The Best Things To Do In Takayama, Japan

Are you thinking of including Takayama in your Japan itinerary but you are not sure whether it is worth it? Well, let me answer this question for you. It is worth it and if you keep reading, I will tell you why. Here, I will share plenty of useful information about this city in the Japanese Alps and the best thing to do in Takayama.

TAKAYAMA

Takayama is a city, located in the Gifu prefecture. Its location makes it the perfect base for visitors in Japan who want to not only see modern cities full of skyscrapers but also want to enjoy nature and visit more traditional places. Stepping into its historic center will make you feel like you have stepped back in time a few hundred years into the Edo period.

As usual, I will begin my blog with some lesser-known facts about Takayama.

Did you know that there are many Takayama’s in Japan? Takayama is known as Hida-Takayama, to differentiate it from the other ones since it is located in the Hida region of the Gifu prefecture.
Takayama is known for its many festivals with Takayama Matsuri being the most famous one. This festival takes place twice per year, once in spring and once in autumn.
Takayama’s most famous food is Hida beef, which is known for its tenderness and flavor. You will be able to find it all over the city in many forms like skewers, sushi, croquettes, etc.

HOW TO GET TO TAKAYAMA

The best and easiest way to reach Takayama is by train, especially if you have the JR Pass. However, if you don’t have the JR Pass, the train is still the fastest way to reach Takayama.

The train ride to reach Takayama is very charming as you will be able to see Japan’s rural areas at its finest.

From Tokyo

There are two ways to get to Takayama from Tokyo.

The first possibility is to take a Shinkansen from the Tokaido Line to Nagoya and then change trains to the Limited Express Wide View Hida until Takayama. This journey will take you more or less 4 hours and thirty minutes and it is completely covered by the JR Pass.
Alternatively, you can get a Shinkansen from the Hokuriku Line to Toyama and then change trains to the Limited Express Wide View Hida until Takayama. This journey will take you around 5 hours and it is also completely covered by the JR Pass. This is the option we chose since the train schedule suited us better.

From Kyoto / Osaka

Getting to Takayama from Kyoto or Osaka is a little bit faster than from Tokyo. All you have to do is get a Shinkansen of the Tokaido Line until Nagoya and then change to the Limited Express Wide View Hida until Takayama. This journey will take you 3 hours and 10 minutes. We did this option in the other sense when leaving Takayama and was also quite comfortable.

HOW MUCH TIME DO YOU NEED TO VISIT TAKAYAMA?

As usual, the answer to this question is, it depends… It depends on what you want to do and see. We spent a day and a half here and for us, it was sufficient time to get a good feel of the city and not having to rush from one place to another. However, if you want to do everything that I will list here, you will have to at least spend 2 or 3 days here.

THE 11 BEST THINGS TO DO IN TAKAYAMA

1. Feel like you've traveled back in time at Sanmachi Suji (Takayama's Old Town)

Takayama’s old town is known as Sanmachi Suji and it consists of three main streets; Ichinomachi Street, Ninomachi Street, and Sannomachi Street. This part of Takayama is very well preserved with wooden houses dating from the Edo period, during which the city was a successful merchant town.

In Sanmachi Suji, you can walk around the beautiful streets, taste delicious food at the many cafés and snack stands, and enter some of the old houses such as the Kusakabe family house or the Yoshijima family house.

If it wasn’t for the other tourists visiting Takayama and the modern-day shops, it really felt like we were back in time. Especially, when we walked a bit further away from the more touristy areas and we were almost alone in the streets.

2. Be impressed by Hida Kokubunji Temple and its Ginkgo Tree

Hida Kokubunji Temple was our favorite place in Takayama without a doubt! We liked it so much that we visited here twice! IT was so peaceful here and we loved the massive ginkgo tree that is over 1200 years old!

Hida Kokubunji Temple is one of the oldest temples in the city and was built in the 8th century. The temple is not very big but it has many beautiful parts such as the main hall, the three-storied pagoda, the tower bell, and a ginkgo tree that is 38 meters high!

Practical information: The temple is free to visit and it is open between 9:00 and 16:00.

3. Visit Takayama Jinya

During the Edo Period, Takayama was under the direct control of the Tokugawa Shogunate, due to its numerous timber resources. Takayama Jinya served as the local government office for the officials sent from the capital. These days, the building is not in use anymore and it serves as a museum for people visiting Takayama.

Even though it was part of our planned itinerary for things to visit in Takayama, we didn’t get to do so. We spent more time than we thought wandering around the old town and by the time we got to Takayama Jinya, it was already closed.

Practical information: In 2024, entry to Takayama Jinya costs 440 yen for adults and the opening hours are between 8:45 and 17:00. To get updated information about opening hours and entry fees, always check Takayama Jinya’s official website.

4. Learn about sake

A very popular thing to do in Takayama is to visit a sake brewery house to learn about its making. Even though Sake is a typical Japanese alcoholic drink that can be found all over Japan, the breweries in Takayama have a traditional way of making this drink.

Inside Sanmachi Suji, you will find several sake houses that offer both visits and tastings. The most famous are Funasaka, Hirase, Hirata and Niki houses. I have marked them all in the map at the end of this blog to help you locate them.

If you are interested in doing one of the tastings, all you have to do is enter one of these breweries and pay a small fee with which you will get a small ceramic glass. With this glass, they will present you with several types of sake for you to taste.

