Takayama's old town has been beautifully preserved with many buildings and whole streets of houses dating from the Edo Period (1603-1868), when the city thrived as a wealthy merchant town.
The southern half of the old town, especially the Sannomachi Street, survives in a particularly pretty state with many old homes, shops, cafes and sake breweries, some of which have been in business for centuries. The shops in the area are typically open daily from 9:00 to 17:00.
A rickshaw ride through the streets of the old town
Several homes in the old town open their doors to the public. They provide a glimpse behind the facade into the former living quarters of the local merchants and exhibit traditional household goods and local arts and crafts.
A pleasant alternative to exploring Takayama's old town on foot is getting pulled through the streets on a rickshaw. A 30 minute tour for two costs around 7000 yen. Shorter and longer courses are also available.
Hours: 8:45 to 17:00 (until 16:30 from November to February) Closed: December 29, 31 and January 1 Admission: 440 yen Typical visit duration: 60 minutes
A beautiful traditional Japanese-style building, the Takayama Jinya used to serve as Takayama's government office during the feudal era, when the city stood under direct control of the shogun due to its valuable timber resources.
Old sake breweries
Hours: Typically 9:00 to 17:00
Sake is one of Takayama's local specialties. Several old sake breweries can be found in Takayama's old town, recognized by sugidama (balls made of cedar branches) hung over their entrances. Small samples of sake can be purchased at some breweries.
Fujii Art Gallery
Hours: 9:00 to 17:00 Closed: No closing days Admission: 700 yen Typical visit duration: 20-30 minutes
The Fujii Art Gallery (Fujii Bijutsu Mingeikan), also known as Fujii Folk Craft Museum, is housed in an old building with a beautiful gate along Sannomachi Street. The small museum exhibits various household items and art objects.
Takayama Museum of History and Art
Hours: 9:00 to 19:00 (garden 7:00 to 21:00) Closed: No closing days Admission: Free Typical visit duration: 45 minutes
The Museum of Local History (Hida-Takayama Machi no Hakubutsukan) is an interesting museum about the history and culture of Takayama City. It is housed in an old, restored building.
Takayama Showa Museum
Hours: 10:00 to 17:00 Closed: No closing days Admission: 500 yen Typical visit duration: 45-60 minutes
A spacious museum dedicated to all things from the Showa Period (1926-1989), particularly the 1950s. A recreated town allows visitors to walk through nostalgic displays of contemporary life including houses and restaurants. There are also some interactive exhibits including the chance to play on retro video games consoles.
Northern area
Hachiman Shrine
Hours: Always open Closed: No closing days Admission: Free Typical visit duration: 10 minutes
Sakurayama Hachiman Shrine (Sakurayama Hachimangu) stands in the northeastern area of Takayama's old town. The shrine's festival, the Takayama Autumn Festival, is celebrated on October 9-10.
Hours: 9:00 to 17:00 (until 16:30 from December to February) Closed: No closing days Admission: 1000 yen Typical visit duration: 45 minutes
Located just next to Hachiman Shrine, the Takayama Yatai Kaikan (festival float exhibition hall) exhibits four of the autumn festival's eleven festival floats. English audio guides are available.
Karakuri Museum
Hours: 9:05 to 16:25 Closed: Irregular closing days during winter Admission: 600 yen Typical visit duration: 40 minutes
Also located at Hachiman Shrine, the Karakuri Museum (mechanical doll museum) displays mechanical dolls (karakuri ningyo) which get mounted onto festival floats. The museum also shows over 200 shishimai (lion dance) masks from around Japan.
Kusakabe Heritage House•
Hours: 10:00 to 16:00 Closed: Tuesdays (or next day if Tuesday is a national holiday) Admission: 500 yen Typical visit duration: 30 minutes
The Kusakabe Heritage House (Kusakabe Mingeikan) is one of Takayama's oldest merchant homes open to the public. Its former residents, the Kusakabe family, used to be successful money lenders.
Yoshijima Heritage House•
Hours: Fri to Sun from 9:00 to 17:00 (until 15:00 from Dec to Feb) Closed: Monday to Thursday Admission: 500 yen Typical visit duration: 30 minutes
Standing right next to the Kusakabe Heritage House is the Yoshijima Heritage House (Yoshijima-ke), the former residence of the Yoshijima family. Also open to the public, the building used to serve as a residence and sake brewery.
Two morning markets (asaichi) are held in Takayama on a daily basis, one in front of the Takayama Jinya and one along Miyagawa River. Most stands sell local crafts and farm products such as vegetables, pickles and flowers.
Getting there and around
Takayama's old town can be reached in a ten minute walk from Takayama Station.
