boy riding a carp in San Machi

Takayama - surely the prettiest town in Japan?

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June 6th 2013
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 ... read more

Asia » Japan » Gifu » Takayama

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In 1603, a Tokugawa shogunate (military dictatorship) ushered in a long period of isolation from foreign influence in order to secure its power. For 250 years this policy enabled Japan to enjoy stability and a flowering of its indigenous culture. Fol... ... read more