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Blogs from Takayama, Gifu, Japan, Asia
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May 7th 2013
Kanazawa – the City with a provincial feel to it. We arrive at Kanazawa ½ hour late - though we are not sure why. It’s quite bright and after visiting the Information desks at the train & bus stations we catch a bus to Kouhrinbo for our stay at the Toyoko-inn hotel for 3 nights. We have opted for the hotel as it provides a lot more by way of services than some hostels do e.g better internet, breakfast, all day coffee or tea free, free printing which we have found very useful and the cost in some cases is less than a hostel; so a no brainer really. There is a convenience store nearby and a supermarket as well. However, as it’s Sunday most of the restaurants that are in the guide book ... read more
November 10th 2012
Zaterdag 10 november ging ik naar Takayama als daguitstap vanuit Kanazawa. Ik zat lang te twijfelen of ik er heen zou gaan of niet. Ik zou namelijk met hetzelfde probleem als gisteren worden geconfronteerd, namelijk geen directe treinverbinding. Ik besloot het uitendelijk toch maar te doen en ik zat alles bij elkaar opnieuw een dikke 5 uur in de trein. Hoewel ik moet toegeven dat het landschap die ik moest doorkruisen bij wijlen adembenemend mooi was. Zo mooi zelfs dat de weg naar Takayama, dat zich in een dal bevind, misschien zelf mooier is dan het stadje zelf. Ik heb een kort filmpje bijgevoegd om jullie een idee te geven van het landschap dat je doorkruist om tot Takayama te geraken. Takayama zelf is niet bepaald groot, op een 3 à 4 uur ben je volledig ... read more
October 10th 2012
Arrived in the afternoon and, thankfully, it was a short and flat walk to the hotel. Another Japanese style room, complete with everything you didn't know you needed. Hungry, we had a bite to eat in a very ordinary noodle place. Ten items on the menu but all basically variations of the same dish; soba noodles with cabbage. A walk around town revealed Takayama's charms just as tourist brochures promised; a well-preserved historic town. Because we had eaten a late lunch, our dinner options were somewhat limited at 8pm (forgot we were out in the sticks!). We found a Japanese style brasserie where Dean cooked his meal on a leaf over a flame, while Eleanor ate her pork cutlets (crumbed kebabs) in record time. Ear update: the morning's eruption had considerably reduced the discomfort. No need ... read more
Petites villes et temples au coeur du Japon
Published: October 3rd 2012Asia » Japan » Gifu » Takayama
October 3rd 2012
Bonjour tout le monde, voici quelques photos prise dans les villes de Nikko, Tsumago, Magome et Takayama. Vous y retrouvez temples des temples et des habitations. Je me suis aussi permis d'ajouter quelques photos de truc inusités que je n'avais jamais vue jusqu'à maintenant. en espérant que vous apprécirez Phil... read more
October 3rd 2012
Hi all, it is our last night in Takayama at the Guesthouse Tomaru. I just wanted to mention a couple of things about the last blog. First, I should have mentioned our great day in Nara with Shanes good friend Shingo and his lovely family. Nara was as cute as a button, with deer wandering all over and some lovely Edo period architecture. Shingo took us to lunch, which was fun and delicious and chaotic as he has a baby and a two-year-old. I posted a picture from the day. The second thing I have to mention is that I cannot get the apostrophe to work on this computer. So I am veering between what feels like ye olde Englishe to I-am-of-the-texting-generation-and-I-do-not-care-about-punctuation. Sorry about that. I think I thought that Takayama might have been a bit ... read more
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Il ne manquait que les geishas et les samouraïs
Published: October 3rd 2012Asia » Japan » Gifu » Takayama
October 2nd 2012
2 octobre 2012, Honshu Central Konichiwa! Après être montés au nord, nous sommes revenus sur nos pas (toujours en train) pour visiter le centre du Japon. Nous sommes retournés couchés à Tokyo pour faire un voyage d’une journée à Nikko, un des plus beaux sites spirituels que j’ai visité en Asie. Il s’agit d’un ensemble de temples anciens reliés entre eux par des petits chemins bordés de lanternes en pierre, le tout édifié dans un cadre boisé de grands pins. Il manquait juste un samouraï à cheval et des centaines de touristes en moins et hop! nous voilà transportés plusieurs siècles en arrière. J’ai été franchement impressionnée par les temples, surtout par leurs statues, leurs peintures et leurs détails à faire pâlir les Michelangelo de ce monde. La structure des temples était tout aussi impressionnante, surtout ... read more
July 10th 2012
Jouneyed from Tokyo to Matsumoto on good bus through the rain. Green and pleasant countryside with big mountains as we neared Matsumoto. Rain suddenly vanished as we came into town. Matsumoto is a pleasant and quiet town. Had an enjoyable day wandering around, the main attraction is the 16th century wooden castle. All that’s left is a big 6 story keep surrounded by a moat and nicely laid out garden where the rest of the castle used to be. Interesting to wander around and up the many stairways. The old town is pleasant to wander around, lots of small houses, mostly converted into gift shops or cafes. Lots of paper lantern shops. Another comfortable bus journey, this time with only 3 passengers for the 2hrs 20 min to Takayama. Went in search of an ATM , ... read more
November 22nd 2011
Japan is renouned for its beauty any time of year, but there are two seasons in particular that attract a lot of attention. While we were unable to time our visit with the spring cherry blossoms this time around, we were very excited at the prospect of seeing the Japanese maple in all of its autumn glory. Kawaguchiko is one of the most popular places to view Mt. Fuji due to its acessability and beautiful natural setting. As luck would have it, we arrived just in time for the final two days of the Autumn Leaves Festival. In the afternoon we rented bicycles and rode around to the North side of the lake where the festivities were taking place. It was a crisp fall afternoon with a mix of sun and cloud. Unfortunately it was also ... read more
February 23rd 2011
1st February 2011: Singapore – Nagoya - Takayama I love Japan simply because the connectivity between cities is so convenient. We arrived in Centrair Chubu International Aiport, strolled to the Access Plaza, boarded the Semi Express Train which departed punctually at 8.45am. Caught the Hida Express JR and arrived at Takayama Station right on schedule. It is only in Japan where I can pinpoint exact arrival time despite having to change 2 or 3 different modes of transport. It is wise to pre-book the return bus ticket to and from Shirakawago as some of the scheduled times require prior reservation. We left our bags at Oyado Koto no Yume and hopped onto the Sarubobo bus which dropped us off at Hida no Sato – the open air Folk Village. We were completely taken aback at how ... read more
December 11th 2010
(This entry typed on 11th December but posted on 12th December - dates have been adjusted accordingly.) We traveled via the JR Takayama line to Takayama today. It was quite expensive, almost 4000yen. I think at this point I should point out that P and I are getting pretty good at navigating through the various train lines and companies. Basically we figured that there are two types of train service – the local service and the supposedly inter-state ones. The local service is called the subway, and the inter-state service is operated by several companies including the JR company, the Meiteitzu company and the Kinetsu company. The JR pass does not cover the Meiteitzu and Kinetsu lines, so unless you are pretty sure you will be traveling via the JR lines a lot, it probably isn’t ... read more
