November 23 – 25, 2024, Japan. I dropped my bags at the bus station in Shirakawa-go and walked back to the village one more time before leaving. I walked the less used forest path along the foot of the mountain where people who still lived in the village had homes. It was quiet and still, and I enjoyed seeing the place before tour buses disengorged hoards of day tourists. I discovered a spot that looked like it had never been renovated, a garden where a few old sheds stood at odd angles, having weathered the deep winter storms.  

Shawn called me and I rushed back. I was shocked to see all the people. Where had they all come from? Shawn was cranky because I’d been wandering around while he was stuck waiting. It turned out he was in the wrong line, since he didn’t realize there were different lines for different buses. Thankfully the line for our bus was much shorter, since the other line had over 100 people in the queue.

It was a 20 minute wait till we boarded. I loved the mountain scenery, and was grateful to be able to see it on this leg of the trip. Once we got on a train, we spent most of the time in tunnels, popping out only briefly to get a glimpse of the mountain landscape. I much prefer seeing changes in the landscape.

We arrived in Takayama in the late afternoon. Shawn had made a reservation at Oyado Yamakyu, a nice hotel in Tenshojimachi next to Daiohji Temple, just across the Enako River. We walked through the old town, doing our best to look around while hauling heavy packs. When we got to the hotel, we were greeted by the host, who graciously offered us slippers and showed us to our room. We had paid for breakfast and dinner, and were assigned times for both. I wanted to explore before dinner, and took a walk along the Enako River to the Sakayama Hachimangu Shrine and some of the historic traditional merchant homes. On the way back I walked through the Hommachi district and was amazed at a street decorated with Santas and Christmas trees, while window displays of elves and reindeer were everywhere. The Japanese really like Christmas, and begin to decorate in early to mid November. We’d seen decorations and Christmas markets since we’d first arrived.

I hurried back to a sumptuous meal. We were seated in a dining room with one other couple, and the food was excellent. Hotels that offered meals had been an important criteria in the selection of places to stay for Shawn. While I am willing to snack to stave off hunger, he almost never does. We ate in silence, then I went out again to see more of the town. Finally, I headed back, eager to try out their communal bath. As was usually the case, there were several Japanese women already soaking in the hot water. I liked the traditional of keeping I didn’t particularly like indoor onsen due to the off-gassing of chlorine. I noticed a door, and opened it to discover an outdoor onsen. I had it to myself.

It had been a long day, and the bath lulled me into a relaxed state. I was grateful, as I struggle with sleeplessness and insomnia. I almost fell asleep in the tub, and with difficulty roused myself. It was a cold, but I was plenty warm under the quilt. In the morning we had our breakfast at the appointed hour, too early, and then Shawn and I set off to try a latte at EMBER espresso in the historic Hida district. The cafe was in a renovated traditional house, and I would have gone back just for the ambience. But the food and espresso were out of the this world.

It is a sister location to Falò Coffee Brewers, which opened around 2022 as the city’s first specialty coffee shop. EMBER is located on a quiet street lined with traditional houses. They did a beautiful job renovating the house to create a clean, Japanese aesthetic. The menu features an array of offerings, from hearty chicken salads to indulgent pastries like chocolate brownies and sticky date pudding paired with ice cream. Beyond the exceptional coffee, the warmth and friendliness of the staff made me want to stay all day. Shawn decided to stay for lunch, but my desire to see the town got the better of me, and I left to see the Miyagawa River Morning Market. I loved seeing the food and craft vendors along the river. When I arrived at the market, I was amazed at the variety of food and handicrafts. My favorites were Hida beef snacks, sarubobo dolls (faceless red doll meaning “baby monkey” for good luck, health, and fertility), hoba miso (miso paste on leaves), nunozori (fabric sandals derived from traditional straw zori), and coffee in an edible cookie cup. There were a plethora of fresh fruits, vegetables, pickles, and wooden crafts.

I bought hoba miso and ate overlooking the river. The vendors were entertaining. An older woman selling turnips and other root vegetables was carrying on a lively conversation with a customer. I hung out for a while, enjoying the ambience, then headed to the Takayama Festival Floats Exhibition Hall. On the way, I peered in the windows of various boutiques selling local crafts. I was particularly interested in a shop that sold small animal wood carvings and another selling lacquerware. They were closed, and I made a mental note to return in the afternoon.

At the Exhibition Hall, I got to see four of the eleven floats from the Takayama Matsuri festival, one of the great festivals of Japan, held every April 14 and 15 and October 9 and 10. During the festival, the lavishly decorated floats are pulled through town by community members. Some have small stages for puppeteers to operate intricate marionettes. Others have mythical beings important to the region. I especially enjoyed the photos and video of the floats and how they were operated. It was interesting to see what would happen when 2 floats encountered one another on a street corner. I hoped I could return one day to witness the festival.

Next to the float museum was the Sakayama Hachimangu Shrine, a 1,600-year-old shrine famous for hosting the annual Autumn Takayama Festival on October 9-10. It was a serene spot, and I appreciated the beauty of the brilliant red and orange Japanese maple that stood out against the dull green pine. The temizuya (water basin) used for purification was filled with the heads of Chrysanthemum flowers. I’d never seen flowers in a temizuya.

