Blogs from Gifu, Japan, Asia - page 3

We were up at the crack of dawn again today! Today was our only chance to see the farmers' market, that happens every morning in Takayama. The market started at 6 am, which was a bit too early for us, but we got there around sevenish and had a good look around. The market is along one side of the river bank. There were quite a few different stalls, selling a variety of stuff, not just fruit and veg, but also artwork and other stuff to entice the tourists. We also found out the reason why all the shops close so early, they are all open at 6 am, to coincide with the market. We wandered around the market, I didn't really buy anything, only this interesting food item, which we tried when we were waiting ... read more

It's a bit of an arduous journey to get to Takayama from Tsumago. Both are deep in the mountains of the Gifu prefecture. We had to travel all the way back east to Nagoya and then venture west again on another line again to get to Takayama. The scenery made the troubles worthwhile. Takayama is a bit of a Japanese hillbilly town. If rednecks are in Japan, they live around the hills here. But it is also a town of craftsmanship, history, cooking and Japanese pride. Here is where some of the finest lacquerware is made. And here is where the finest carpenters were sourced to build the temples of Kyoto. We had the chance to visit the Yoshijima House. The owner, a wealthy sake brewer and money lender, commissioned a local carpenter to build a ... read more

Vandaag de meest fantastische treinreis gemaakt van Tsumago naar Takayama. Het sublieme berglandschap is adembenemend. In de trein zelf was het helaas bijna tropisch. Het hoogst bereikbare temperatuur was 24,7 graden. We legden het bijna af, zeker omdat een van de medepassagiers trui en jas aanhield. De eerste kennismaking met Takayama is prettig. Een overzichtelijk centrum met veel prachtige winkeltjes in een mix van lokaal toeristische artikelen en dagelijks levensonderhoud. In welke categorie de tractorwinkel valt ben ik nog niet uit. De historische huizen zijn goed onderhouden. Een van de huizen is een museum die wij van bezocht hebben. In het huis was voor mij de gastvrouw eigenlijk de grootste attractie. Ze bood ons thee aan en eenmaal op haar Engelse praatstoel was ze er niet vanaf te krijgen. Ze vertelde haar verhaal met een sterk ... read more

I first went to Takayama in 1999 I think on my first trip to Japan with Intrepid. It is picture postcard perfect for a tourist town in all its mini-Kyoto historical houses etc. It was definitely worth visiting again as a stopover on the way to the shinkansen mayhem which awaits me no doubt on the southern coast. The minshuku (guesthouse) I had chosen was close enough to the station that I could find it quite easily. It was not exactly cheap at almost $90 but I think that is Takayama tourist prices and it was not necessarily the flashest place. It had tatami floor mats throughout and in a way what other way could you do Takayama really – even if there is a Best Western there (which was actually likely slightly cheaper) and quite ... read more

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