Finally, back in Japan
May 12th, 2023, 02:54 AM
#22
Thanks, progol! Tough call. It took us about an hour to get from the train station to the top of the pass. The grade varies, but according to Alltrails, it get in the upper 20-degree range at times and probably averages in the double digits. I had to stop to catch my breath a few times. I'd also say it would be weather dependent. It was still wet in places from the rain two days earlier. We did it in running shoes, so decent support but not very grippy - and we had to watch our footing at times. It is possible to just go to Narai and back. Some people on our trains did that.
May 12th, 2023, 04:27 AM
#23
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Takayama
We are here for three days. I’ll post on this in bits. But first, a fabulous walk – the Higashiyama Walking Course.
https://www.japan-guide.com/e/e5906.html
This route – just up the hill above Takayama – passes about a dozen temples and shrines dating back as far as the 16th Century, plus the ruins of the Takayama Castle. There are nice views down into Takayama along the way. It is not a difficult walk, aside from a brief bit of uphill once in Shiroyama Park. We took our time and spent a couple of hours. Really enjoyable, and we didn’t come across more than about 10 other people doing the same. It’s well marked, but having a map also helps.
We are here for three days. I’ll post on this in bits. But first, a fabulous walk – the Higashiyama Walking Course.
https://www.japan-guide.com/e/e5906.html
This route – just up the hill above Takayama – passes about a dozen temples and shrines dating back as far as the 16th Century, plus the ruins of the Takayama Castle. There are nice views down into Takayama along the way. It is not a difficult walk, aside from a brief bit of uphill once in Shiroyama Park. We took our time and spent a couple of hours. Really enjoyable, and we didn’t come across more than about 10 other people doing the same. It’s well marked, but having a map also helps.
Last edited by ms_go; May 12th, 2023 at 04:35 AM.
May 12th, 2023, 10:47 PM
#25
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Hida Furukawa
One of the things to do while in Takayama is visit Shirakawa-go to see the gassho-style structures. It’s about a 50-minute bus ride. But today, rain was predicted to move in. I’ve been to Shirakawa-go before – and in the rain. Instead of dealing with likely crowds, we decided instead to visit Hida Furukawa, a short 15-minute train ride. I’d bookmarked it as one possibility while researching this trip, and our hotel has a nice English map/brochure with type that is actually large enough for me to read. Decision made!
I’ve seen it called a “smaller and calmer Takayama.” The central area has carp-filled canals, a row of old white-painted storehouses lining the canal (a little like Kurashiki) and some temples (Honkouji Temple is the largest wooden structure in the Hida region), shrines and sake breweries. What doesn’t have is throngs of people. It was nice to have a couple of hours of low-key time.
Setogawa Canal and white-walled storehouses
Imamiya bridge
Shinshuji Temple
Random decor
One of the things to do while in Takayama is visit Shirakawa-go to see the gassho-style structures. It’s about a 50-minute bus ride. But today, rain was predicted to move in. I’ve been to Shirakawa-go before – and in the rain. Instead of dealing with likely crowds, we decided instead to visit Hida Furukawa, a short 15-minute train ride. I’d bookmarked it as one possibility while researching this trip, and our hotel has a nice English map/brochure with type that is actually large enough for me to read. Decision made!
I’ve seen it called a “smaller and calmer Takayama.” The central area has carp-filled canals, a row of old white-painted storehouses lining the canal (a little like Kurashiki) and some temples (Honkouji Temple is the largest wooden structure in the Hida region), shrines and sake breweries. What doesn’t have is throngs of people. It was nice to have a couple of hours of low-key time.
Setogawa Canal and white-walled storehouses
Imamiya bridge
Shinshuji Temple
Random decor
May 12th, 2023, 11:21 PM
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I visited Hida Furukawa back in 2010 as it was famous for the Mishima candle shop which was featured in the 2002 Japanese asadora - morning drama - Sakura. Back in those days a NYC local station showed some Japanese dramas. It was definitely a very pleasant small town to visit!
May 13th, 2023, 12:07 AM
#27
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I visited Hida Furukawa back in 2010 as it was famous for the Mishima candle shop which was featured in the 2002 Japanese asadora - morning drama - Sakura. Back in those days a NYC local station showed some Japanese dramas. It was definitely a very pleasant small town to visit!
May 13th, 2023, 07:31 AM
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Yo MS_Go,
My fave foto of yours was that rainy Tokyo one. The image captured the atmosphere so well, reminiscent of the similar street scene Progol once shot in Naples. And was also struck by your remarkable hotel room view.
Btw, every time that I think of Takayama, I think of sounds. We brought a taper and recorded those koi being fed. En masse, they made some really LOUD slurps! We still have that audio collage.