I had wanted to walk through the preserved traditional merchant homes, Edo-period structures showcase traditional merchant architecture, wooden lattice, and sake breweries. I walked down the hill to Yoshijima Heritage House and found it open. It is one of the best examples of the carpentry traditions of central Japan and was constructed in 1907 for a family of sake brewers and moneylenders. I was impressed with the elegant architecture, high ceilings, intricate beams, and natural light. It would be near impossible to find trees of sufficient size today to make similar beams, at least in Japan. I particularly liked the garden in back. Many rooms had sliding doors that opened onto it, and I was amazed how they created an enchanting spot with so little space. Space is often at a premium in Japan, so people became expert at making the most of it.

From here I walked next door to visit Kusakabe Heritage House. I was struck by its more robust traditional merchant design featuring substantial wooden structures.

After checking out the two houses, I headed downtown to stroll through the Sanmachi Suji historic district, a preserved Edo-period neighborhood. There I found Shawn, who showed me a lovely engraving in wood of our cat Henri. I was impressed, and asked which shop had done this work. He pointed out a small shop where a man sat on a stool at the door. I approached and showed him a photo of Henri under our Japanese maple. He got to work, doing an expert job of portraying Henri in his crouched position. When he asked the name, I said “kitty cat of love”. He deftly used a wood burning tool to write “kitt cat of love”, then carved a heart and paw prints. I pointed out the missing “y”, and he smiled apologetically and corrected the mistake. I loved it, and when I returned home, put it in a prominent spot where I see it every time I use the computer.

I loved the narrow streets and one-of-a-kind cafes, breweries, and craft shops. There were shops selling everything from regional snacks like Hida beef sushi/skewers, miso, and pickles in wood barrels to traditional sake, lacquerware, and hand-carved chopsticks. cafes, breweries, and craft shops.Every shop was unique and offered a glimpse of into the life of the local people. I have since learned of the meaning of a feeling of ikigai, which seemed to describe everything I experienced here. It alludes to the sense of accomplishment and fulfillment that follows when people pursue their passions. Activities that generate the feeling of ikigai are not imposed on an individual; they are perceived as spontaneous and undertaken willingly, making them personal and dependent on a person’s inner self.

I had a hankering to explore nature, and crossed the Miyagawa River to Shiroyama Park where Takayama Castle once stood. Within minutes I was in another world. Vegetation overgrew the path, and I was met by bear warnings. I love hiking in the mountains, and soon came to an observatory and view of the city. I stood a while, admiring the scene below, then wandered on a trail behind the mountain till I came to Hie Shrine. I loved the tall trees and admired the shrine’s beautiful wood frame. A sign nearby said it was a centuries-old shrine known for its spring festival. I wanted to stay in the forest, so I continued to walk south on roads and small paths.

Then I got a text from Shawn about Takayama Jinya, the only remaining Edo-period provincial government/magistrate’s office – which are said to have numbered 60 across Japan in the closing days of the Shogunate – where the main building still remains. It continued to play a role at the center of administration of Hida even after the Meiji period (1868 to 1912), and was used as a government office until 1969. He was very impressed by the massive complex and urged me to check it out. It was getting late in the afternoon, and I didn’t want to miss this important piece of history. So I cut my walk short and headed back to town.

I’m so glad I did. I had about an hour till closing, and towards the end had to rush to stay ahead of the militant woman who was shooing people out of exhibits at the end of the day. It was well worth it. The exhibit presented the following history of events that led to its construction. Hida Province was under the rule of the Takayama Domain, with the Kanamori Clan serving as its feudal lords, in the early Edo period (1603 to 1868). The Kanamori Clan relocated to Kaminoyama in Dewa Domain (now part of Yamagata Prefecture and Akita Prefecture) under the orders of the Edo Shogunate in 1692. Hida Province then became a territory under the direct control of the Shogunate due in part to the rich resources found in this part of Japan, namely timber and minerals. As a result, the residence of the Chief Retainer of the Kanamori Clan was transformed into the base of control for the Shogunate. Later the base was relocated to the current location, which had served as the shimoyashiki (a secondary or suburban residence belonging to a daimyō or feudal lord) for the Kanamori Clan. I wish I’d seen their website at the time, https://jinya.gifu.jp/en. It is a wealth of information.

I had hoped to see the Hida Folk Village, an open-air museum displaying traditional thatched-roof farmhouse architecture from the Hida region. From photos I’d seen, it looked a lot like Shirakawa-go or Gokoyama. But sadly I ran out of time, as it was a ways out of town. After the amazing walk through the Jinya, I rushed back to the shop selling carved wood animals. I bought a bird, owl, and eggplant from the man who had carved them. Then I crossed the street, thrilled that the shop with lacquerware was open. A gracious woman greeted me, and told me all the work was done by her husband. I ended up buying 2 beautiful pieces, a round box with a lid made of a solid piece of cedar, and a jewelry box with inlaid kimono.

As I was ready to leave, I saw a beautiful lacquerware pendant with gold leaf. I loved the warm color of the wood combined with the gold, and asked to add it to my purchases. She told me that her husband had designed it, and as she wrapped it up, said she wanted to gift it to me. Then she wrote a note which she placed in the round cedar box thanking me for the purchase. She signed the note Michiko Yamada. I was very moved to be treated as an honored guest, a traditional way in which shopkeepers used to treat customers. She bowed several times, and I bowed back, careful not to bow too low, as I understood that she would be compelled to bow even lower. She carefully wrapped both boxes in such a way that they wouldn’t have broken even if dropped from a 5th story window. Every time I saw them in my suitcase, I smiled, remembering her kindness and the beauty of the handcrafted lacquerware I had been lucky enough to enjoy at her shop.

It was our last night in Takayama. I savored the delicious meal at Oyado Yamakyu, walked along the Enako River after dinner, then had a warm bath. It was the end to a lovely stay.