March 2023

Spring in Takayama

The last time we came to Takayama (see part 1 post), it was fall and we took the train route from Yokohama to Nagoya to Takayama. This time it is spring and we took a different route after doing our Nakasendo hike — using the train-Shinkansen-express train route from Matsumoto to Nagano to Toyama to Takayama. It was a long trip but we got to enjoy beautiful mountain scenery from Nagano to Toyama.

The Hida Express is the only train going to Takayama from either Nagano or Toyama. This train does not have a lot of seating so make sure you have a reserved seat.

Spring is a great time to visit Takayama to see cherry blossoms along the river and waterways.

We returned to the same hotel, the Hotel Wood Takayama; we loved the hotel and the location. This time it became more of a revisit for delicious Takayama foods.

Takayama Morning Miyagawa Market

Again we stopped by the Takayama Morning Miyagawa Market by the river for the more taiyaki treats, Hida beef sushi, fresh Hida milk, and meat buns. Market closes at noon so do not come late. My son fed the orange carps in the river again. This time we saw a hawk and heron as well.

Yoshijima House visit

At the end of the market street we are just a few steps away from the historic merchant houses. We visited Kusakabe House last time. This time we got to see Yoshijima House which is similar but more refined architecturally. The interior is just as amazing. This house was a former Sake brewery and shop built in 1908. We enjoyed exploring this house as much as the other house. Highly recommend a visit. Check visiting hours as it is only open a few days a week.

Murahan

We also stopped by Murahan, an interesting building in the old township streets. This building is a renovated old townhouse with a peaceful courtyard. It functions as Takayama city youth activities office. You can walk in and look around at the interior.

Walking around Takayama

Our original plan was to visit Hida Furukawa for a short day trip, a small town 15 minutes by train away from Takayama. Hida Furukawa has its own preserved old town and is less visited than Takayama. I thought my son would enjoy seeing the streets with narrow canals full of carp. However, we were tired from riding four trains the day before and decided to explore more Takayama streets for the day.

Takayama Cat Cafe - Cat Moon Sakurayama

I love walking along the streets looking at the traditional houses, looking at nooks and crannies and discovering places. We walked by the 5th century shrine, Sakurayama Hachimangu Shrine next to the woods. Not far from there, we happened on a rescue cat cafe called Cat Moon Sakurayama in one of the traditional houses. My son loves cats so we had to go in.

We had no problem communicating in English with the staff here. You take off your shoes to enter and there are cabinets inside to store your handbags or backpack. You can buy treats for the cats and there is an upstairs loft area to cuddle with cats. We enjoyed a relaxing hour with drinks and cute cats.

Tohoen Cat Manju

To cap off the afternoon after the cat cafe visit, we stopped by a 110 year old Japanese confectionary store in the old streets called Tohoen for some cat faced manju (classic Japanese confectionary made of wheat dough and sweet fillings) to take back to the hotel.

More Hida Beef

In Takayama, you really have your pick of how you want your Hida beef prepared. There are Japanese, French, Italian, and American cuisine restaurants serving the beef. For dinner that evening we went to a restaurant called Butchers. They had many options of Hida beef steaks. I ordered the combo set and my son had their ragu pasta. Food was delicious.

So again we ran out of time to explore more of Takayama. On our list for the next visit: Takayama Showa-kan Museum and Hidatakayama Retro Museum. These are museums devoted to the recent Japan; all that you will see if you lived in Japan in the Showa period (between 1929 and 1989) and where you can try out retro games and machines.

Travel information and links for Takayama:

Takayama Tourist Information
Hotel Wood Takayama
Kusakabe House
Yoshijima House
Takayama Morning Miyagawa Market
Takayama Express Bus for tourist attractions
Cat Moon Sakurayama
Tohoen Confectionary
Takayama Showa-kan Museum
Hidatakayama Retro Museum