Travel through Shirakawa-go (a UNESCO World Heritage village) from Kanazawa to Takayama

30 May 2016

Shirakawa-go 白川郷, a UNESCO World Heritage village, is a quiet mountain village with rice fields and a river running through it. Many visited this place as a day trip from Kanazawa or Takayama by bus However, we planned to visit this site by bus from Kanazawa, then continue onwards to Takayama after that.

We took a 8.10 AM bus from the Kanazawa Station and travelled in light rain towards the mountains south of Kanazawa. We had made reservations for the bus ride before the trip and collected our tickets a day before at the Hokutetsu Bus Ticket Office located next to Kanazawa Station.

Note: the bus journey from Kanazawa to Shirakawa-go needs advance reservations. Via phone booking or do it the day before at the Bus Ticket Office in Kanazawa. The bus journey from Shirakawa-go to Takayama can be booked on the spot at Shirakawa-go. We could have made a reservation for the segment between Shirakawa-go and Takayama but we wanted to be flexible on our timings.

It is best to travel light to Shirakawa-go. We had forwarded our main luggage to our hotel in Takayama the day before using Takuhaibin services but we still have our day packs. We deposited our day packs at the lockers at bus station once we arrived at Shirakawa-go, leaving us hands-free to enjoy the day at this site.

 

Map of Ogimachi.

The Ogimachi village, the focus of our visit, is located across the river from the bus terminal. In intermittent light rain, we crossed the suspension bridge and got a first glimpse of the gassho-zukuri houses in the Ogimachi village.

Suspension bridge leading into the Ogimachi village, largest village and main attraction of Shirakawa-go.

Gassho-zukuri houses.

Gassho-zukuri means "constructed like hands in prayer", as the farmhouses' steep thatched roofs resemble the hands of Buddhist monks pressed together in prayer. The architectural style was developed over many generations and is designed to withstand the large amounts of heavy snow that falls in the region during winter. 

Even the man-holes covers bears the iconic gassho houses design.

 

First thing we did was to head towards the lookout point that offers a vantage point with scenic view of the entire village. The best time to take photos is in the morning  and it is good to be there before the hordes of tourists descended upon the village from the tour buses.

We chanced upon a rice planting ceremony and thoroughly enjoyed it.

Getting ready to demonstrate the traditional rice planting process.

 

Using a taut drawn string to make sure the seedlings are planted straight.

Colourful water lilies in the next pond.

 

It was a short walk uphill to the observation point. Amazing views of the village could be seen from here and it was well worth the effort. We could see the traditional rice planting ceremony that was still ongoing.

There was a small cafe at the observation point and this was good place to get a matcha ice-cream or coffee while enjoying the views.

We saw a man operating a rice planting machine. He planted seedlings within a field in about 10 minutes, sat back to smoke a cigarette while the team of rice planters were still halfway through using the traditional way. Amazing productivity gain from the use of technology.

Tourists from tour buses soon came to the observation point, signalling to us that it was time to leave. We made our way down to the Ogimachi village. The village offered many photo opportunities.

The water following through the drains were so clear and clean that one villager used it to rear river trout.

Various houses design could be seen. Some feature extra thick roofing layer.

 

 

There were a couple of restaurants serving lunch at the village. We went to one at the far end of the village.

Hoba miso vegetable lunch inside the gassho style house. Ordered the Ayu fish as a side dish as I was still thinking about the one I had at the Fujioto ryokan at Tsumago which still cannot be beaten.

 

Stir-fried Hida Beef set.

 

View of the surrounding hills from outside the restaurant, located at the edge of the village.

After lunch, we went back to the bus station to book our seats to Takayama. Although no advance reservations was needed, the seats on the Nohi bus to Takayama were sold on a first come first served basis. It made sense to book our tickets once we had an idea of how much more time we needed to finish exploring the village and could decide on our departure time.

Bus schedule from Shirakawago to Takayama.

 

After securing seats on the 3.15 PM bus to Takayama, we went back to the village with the intention of seeing the insides of one of the Gassho houses.  A few of the gassho houses are maintained like a museum and opened to visitors for a small fee. By now, the sun was out and it was a little warm outside. We went to the Kanda House which was conveniently located.

 Kanda House.

There was a pot of tea on a stove and a faint smell of smoke filled the air inside. It was surprising cool inside, proving that the thick roof and wooden structure is a good insulator. Keeps the interior cool on a hot day and keeps it warm in winter.

We were offered tea from the pot and sat on the tatami mat floor to view a documentary video of Shirakawa-go and how the gassho houses were constructed to withstand earthquakes and also thick and heavy snow that falls on the roof each winter.

Shirakawago in Winter – as seen on the video. Fairy tale scene. It would be nice to visit in winter, if we can tolerate the cold.

