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Hida Tourist Information: Takayama: The Ancient Town of Japan- A Short Story.

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Veröffentlicht am 12:03 12.02.2008 von Roshika



5 von 5 Benutzern finden diesen Beitrag hilfreich

Deep in the regions of Hida in the Gifu prefecture, is the city of Takayama。 ‘Taka’ in Japanese means ‘tall’ and ‘Yama’ signifies ‘mountains’. I thought the name perfectly described this small and beautifully preserved town. To get there from Tokyo, I took the bullet train to Nagoya (1 hour and 40 minutes) then the Hida limited express (another 2hours). This ride was fully equipped with panoramic windows; I experienced some delightful and spectacular views of organic nature. Getting there was really half the fun for me!

I went in winter and it’s a peaceful and tranquil time to visit. If you visit in spring or autumn Takayama harvests some of best known festivals in Japan. The town is easy enough to explore on foot, which is what I did or bicycles are available for hire also. Just pick up a town map at the tourist center. What surprised me most was the effort of English spoken by the locals at this town. In the evening I went to a cozy bar that one of the English teachers who lived there took me to; the barman spoke perfect English. The other Japanese guests in the bar were very friendly and attempted their best to practice their English also.

The old private houses steps you back into the Edo era (1600-1868) with narrow alleyways that accommodate street stores, museums, houses, sake breweries and Japanese guest hotels (ryokans). There are various stores selling souvenirs, arts and crafts, Sembei (Japanese rice crackers) which I got to sample; freshly baked. I positively enjoyed strolling through these historically preserved and narrow streets. My mind flashed back to scenes from one of my favourite movie ‘Memoirs of a Geisha. I was in Awe 

I stayed one night in a small and very pleasant family-run ryokan in the ‘Old Private Houses’ area, an elderly lady was the host. It was a very warm and inviting atmosphere. Japanese bath only in the evenings so though I arrived back late at the ryokan (past the bathing hours 6pm-10pm) the host was kind enough to fill a hot tub for my friends and me. I couldn’t ‘Owl’ around too late because the ryokan had a curfew; 11pm. I slept in a warm and very comfortable futon set up by the staff. Green tea and Japanese snacks were provided. Most overnight stays in ryokans include breakfast. Below is the link to the ryokan, it’s in Japanese but browse through the pictures 
http://www.yu-meguri.jp/index.php?ID=168

The next morning after my ‘Miso’ breakfast (refer to Takayma Delicacies) I visited the ‘Morning Market’ by the river which bustles with rows and rows of Takayama fresh mountain vegetables and foods. It opens at 7am in winter (6am at all other seasons) and is open until noon. I purchased some delicious Miso (there are various varieties to choose from depending on your taste and purpose for cooking it), fresh fruits and sampled some traditional Japanese sweets.

My next stop was the ‘Hida old Folk Village’. It is a 20 minute walk from the town center; and a beautiful reminiscence of the traditional style farmhouses. I enjoyed exploring the village as I breathe in the fresh mountain air and experienced the old style of living of the Hida people. The greeneries, natural open fire, the big bell, the lake, the swans and the varieties of farm houses were some of my favourite features. It allowed me to imagine the culture and farming life of the Hida folks.

I received a unique red ‘Sarubobo Doll’ as a souvenir gift. I asked the shop keeper “Why is it faceless?” I clearly didn’t understand what she explained but from what I could gather from my minimal Japanese that it is hand made by local women of the town for their children as a charm for good marriage. It has been made without facial features for generations. Sarubobo translated to English is ‘Baby monkey’ its red because a newly born monkey has a red face (Monkeys also have easy child birth). The doll is believed to bring good luck and take away the troubles from life, helpful in building a happy home.

I ended my tour with a free foot onsen (hot springs). I think it was a very interesting and traditional town full of culture; a must see in Japan.

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Kommentare
13:14 12.02.2008
 kommentieren anja78 schrieb:
good tip! i'd like to go to japan sometime...

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14:21 12.02.2008
 kommentieren johngreek schrieb:
Wowwww!! It sounds too good!!!

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9:16 16.02.2008
 kommentieren kotone schrieb:
I've wanted to go to Takayama for years but never been there.
It sounds so good!

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2:52 23.02.2008
 kommentieren milkmile schrieb:
I should go there.

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Hotels in der Nähe

Showa-machi, 1-chome 1
506-0053 Takayama

Tel: 0577)32-5328


Webseite: Hida Tourist Information


Berg in Takayama


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