I am done. the daijobu
PS during that same '91 trip, we bought an unusual gift for a friend. He was about to open a new sports memorabilia shop here in Toronto and so I got him a big pack of beisburo cards, making sure that they contained a few featuring former Major Leaguers who'd made the move to play over in Japan. Seems those latter cards were the most sought-after by collectors.
My fave foto of yours was that rainy Tokyo one. The image captured the atmosphere so well, reminiscent of the similar street scene Progol once shot in Naples. And was also struck by your remarkable hotel room view.
Btw, every time that I think of Takayama, I think of sounds. We brought a taper and recorded those koi being fed. En masse, they made some really LOUD slurps! We still have that audio collage.
I am done. the daijobu
PS during that same '91 trip, we bought an unusual gift for a friend. He was about to open a new sports memorabilia shop here in Toronto and so I got him a big pack of beisburo cards, making sure that they contained a few featuring former Major Leaguers who'd made the move to play over in Japan. Seems those latter cards were the most sought-after by collectors.
May 13th, 2023, 03:31 PM
#31
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Thanks, Melnq8 and zebec!
Takayama (cont.)
We’re winding up our time here, so a few other random experiences and observations. One of the things Takayama is known for is its preservation area with traditional houses. Along a few blocks of the main street, Sannomachi, these are now primarily shops, with a few restaurants and breweries sprinkled in. Naturally, it’s a magnet for visitors and is mobbed during the day. We know this because our hotel is also in the historic area, just a block away. But interestingly, you can go just a block or two from Sannomachi, and it is back to being quiet and very atmospheric. And when the shops close up around 5, everyone leaves. Walking to and from dinner every evening, we had Sannomachi practically to ourselves.
Takayama is also known for its elaborate spring and fall festivals. I’m sure it is quite the scene. There’s a museum/exhibition hall where you can see and learn about the festival floats. The train station also has a nice festival exhibition – good for killing time while waiting for a train.
I mentioned the temple walk above, but there are also a couple of notable temples in the city center, including Kokubunji – the city’s oldest with a sacred 1,200-year-old gingko tree.
This is the place to try Hida beef. There are plenty of steak houses, of course. But you can also try it on the go – sushi style, grilled on a skewer, or in a bun. A particular shout out to the vendor who serves it grilled on skewers with Sapporo beer right by the river.
And on that note, we also found this to be a great city for grazing during the day, with abundant street food. In addition to the Hida beef skewers, we tried a few other local specialties.
Mitarashi dango are grilled rice dumplings on a skewer, glazed in sweet soy
Gohei mochi is a rice cake glazed with soy and miso and grilled on a skewer
The morning market has various good things to try. One vendor has small cakes with custard or chocolate filling (kind of like the Momiji manju that I remember from Miyajima). And, of course, there’s green tea ice cream.
If you do feel like sitting down to a quick lunch, you can do a lot worse than friendly, family-run Musashi, up the hill in Shiroyama Park, with excellent yakitori and a nice view of the city.
Yakitori at Musashi
And then there’s sake. With seven breweries right in the city center, it’s quite easy to pop in for tastings for a small fee. The one we tried had at least 10 bottles open.
And finally, there’s Sarubobo, the Japanese amulet prevalent in this area. I’ve seen different meanings for it, but generally associated with luck or protection. We’ve had a small Sarubobo hanging on our back door since my first visit in 2006.
Takayama (cont.)
We’re winding up our time here, so a few other random experiences and observations. One of the things Takayama is known for is its preservation area with traditional houses. Along a few blocks of the main street, Sannomachi, these are now primarily shops, with a few restaurants and breweries sprinkled in. Naturally, it’s a magnet for visitors and is mobbed during the day. We know this because our hotel is also in the historic area, just a block away. But interestingly, you can go just a block or two from Sannomachi, and it is back to being quiet and very atmospheric. And when the shops close up around 5, everyone leaves. Walking to and from dinner every evening, we had Sannomachi practically to ourselves.
Takayama is also known for its elaborate spring and fall festivals. I’m sure it is quite the scene. There’s a museum/exhibition hall where you can see and learn about the festival floats. The train station also has a nice festival exhibition – good for killing time while waiting for a train.
I mentioned the temple walk above, but there are also a couple of notable temples in the city center, including Kokubunji – the city’s oldest with a sacred 1,200-year-old gingko tree.
This is the place to try Hida beef. There are plenty of steak houses, of course. But you can also try it on the go – sushi style, grilled on a skewer, or in a bun. A particular shout out to the vendor who serves it grilled on skewers with Sapporo beer right by the river.
And on that note, we also found this to be a great city for grazing during the day, with abundant street food. In addition to the Hida beef skewers, we tried a few other local specialties.