Located just a 1-minute walk from popular Miyagawa Morning Market in the heart of Takayama, Sumiyoshi Ryokan offers homely Japanese-style accommodation in the historic townhouse building. Free WiFi is available at the lobby and guestrooms. This hotel was selected as one of the Top 25 B&Bs and Inns in Japan by TripAdvisor's Travelers' Choice Award 2015. The inn is a 12-minute walk from JR Takayama Station. Takayama Jinya, an old government building, is a 7-minute walk away, and the streets full of old merchantsf houses can be reached within a 10-minute walk from the property. Rooms are fitted with tatami (woven-straw) flooring and traditional futon bedding. A low table and a TV with satellite channels are provided. Guests can relax in the room with free green tea. Ryokan Sumiyoshi has a spacious public baths and a small Japanese garden. There are many antiques like pots and samurai armours displayed at the lobby. Carefully prepared Japanese multi-course dinner, including Hida Beef sukiyaki dish, can be enjoyed at the guest room. Guests can choose to have either Japanese or Western breakfast to satisfy their appetite in the morning.
Just a 2-minute walk from JR Takayama Train Station and Takayama Nohi Bus Center, Guesthouse Tomaru offers an renovated 80-year old Japanese-style accommodation. Free WiFi is provided throughout the property. Sanmachi Important Preservation District is a 10-minute stroll. Guests at Guesthouse Tomaru can experience Japanese-style futon bedding on a tatami (woven-straw) floor in the private rooms. Dormitory rooms have futon bedding as well; bottom bunks sit directly on the tatami flooring, and top bunks use a wooden bunk bed frame. Free coffee and tea are provided at the kitchen, which is equipped with a microwave, a rice cooker, a hot plate, a toaster, a fridge and some kitchenware. You will find a shared bathroom and shower room comes with free toiletries. Safe deposit is available free of charge. Friendly staff can assist guests with local tourist information. The guest house is a 8-minute walk to Miyagawa Morning Market, and a 10-minute walk to the Takayama Jinya historical government outpost and Jinya Morning Market. Higashiyama Temple is a 15-minute walk. A Family Mart convenience store is just a 1-minute walk away, and there are some dining options within a 10-minute stroll.
Set in Takayama and with Takayama Station reachable within 200 metres, Residence Hotel Takayama Station offers a fitness centre, non-smoking rooms, free WiFi throughout the property and a terrace. This 4-star hotel offers luggage storage space. Private parking is available on site. The hotel will provide guests with air-conditioned rooms offering a desk, a kettle, a fridge, a microwave, a safety deposit box, a flat-screen TV, a balcony and a private bathroom with a shower. At Residence Hotel Takayama Station all rooms are fitted with bed linen and towels. Guests at the accommodation can enjoy a ? la carte breakfast. Popular points of interest near Residence Hotel Takayama Station include Fuji Folk Museum, Yoshijima Heritage House and Lion Dance Ceremony Exhibition Hall. The nearest airport is Toyama Airport, 83 km from the hotel.
Conveniently situated in Takayama, HOTEL WOOD TAKAYAMA provides air-conditioned rooms with free WiFi and private parking. Featuring a bar, the hotel is close to several noted attractions, around less than 1 km from Takayama Station, a 3-minute walk from Fuji Folk Museum and 600 metres from Yoshijima Heritage House. The property is allergy-free and is located 2.9 km from Hida Minzoku Mura Folk Village. At the hotel, the rooms are equipped with a desk. At HOTEL WOOD TAKAYAMA each room comes with bed linen and towels. An Asian breakfast is available daily at the accommodation. Guests at HOTEL WOOD TAKAYAMA will be able to enjoy activities in and around Takayama, like cycling. Speaking English and Japanese at the reception, staff are ready to help around the clock. Popular points of interest near the hotel include Lion Dance Ceremony Exhibition Hall, Sakurayama Hachiman Shrine and Takayama Festival Float Exhibition Hall. The nearest airport is Toyama Airport, 84 km from HOTEL WOOD TAKAYAMA.
Just a 2-minute walk from Takayama Station, Oyado Koto No Yume offers Japanese-style rooms with a colourful touch. The hotel features hot-spring baths, a restaurant serving breakfast and free WiFi throughout the property. This ryokan is introduced in Michelin Green Guide Japan. Rooms feature tatami-mat flooring and traditional futon bedding. They are equipped with a 40-inch flat-screen TV, fridge, coffee maker and green tea set. Attached bathrooms come with a shower, bathtub and toiletries. Japanese-style hotel Koto No Yume Oyado is only a 2-minute walk from Kokubunji Temple. The Miyagawa Morning Market and the historical Old Private Houses are less than a 10-minute stroll away. Guests at Koto No Yume Hotel can soak in an indoor or outdoor hot-spring bath, or in a semi-outdoor hot tub for private use. Massages are available. In addition, staff are readily available to help guests put on Japanese yukata robes. A Western or Japanese breakfast is available at Oyado Koto No Yume. Shirakawago can be accessed within a 50-minute bus ride; the bus terminal is located a 2-minute walk from the property.
