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| Source: Nohi Bus (濃飛巴士) |
We rode with Nohi bus again (buses are more convenient and cheaper compared to JR in central Japan) and the ride took approximately 1 hour. We stayed at J-Hoppers Takayama and the location is very convenient. (Less than 10 minutes from the JR station and bus terminal.) We took the recommendation from the hostel staff and headed to a local ramen restaurant - Jingoro Ramen (甚五郎らーめん) - for lunch.
After lunch, my friends and I split up as they want to bike around town. We ended up running into each other again near Sanmachi Suji. They were playing with this cute poodle!
The size of Takayama makes it ideal for walking or biking. I prefer walking as it allows me to explore and discover more of the town.
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| He reminds me of that Indian guy in Street Fighter... |
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| it's my first time to see a "tatami" shop! |
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| It's a stall that sells roasted chestnuts. Too bad they were just about to close when I passed by. |
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| Too cute!!! |
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| A vending machine for batteries??? |
We missed the Takayama Matsuri by just one week. The Takayama Matsuri (Festival) is regarded as one of the three most beautiful festivals in Japan. (along with Chichibu Matsuri in Saitama Prefecture and the Gion Matsuri in Kyoto.) Nevertheless, we saw the locals moving the float in preparation of the festival.
There are also many restaurants and snack stalls here. I guess most people choose to stay in Takayama and do one-day excursions in the nearby areas?
One of the restaurants that definitely caught my eyes is this robatayaki place. Next time I go to Takayama, I will come here!
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| I love "tapas"-style restaurants |
If I were to recommend any tourist spot in Takayama, it would be the Takayama Jinya (高山陣屋) and the Sanmachi Suji (高山古町). Each has its own uniqueness and gives you a glimpse of old Takayama.
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| Takayama Jinya |
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| Sanmachi Suji |
If you are an early riser, do check out the morning markets. There are two in town actually, the Takayama Morning Market near Takayama Jinya and the Miyagawa Morning Market, next to the river. Both closes at noon so all the shops were already closed when I got there.
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| Looks like this is a popular place to walk the dogs in the afternoon. |
The walkway slowly leads you to the west of town and to the Sakurayama Hachimangu Shrine (櫻山八幡宮).
Another reason why I didn't ride the bike is because I want to walk up the hill and see the town from an aerial view. It was quite a climb! It would have been better if the sakura is in bloom but it's alright. The view is nice indeed.
It's quite normal for local grocery stores to put their fresh food items on sale just before they close for the day. I was lucky to find this hamachi sashimi for only JPY198!!!
After dinner snacks is a must in Japan also... I feel like I have been eating non-stop the entire time. :P
Finally, we went for a foot soak in the foot bath right next to this ryokan. This is one of the nicer accommodations in town. If you are looking to splurge on your visit to Takayama, this will be the place to stay!
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