Mitarashi dango are grilled rice dumplings on a skewer, glazed in sweet soy
Gohei mochi is a rice cake glazed with soy and miso and grilled on a skewer
The morning market has various good things to try. One vendor has small cakes with custard or chocolate filling (kind of like the Momiji manju that I remember from Miyajima). And, of course, there’s green tea ice cream.
If you do feel like sitting down to a quick lunch, you can do a lot worse than friendly, family-run Musashi, up the hill in Shiroyama Park, with excellent yakitori and a nice view of the city.
Yakitori at Musashi
And then there’s sake. With seven breweries right in the city center, it’s quite easy to pop in for tastings for a small fee. The one we tried had at least 10 bottles open.
And finally, there’s Sarubobo, the Japanese amulet prevalent in this area. I’ve seen different meanings for it, but generally associated with luck or protection. We’ve had a small Sarubobo hanging on our back door since my first visit in 2006.
May 13th, 2023, 04:14 PM
#32
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Travel note #2: We were uncertain about how we would move from Takayama to Kanazawa. If weather looked to be good, we were going to consider shipping our bags ahead and then taking the bus with a stop for a few hours in Shirakawa or Gokayama. But it is raining, so we’ve opted to go by train (with a transfer in Toyama). That is one of only three longer train rides on this trip. As mentioned earlier, a JR Pass did not make sense given our itinerary, so we are just buying the point-to-point tickets. I research timetables on Navitime, write down exactly what I want (date, train name/number, departure/arrival times, reserved seats, 2 people) and hand that to an agent at the JR ticket office. I’m sure we could manage with machines, which do have English menus, but this method seems to work well, and we haven’t encountered lines at the ticket offices.
May 13th, 2023, 07:42 PM
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Thank you for all the tips on Takayama, ms_go. I'm making notes. The street food looks fabulous. It's one of the things I remember about Japan; there seems to be someone selling food everywhere in addition to the ubiquitous vending machines. Hard to go hungry in Japan.
May 14th, 2023, 03:54 AM
#34
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In Takayama, we stayed at Hotel Wood (as the name suggests, a wooden structure in the historic district), which we really liked. It is a fairly new hotel designed in a minimalist style that combines traditional features (e.g., futon-style beds on tatami) with modern amenities and abundant space. The hotel hosts a “happy hour” from 5-11 pm with complimentary sake, beer and other drinks. The best part is the staff, who are all very welcoming and helpful. Very filling Japanese set breakfast.
Speaking of hotels, we are now at our last stop, in Kanazawa. Proximity to the train station was our top priority, and we are staying at the almost-new Hyatt House just 60 seconds from the west gate. We have a very spacious room with sitting area, full kitchen, modern everything – at a rate ($105/night) I couldn’t resist! There’s a big food market with two floors of restaurants in the same building, and the station (with abundant shopping and dining) is about 60 seconds from the front door. Now, if we can get the rain to stop tomorrow…
Speaking of hotels, we are now at our last stop, in Kanazawa. Proximity to the train station was our top priority, and we are staying at the almost-new Hyatt House just 60 seconds from the west gate. We have a very spacious room with sitting area, full kitchen, modern everything – at a rate ($105/night) I couldn’t resist! There’s a big food market with two floors of restaurants in the same building, and the station (with abundant shopping and dining) is about 60 seconds from the front door. Now, if we can get the rain to stop tomorrow…
May 14th, 2023, 04:15 AM
#35
Thank you for the wonderful photos and great description of your trip. We, too, will be going from Takayama to Kanazawa and you’ve answered my questions about that trip even before I realized I had them!
And the food! Oh, the food! You’ve got me very hungry and excited about our trip!
And the food! Oh, the food! You’ve got me very hungry and excited about our trip!
May 14th, 2023, 06:44 AM
#36
How was the train trip from Takayama to Toyama? I have read that it is scenic.Did you get any nice views or were there a lot of trees blocking the views?
On the main drag in town is the Starbucks Coffee - Kanazawa M’ZA Omicho.
If you stand outside the door to the Sbux, facing the street, you will see a pedestrian crosswalk.
Immediately outside the door you will see stairs on the left. If you want terrific okonomiyaki then go down those stairs and you will find the okonomiyaki restaurant among others.
Back in front of Starbucks if you take that crosswalk then straight ahead is a small walking street with several restaurants. There is a good and very welcoming sushi-ya on the right. Two or three doors further is a place where I got a crab bowl that had (the Kanazawa-famous) gold leaf sprinkled on top. I was there at the beginning of the local crab season (Nov-March). Oishi desu. Followed that up with a stop at the sushi place.
I think there is a bus stop right by that Starbucks front door. Coming from the station it would be on the right.
On the main drag in town is the Starbucks Coffee - Kanazawa M’ZA Omicho.