Sakura Guest House is a 10-minute walk from Hida Takayama-mura Folk Village, and offers private and dormitory rooms with free Wi-Fi and shared bathrooms. The entire interior is non-smoking, and parking is free. Refurbished in 2011, rooms at Guest House Sakura are carpeted and offer mountain or nature views. Private rooms have seating area. JR Takayama Train Station is 1.3 km from the guest house, and Shiroyama Park is a 10-minute drive. Hida Gokoku Shrine and Hida Takayama Museum of Art are both 300 metres away. Bicycle rental is available. The hostel is just a 1-minute walk from Yuukou-no-Oka bus stop, which is a 10-minute bus ride from the Takayama bus terminal. A free-use internet station and a coin launderette are provided. The common area has a wood-burning stove and a TV. A microwave is included in the free-use kitchen.
Featuring 4-star accommodation, eph TAKAYAMA is situated in Takayama, 2.3 km from Hida Minzoku Mura Folk Village and 600 metres from Fuji Folk Museum. Featuring a restaurant, the 4-star hotel has air-conditioned rooms with free WiFi, each with a private bathroom. The property is 100 metres from the city centre and 200 metres from Takayama Station. All rooms at the hotel are fitted with a seating area. The rooms include a kettle, a flat-screen TV and a safety deposit box, while some rooms are fitted with a balcony and some have city views. At eph TAKAYAMA every room comes with bed linen and towels. Guests at the accommodation can enjoy a buffet or a continental breakfast. With staff speaking English and Japanese, advice is available at the reception. Popular points of interest near eph TAKAYAMA include Yoshijima Heritage House, Lion Dance Ceremony Exhibition Hall and Sakurayama Hachiman Shrine. The nearest airport is Toyama Airport, 83 km from the hotel.
On just a 6-minute walk from Takayama Station, traditional Japanese-style Ryokan Asunaro offers comfortable rooms with a seating area and free WiFi. The hotel features a relaxing public hot-spring bath and free yukata robe rental for women. Meals provided at this ryokan features local ingredients for guests to enjoy. The traditional decor of the rooms evokes a warm atmosphere with paintings by local artists on the fusuma sliding doors. Each room includes an LCD TV, minibar and electric kettle make for a convenient stay. Rooms have tatami-mat flooring and futon bedding. Complimentary bottle of water is provided in every room. From Asunaro Ryokan it is a 7-minute walk to the morning market, and a 10-minute walk from Old Town and Takayama Jinya. Shirakawa-go Village is located a 50-minute bus ride away, and the bus stop for the village is a 5-minute walk away. Guests at the Asunaro can soak away the day's fatigue in the hot public bath, which is made of granite stone. Also, private shower booths are available for staying guests.The ryokan features a garden and drinks vending machines, and offers bicycle rentals. The property offers traditional Japanese dinner and breakfast at the banquet hall. Western breakfast can be arranged with a prior request. Complimentary coffee can be enjoyed in the lobby every morning.
Set in Takayama and with Takayama Station reachable within 500 metres, Temple Hotel Takayama Zenkoji offers a garden, non-smoking rooms, free WiFi throughout the property and a shared lounge. This 4-star hotel offers a shared kitchen and luggage storage space. Private parking is available on site. The units will provide guests with a fridge. Popular points of interest near the hotel include Fuji Folk Museum, Yoshijima Heritage House and Lion Dance Ceremony Exhibition Hall. The nearest airport is Toyama Airport, 84 km from Temple Hotel Takayama Zenkoji.
A 6-minute walk from JR Takayama Train Station, —ÍŽÔƒCƒ“ Rickshaw inn offers non-smoking Japanese rooms with free Wi-Fi, an LCD TV and a private bathroom. Breakfast is available upon request, and a free-use kitchen is on site. Rooms at Inn Rickshaw have traditional futon beds on a tatami (woven-straw) floor. The private bathroom comes with a bathtub and amenities are provided. Takayama Jinya and the morning market are about a 5-minute walk away. Old Town Takayama is a 10-minute walk away. Guests can take a public bus to Shirakawa Village, which is about about 1-hour bus ride away. Guests can relax at the common area, which has wood furnishings and an old-style decor with exposed beams. A shared-use microwave is on offer.