 

After the video, we were free to explore the multi-storeyed house. The second and third floors were workplaces for agriculture. Old tools and machinery for such purposes were displayed.

 

It was interesting to note that the beams of the house were naturally curved and taken from trees with trunks that grew up curved at the bases from the weight of snow. Like the Matsumoto Castle we visited a few days earlier, the height of each floor is not high. We could touch the beams with our stretched arms.

Chnobari (curved beams) used to support the houses.

 

 

Only way up and down is via these ladders.

 

View from one of the windows. The observation point could be seen in the hills in the background.

 

We ended the day at Takayama. Our hotel, the Best Western Takayama, was located within 5 minutes walk from the Nohi Bus Station/Takayama Train Station. 

Just like Kobe is famous for their Kobe beef, Takayama is famous for their Hida beef. “Hida-gyu” (Hida Beef) is the specific name given to beef from a black-haired Japanese cattle breed, that has been raised in Gifu Prefecture for at least 14 months.  One the best restaurant to enjoy Hida-gyu is the Ajikura Tengoku which serves it Yakiniku style. This restaurant is located next to the train station and hence very close to our hotel.

Don’t miss eating Hida beef when visiting Takayama.

Where to stay in Takayama?

We chose to stay within walking distance to Takayama Station for convenience. The bus station for buses to Hirayu Onsen, Shirakawago and Hida Furukawa are located just outside the station. There are also many eateries nearby too.

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Best Hida Beef Yakiniku at the Ajikura Tengoku in Takayama

Just like Kobe is famous for their Kobe beef, Takayama is famous for their Hida beef. “Hida-gyu” (Hida Beef) is the specific name given to beef from a black-haired Japanese cattle breed, that has been raised in Gifu Prefecture for at least 14 months. Hida-gyu is required to have been confirmed and certified as Yield Score of Grade A or B by the Hida Beef Brand Promotion Conference, and have a Firmness and Texture Grade of 5, 4 or 3 as graded by the Japan Meat Grading Association.

One of the best restaurant to enjoy Hida-gyu is the Ajikura Tengoku which serves it Yakiniku style. This restaurant is conveniently located very close to the Takayama train station. As you exit from the train station and bus station, turn right and follow the main road for about 250 meters. The restaurant is on the right side (no need to cross the road).

The menu is extensive with many grades and cuts of beef to choose from as well as Korean dishes.

This 2-person set for 8000 Yen, with A5 grade Hida Beef of various cuts.

The evenly spread fat marbling in the meat prevents the juice and aroma from escaping when the meat is cooked and maintains the tenderness of the meat.

 Hida Beef is best eaten Yakinuki style or Teppanyaki style. Eat the best beef when it is hot to get the “melt in your mouth” full flavour beef experience.

We also ordered hot spicy Korean style beef soup and kimchi to share

 Assorted kimchi as a side dish. The kimchi is excellent.

This was the most value-for-money Hida Beef dinner we found in Japan. A complete dinner as shown above at 12,000 Yen for two persons, including beer.  And it was the best Japanese beef we had during our Japan Spring 2016 trip.

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Exploring Takayama in a free and easy way

31 May 2016

Most of the attractions within Takayama town that interested us were within walking distance from our hotel and Takayama Station. Any visit to Takayama must include a walk through the morning markets.  It's a great chance to interact with the locals and buy hand-made goods like Japanese pickles and miso. There were two morning markets, the Jinya mae market located just outside the Takayama Jinya and the Miyagawa morning market located on the other end of the old town, next to the Miya river.  We went to the Jinya Mae market first.

Streets of Takayama in the morning. Pretty deserted in the non-peak season.

 

Welcome Cat along a main street with modern stores, cafes and restaurants.

 

The Jinya-mae morning market consists of several small stalls selling flowers, pottery, pickles and local produce. It was not too exciting and we decided to move on to the next market.

Jinya-mae morning market.

 

Takayama Jinya, former local government office and a National Historic Site. Only existing building of its kind in Japan.

We decided not to see the insides of the Takayama Jinya. We wanted to try some street food at the market for breakfast and local specialities such as Hida Beef steamed buns and Mitarashi dango were sold near the Jinya market.

 

Hida Beef steamed buns.

Mitarashi dango - a skewer of chewy rice balls coated in soy sauce. Not that great but should try when in Takayama.

 

There were a couple of prominent bridges in Takayama that served as good landmarks. The red bridge is Nakabashi Bridge and there is a green bridge called the Yanagibashi Bridge.  We saw both, along the road running parallel to the Miyagawa River, as we made our way to the Miyagawa Morning Market.

 

Red coloured Nakabashi Bridge over the Miyagawa River.

I was surprised to see a nice looking Koi inside the river. The water quality in the river must be good to support such big fishes.

