HI there

I have seen a number of posts referring to Takayama which I know is smaller than Kanazawa but I also see references to the two as if they are similar cities. We have four days to travel out of Tokyo and contemplating which one to go to or should we see both places? It seems Kanazawa has gardens which we enjoy (we will be there early June) but Takayama may be easier to navigate being smaller.

What do you suggest? If Kanazawa, what is the best way to get there?

Thanks!

Kanazawa is bigger in population, but the population is spread out so the downtown area is not very citylike...nothing at all like Tokyo or Osaka or Kyoto. There are only a handful of tall buildings. There is one of the 3 most beautiful gardens in Japan in Kanazawa...Kenrokuen...and it is indeed lovely. There is a well preserved samurai district, 3 geisha districts (one is quite large), a few museums that might be of interest (the folk museum is quite nice), many temples, a decent market area that is now undergoing modernization , a craft area on a hill where there is a craft workshop and several lovely upscale restaurants and great views. It is very easy to navigate.

Takayama is smaller in population, but isn't small town like I expected it to be before I went there. There is an area of well preserved old shops and buildings that is interesting, a Hida folk museum that some folks say isn't interesting that I personally quite enjoyed, plenty of temples, a morning market that is nowadays geared to tourists that you can find souvenirs at, the occasional rickshaw can be seen (they aren't really used but are for tourists to pay to ride in for a photo opp), great beef (Hida beef) if you are into that.

You could see both. You could also consider Shirakawa-go or Gokayama (World Heritage villages). They are both much smaller and very nice. They are easily accessible from either Kanazawa or Takayama by bus. You could take the entire 4 days and do all 4.

From Tokyo, you can fly to either Komatsu (Kanazawa's airport) and then take a bus to Kanazawa (maybe 40 minutes). You could also fly to Toyama and take a bus or train to Takayama or Kanazawa from Toyama airport. The train from Tokyo to Kanazawa takes about 5 hours and requires at least one change of train. The train might be more convenient since you wouldn't have to get to Haneda airport from wherever you are in Tokyo...but does take more time. The northern route through Echigoyuzawa is quite nice. You can check both airplane and trains on hyperdia.com . There is also a bus from Tokyo...usually overnight. Cheap, but not so comfortable to sleep on the bus.

Kim

Thanks for the advice - that helps a lot. I did not see the response at first so I reposted my question...I think I will do both Takayama and focus on the gardens in Kanazawa!

That is the best choice, I think, to do both. A stop at Shirakawago or Gokayama, as Kim mentioned, is an excellent idea.

To get between Tokyo and Takayama, the best route is by shinkansen to Nagoya and then limited express train to Takayama. Best way between Tokyo and Kanazawa is probably by train via Echigoyuzawa.

To get between Takayama and Kanazawa is probably by bus via Shirakawago and/or Gokayama. You could make a stop at Shirakawago for several hours or overnight.

If you go to Shirakawago then you could skip Hida-no Sato in Takayama to save time. Otherwise, I recommend visiting Hida-no Sato.