During a visit to Takayama, we did this sake tasting but if I’m being completely honest, sake is not my cup of tea… The only thing we liked about it, is that you get to keep your ceramic sake glass as a souvenir!

5. Visit Sakurayama Hachimangu Shrine

Another must-visit place in Takayama is the Sakurayama Hachimangu Shrine. This shrine is particularly famous for the Matsuri festival that takes place here every spring and autumn. In this festival, there are plenty of flutes built during the 17th century, parades, and performances.

If you’re not in Takayama during the festival, it is still worth visiting this shrine since it’s located in the middle of a peaceful natural area.

Practical information: The shrine is free to visit but if you want to visit the flute exhibition hall you have to pay an entrance fee. The shrine is open between 9:00 and 17:00 from March to November and until 16:30 the remaining months.

6. Buy a Sarubobo Doll

Sarubobo Dolls are a typical Japanese amulet from Takayama. Sarubobo are human-shaped dolls, with no facial features, traditionally made by grandmothers for their grandchildren. They are usually given to the girls as a charm for a good marriage, good children, and in general to have a well-rounded couple.

You will be able to find them all over Takayama in different sizes and colors. However, the original ones are the red ones.

7. Explore the morning market near Miyagawa River

Another thing to do in Takayama is to visit the morning market or “Asaichi” which takes place every day between 6:00 and 12:00. The market is located on the eastern side of the Miyagawa River between the Kaiji and Yayoi bridges. The market stalls sell local crafts, snacks, and fresh products.

8. Walk along the Hagashiyama Walking Promenade

Another must-do thing in Takayama is to walk the Hagashiyama Walking Course! This is a 4 km walking route in the eastern part of Takayama. The route will take you along twelve temples and shrines as well as the ruins of Takayama Castle.

This was another one of my favorite things we did in Takayama. The path was a mix of nature, history, and spirituality. To make it even more special, we visited as the sun was setting down and we were able to enjoy this place with no one else around.

Even if you don’t have time to do the full 4 km, I still recommend that you do at least the temple part of the route. Trust me, you will not regret it!

9. Taste the delicious Hida Beef

A visit to Takayama will not be complete without tasting the delicious Hida Wagyu beef! It is so delicious and tender that it melts in your mouth.

The good news is you will find plenty of places to taste in Takayama for all sorts of budgets. From street snack stalls where you can eat it as skewers, sushi, or dumplings to restaurants specializing in this delicious meat.

10. Visit Hida Folklore Village (Hida no Sato)

Just outside Takayama, you can find Hida no Sato, an open air museum where you can visit traditional houses from the Hida region. These houses were built during the Edo Period and were relocated from Shirakawa-go to the Hida Folklore Village when the museum was created in 1971.

This is the perfect alternative if you don’t have enough time to visit Shirakawa-go village but you still want to see the famous gassho-zukuri houses of this region. In our case, since we were planning to visit Shirakawa-go, we decided to skip Hida no Sato.

Practical Information: The museum is open every day between 8:30 and 17:00 and the entrance fee is 700 Yen per person. Always check Hida no Sato official website for the latest updated information

11. Go on a day trip to Shirakawa-Go Village

Located approximately 50 minutes from Takayama by bus, you can find the little village of Shirakawa-go which was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1995. The village is mostly famous for its gassho-zukuri farmhouses, some of which are more than 250 years old.

We loved spending our morning exploring Shirakawa-go village and getting to see how people lived and still live in this rural area of Japan.

EATING IN TAKAYAMA

Takayama’s cuisine is mostly famous for its delicious Hida Beef or “Hida-guy” which comes from black-haired Japanese cattle bred in Gifu for at least 14th months. It is so famous that you will find places to eat it all over the city and for all budgets.

If you don’t want to spend a lot of money, then your best option is to eat from the many street food stalls that you will find in the historic city center. It is also the perfect way to not waste a lot of time and get to include more things to visit in your itinerary.

However, if you have the time and don’t mind spending a bit more money, you should definitely visit a specific Hida Beef restaurant. The most famous ones are Hidagyu Maruaki, Suzuya Restaurant, and Hida Kotte Ushi. In all of them, you will be able to choose to have your meat either as Yakiniku (Japanese Grill) or Shabu-Shabu (boiled in a delicious broth). The only downside to these restaurants is that they don’t usually take reservations so you will have to wait in line to get a table.

We ate at Hidagyu Maruaki and had to wait for a bit over an hour to get seated but it was so worth it! The Hida Beef lived up to the hype and was so delicious!

In Takayama, we also eat in what was in my opinion, one of the best restaurants we tried in Japan, Heianraku. It is a restaurant run by a lovely Japanese couple who serve Chinese food. It was one of the best, if not my favorite meal in Japan! There are only two tables plus 5 or 6 spots and the counter so a reservation is necessary (it is easily made online).

If you visit this place, make sure to try the sweet and sour pork meatballs, they were delicious!

ACCOMMODATION IN TAKAYAMA

Another experience to do in Takayama is to sleep in a ryokan, a traditional Japanese hotel. This will bring your visit to Takayama to the next level. You will be able to experience what it is to sleep in a futon bed over a tatami, bathe in an onsen and you will get a yukata to wear.

We stayed at Hodakaso Yamano Iori and could not recommend it more!

MAP WITH ALL LOCATIONS

And that’s it for this week’s blog. I hope you liked it and found it useful. Let me know what you think in the comments!

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