By rail
Takayama station, the Hida limited express from Nagoya
East Asia · Japan
Takayama, Japan
An old merchant town and thatched villages
Getting there
By air
Chubu Centrair, Nagoya (NGO), ~3 h
Best time to visit
April and October for the festivals; January for snowy Shirakawa-go
Don't miss
Sanmachi Suji
The Takayama Jinya
Shirakawa-go
The Hida Folk Village
Things to do
The morning markets
Sake breweries in the old town
A day in Shirakawa-go
Where to eat
Sources: Photo: 663highland · CC BY-SA 4.0
What to pack
Warm layers in winter
A quieter corner
Hida-Furukawa, a quieter canal town nearby
Questions travellers ask
When are the festivals in Takayama?
In April and October. For snowy Shirakawa-go, come in January instead, with warm layers.
How do I reach Takayama?
Take the Hida limited express from Nagoya to Takayama station. By air, it's Chubu Centrair (NGO) in Nagoya, about 3 hours away.
What should I do in Takayama?
Browse the morning markets, try the sake breweries in the old town, and snack on mitarashi dango or Hida beef. Save a whole day for Shirakawa-go.
What's a good side trip from Takayama?
Hida-Furukawa, a quieter canal town nearby.
About Takayama
- Mountains
Where it is
Takayama lies in the Hida region of northern Gifu Prefecture, Japan, in a high valley of the Japanese Alps on the Miyagawa River, with the thatched village of Shirakawa-go within reach by road.
History
Takayama was a castle town of the Kanamori lords from the late 16th century until 1692, when the Tokugawa shogunate took the Hida region under its direct rule and governed it from the Takayama Jinya. The carpenters of Hida were famed for their skill for many centuries, and the town's merchant quarter of dark timber houses has survived largely intact.
People
Takayama's people speak Japanese in the Hida dialect, and the town has a long tradition of woodcraft, from the carpenters of Hida to Ichii Itto-bori carving in yew and Shunkei lacquerware. Its great festival floats, the yatai, are cared for by the neighbourhoods that pull them each spring and autumn.
Known for
- The old merchant streets of Sanmachi Suji
- The spring and autumn Takayama Festival
- Hida beef
- Sake breweries in the old town
- The morning markets by the Miyagawa River
Did you know?
The Takayama Festival is counted, with Kyoto's Gion Matsuri and the Chichibu Night Festival, among Japan's three great float festivals.
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