Takayama Old Town

Takayama Old Town, or Old Quarter, is about one hour from Shirakawa-Go and two hours from Nagoya city. It is located in a basin surrounded by beautiful, scenic mountains. This majestic town is also well known for the famous Hida Beef, the Morning Market, and Takayama Jinya, an interesting government house museum.

While you visit, exploring the Old Quarter of Takayama on foot is highly recommended. There are many things to see, and you can sample the local Japanese snacks and food. Two-morning markets are located here: the Miyagawa Morning Market and the Takayama Jinya Morning Market, both next to the Miya River.

The morning market is another exciting place to visit. The vendors here sell freshly picked fruit, homemade pickles, Japanese sweets, and local Japanese handicrafts.

This place is also best visited in the spring and summer as it tends to be much more lively than in winter. Around Takayama are crafts like pottery, ‘Ichii Ittobori’ wood carvings, Hida furniture, and famous Japanese sake breweries.

One of the must-get items is the traditional good luck charm called Sarubobo, one of the famous souvenirs in Takayama. A dialect of Hida, Sarubobo means baby monkey to protect one from evil and provide good luck.

It is also used for good luck in matchmaking, marriage, and safe childbirth, while different colours depict the various types of luck. These are sold in multiple sizes; a keychain-sized one will cost about RM3 to RM5 each, while a medium-sized doll will cost about RM50 to RM100 and much larger ones, which cost about RM300.

Photos of Takayama Old Town

Below are random photos taken around Takayama Old Town in Nagoya during winter 2014, mid-January.

Food in Takayama

While it is a must-try for food lovers, the Old Quarter offers some interesting traditional and modern-day Japanese dishes. When exploring Takayama Old Town, you should try the famous ‘Mitarashi Dango’, skewered rice balls painted with sweet soy sauce. They can be found throughout the area.

There are a variety of other local snacks; therefore, it is best to walk around and try them all over town. Be sure to have a slight chance when doing this, too.

For food lovers, the must-try dish when you are here is, hands down, the Hida Beef, which is available in ‘Gyukushi’—grilled skewers—‘Gyuman’—beef-filled steamed rice buns—raw Hida beef sushi—or simply best eaten in any of the restaurants or hotels around here.

Hida Beef comes from black cattle raised in rich natural surroundings, and the finest quality,  called ‘Hida-Gyu’, can only be found at restaurants and hotels in Takayama. So, if you see Hida Beef being sold on the streets, these are the lower-quality cuts of beef.

Budget long-haul airline AirAsia X used to fly to Chubu Centrair Airport in Nagoya, the third destination in Japan after Tokyo and Osaka. But they stopped the service, and you can now use other local Japanese airlines.

You can also take the scenic route by taking a train, bus, or rented car to Takayama. However, language can only be problematic if you know your way around it. Driving one way from Tokyo to Takayama will take roughly four to five hours, and from Osaka, it will take just under four hours.

Conclusion

If you plan to visit the village and want a hassle-free experience, it is recommended that you use a tour company. You need at least one to two days to visit Takayama Old Town. Batik Air flights to Nagoya have been available since March 2023, making visiting the many places around here much easier.