If you stand outside the door to the Sbux, facing the street, you will see a pedestrian crosswalk.
Immediately outside the door you will see stairs on the left. If you want terrific okonomiyaki then go down those stairs and you will find the okonomiyaki restaurant among others.
Back in front of Starbucks if you take that crosswalk then straight ahead is a small walking street with several restaurants. There is a good and very welcoming sushi-ya on the right. Two or three doors further is a place where I got a crab bowl that had (the Kanazawa-famous) gold leaf sprinkled on top. I was there at the beginning of the local crab season (Nov-March). Oishi desu. Followed that up with a stop at the sushi place.
I think there is a bus stop right by that Starbucks front door. Coming from the station it would be on the right.
May 14th, 2023, 09:05 PM
#37
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Great, timely recommendation. Guess where we just went for lunch? Thanks! Mr_go is particularly appreciative, as he's been wanting okonomiyaki, and today is our last day.
The train from Takayama to Toyama was pretty scenic, for the most part. I don't have any good photos, though. Every time I tried to get my phone in place to take a photo, we went in a tunnel or behind some trees. We could see the snowy Alps in the distance as we approached Toyama.
The train from Takayama to Toyama was pretty scenic, for the most part. I don't have any good photos, though. Every time I tried to get my phone in place to take a photo, we went in a tunnel or behind some trees. We could see the snowy Alps in the distance as we approached Toyama.
Last edited by ms_go; May 14th, 2023 at 09:21 PM.
May 15th, 2023, 06:57 AM
#38
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MS_Go,
During one of our Japanese homestays, the parents took us out for a rural drive. When we stopped for lunch, those folks engaged us in the social tradition of 'mutually-making okonomiyaki for each other'. Mrs Z was expected to make the mom's meal right there at the table. And vice-versa, the father and I doing the same.
Problem was, I am a terrible chef. The photo of my botched okonomiyaki made for him is an all-time classic. A chimp could've created a better dish. The food was so poorly created that our normally-reserved hosts suddenly burst into laughter as I turned crimson.
Its great to see your voyage going so well, a needed tonic after covid.
I am done. the culinarily-challenged
During one of our Japanese homestays, the parents took us out for a rural drive. When we stopped for lunch, those folks engaged us in the social tradition of 'mutually-making okonomiyaki for each other'. Mrs Z was expected to make the mom's meal right there at the table. And vice-versa, the father and I doing the same.
Problem was, I am a terrible chef. The photo of my botched okonomiyaki made for him is an all-time classic. A chimp could've created a better dish. The food was so poorly created that our normally-reserved hosts suddenly burst into laughter as I turned crimson.
Its great to see your voyage going so well, a needed tonic after covid.
I am done. the culinarily-challenged
May 15th, 2023, 11:32 AM
#39
Yay! Sometimes you just gotta have okonomiyaki. Happy to hear that mr_go got his fix.
That train ride sounds good. Maybe progol can get a view shot through bare trees if they go that route.
I see you got the bus tix to Kamikochi in April. Did you do that for the Kamikochi - Takayama buses?
I've been advising fodorites to get the bus tickets in advance because I waited until I arrived in Kamikochi to buy a ticket for the bus to Matsumoto and it was almost sold out hours in advance. A few people did get on at the last minute but had to use the jump seats in the aisles.
That train ride sounds good. Maybe progol can get a view shot through bare trees if they go that route.
I see you got the bus tix to Kamikochi in April. Did you do that for the Kamikochi - Takayama buses?
I've been advising fodorites to get the bus tickets in advance because I waited until I arrived in Kamikochi to buy a ticket for the bus to Matsumoto and it was almost sold out hours in advance. A few people did get on at the last minute but had to use the jump seats in the aisles.
May 15th, 2023, 11:47 AM
#40
Thanks for the great tour, ms_go! You’ve given me a great overview of what to expect and some ideas for what to see and do! I hope you have/had a great last day and wish you safe travels home!
And mrwunrfl, if we go to Kanazawa via Toyama, I’ll make every effort to to take some photos from the train. I’ve made note of the okonomiyaki place, which sounds like the kind of place we would enjoy. Once we get close to our trip, I’ll be making sure to get tickets for transportation, too.
And zebec, I’m amazed you can recall my Naples photo - clearly, visual recall is a greater skill than cooking!😉 Good story, though.
And mrwunrfl, if we go to Kanazawa via Toyama, I’ll make every effort to to take some photos from the train. I’ve made note of the okonomiyaki place, which sounds like the kind of place we would enjoy. Once we get close to our trip, I’ll be making sure to get tickets for transportation, too.
And zebec, I’m amazed you can recall my Naples photo - clearly, visual recall is a greater skill than cooking!😉 Good story, though.