A nice looking and big Sanke koi in the clear waters of the Miyagawa river.

Besides koi, the river also supported birds like the heron.

Heron hunting for food on the river.

Caught something that looked like a round clam.

 

Koi figurine outside one of the houses.

 

Miyagawa Market was busier and has more stalls than the Jinya Market. We noticed that the signs on the stalls displayed English, Chinese and Bahasa Indonesia languages. Apparently, many Indonesia or Malaysian tourists frequented this town and we spotted groups of them in the market.

 

Giant Koinobori or carp streamers over the Miyagawa River.

May is the month where Children’s Day is celebrated. Giant Koi-nobori or carp streamers were swaying over the Miyagawa River.

In Japanese culture, the carp symbolizes courage and strength because of its ability to swim against the current and up a waterfall. In the old days, it was celebrated as the Boys' Festival, and one streamer was hung for every boy in the family, expressing hope that each boy in the family will grow up healthy and strong like wild carps. Now, it is changed to Children’s Day which includes also daughters.

Beneath the carp streamers were more real life wild carps, playing and feeding in the river.

Koi and carps were living well in the river. Some tourist were feeding them with food bought from enterprising stall holders.

Besides road side stalls, there were stores by the river that sells souvenirs, local produce and cafes that tempted us with more good food.

Japanese style rice burger with Hida Beef. 

Amazed by the top notched service and quality of the crockery in these small Japanese cafes.

 

Generally, the service provided in Japanese restaurants and cafes were excellent. We ordered a Japanese burger to share and the staff cut it in half of us without any fuss.

After the morning market closed, the next place to explore would be the San-Machi (Town of the Three) lined with old merchant houses and was the historical centre of Takayama.

After visiting the Edo-era old post-towns along the Nakasendo, Takayama’s old historical centre was not so awe-inspiring. Only notable difference was the larger number of sake breweries found at Takayama. A good place to taste and buy local sake or buy some small bottles as souvenirs or gifts.

Symbol of a sake brewery – a ball of cedar at the entrance.

Many souvenirs shops were selling the Sarubobo dolls in Takayama. Sarubobos are red human-shaped dolls, with no facial features, and made in a variety of sizes. This was supposed to be the largest around the region. Traditionally, sarubobos are made by grandmothers for their grandchildren as play dolls and for their daughters as a charm for good marriage, good children and to ensure a well-rounded couple.

When it was time for lunch, the Tourist Information Centre provided us with information on where to find good ramen restaurants. There was one just round the corner. It was a small ramen restaurant with counter-seats.

After exploring the old town a bit more, we decided to head back to the hotel to rest as the sun was out and it was getting kind of warm, even for Japan in Spring.

We were craving for some coffee and dessert and were tempted by a nice cafe with outdoor seating.

A good way to spend an lazy afternoon at Takayama. Nice food, nice company in a nice surrounding.

 

An evening walk along the Higashiyama Walking Course was a good way to burn some of the calories.

Map showing the trail and locations of the many shrines, temples and cultural assets in Takayama’s Teramachi (Temple District).

This was a marked trail that took us through many shrines, temples and cultural assets in Takayama’s Teramachi (Temple District). We started at the foot of the hill where the Higashiyama Hakusan Jinya Shrine was located and followed the recommended course.

Higashiyama Hakusan Jinya Shrine, cemetery on the right side.

 

There were cemeteries near the shrine, including graves of famous people related to Takayama. It was kind of eerie as the sky started to darken with the setting sun. We passed through countless number of temples and shrines and we lost track of where we were.

 

Good views of the surrounding mountains as the sun sets.

Silhouette of Buddha in one of the temples.

Some of the temples and shrines offered good views of the surrounding mountains, others have good maple and cherry trees and ponds. It would be nice to visit in autumn with the fall foliage.

Large bells seems to be a feature in these temples.

This walking course was actually quite long and included a loop around the Shiroyama Park, a wooded hill and former site of Takayama Castle. We did not complete the entire course and skipped that part of the course as it was getting dark and we were longing for more Hida Beef for dinner.

There are many restaurants serving the prized Hida beef all over Takayama. Even the restaurant at the Best Western Takayama hotel (where we stayed) offered a set dinner with Hida Beef steak. Since we had been eating lots of Japanese food, we decided to go to a Western-style restaurant for a change and picked Le Midi, a French style restaurant.  Service was excellent as usual and the A5 Grade Hida Beef steak was great.

Hida Beef Steak at the Le Midi, a French style restaurant in Takayama, with creamy soup, red wine and sorbet.

 

Although we enjoyed our beef steak, cooked western style, we all came to the conclusion that the best way to eat a high grade wagyu beef, with all the fatty marbling on it, was yakiniku or teppanyaki, with the meat piping hot and fat oozing round our tongue as we bit into it.

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