite simple but I enjoy that. I’m glad neighbourgh Japaneses explained me how to do this. Cooking on a dry leaf was also excellent. It gave an organic taste to the dish. It was a great meal. And what’s for dessert ?

Traditional sweets in a nearby store. On the left pumpkin flavor , on the right black sesame and sweet potatoes. Just amazing.
Japaneses sweets dont seems to have many added sugar to them. Here they used naturaly sweet vegetables so no need to load up with sugar. It feels healthy and very closes to the original natural taste. Some people hate the sweets in Japan but I really enjoy them. After a nice meal time to continue our exploration.

Takayama streets. A place when you can slow down the pace while enjoying beautiful nature and hearty cuisine.

On the way to the Sakurayama Hachimangu shrine.

Sakurayama Hachimangu shrine surrounded by pristeen nature. This site was magical.

There is a pleasant little walk to do in Takayama. It’s called the “Kitayama walking course”. This walk will take you to a nice view point of Takayama surrounding.

Changing perspective. You could see some white mountain tops from the distance.
Compared to French mountains , Japanese mountains aren’t very high but still gorgeous. Takayama is about 600 meters above see levels. I could notice that right away coming from Miyajima.

When you reach the top you’ll come across a café adverstisement. The view from there was awesome and it was sunny so why not taking our time.

Ichii café along the way.

Chai latte and chocolate cake.

I enjoyed theses wonders on the outside terrace. A perfect set up to unwind and meditate gently. The owner was so sweet. Actually the daughter owner’s studied “bakery” in France. The cake selection of that café was all made by her and It was very tasty. I might come back to this café at some point.

Back on the walking course now.

Stunning colors along the way.
This was a short (1 hour) walk but beautiful. It makes you appreciate Takayama even more.

Small riverside in Takayama. Very cosy.

Retro barber shop

I really enjoyed strolling gently down the streets of Takayama today. After almost 5 weeks of constant movement , Takayama feels like a gift. A place where I can stop and watch life slowly unwinding in front of my eyes. This place feels very different from my previous destinations. The air feels fresh and cold. It’s nice to see people wearing warm cloothing. It reminded me a lot of my ski holidays back home. The vegetarian food scene is also very good here. There is many places to try. I have found a true gem of a restaurant. I already had two diners there but I will write about this place another time.

The journey goes on but at a gentle and easy pace.

Till then , stay happy my friends.
Mata ne