Takayama, Japan, Travel Photo Mondays
It’s Monday morning, time to enjoy some gorgeous travel photography and inspiration from around the world. Let’s banish those Monday blues by sharing gorgeous imagery and story telling.
This Monday, I’m taking you to the Japanese alpine community of Takayama, a historic and old city which celebrates the artistry and crafts of its past. Takayama meaning “Tall mountain” has a wood-working and building history of producing some of the most historic wood temples, design and crafts from around the country. Many Japanese shoguns (rulers) brought Takayama’s best builders, crafters and artisans to create their palaces, temples and other public structures in Kyoto, Nara and Nikko, Japan.
Even though the city is large, the historic district is small and walkable – maintaining it’s charm and unique characteristics with sake factories, wood shops and art galleries, and other artisanal food products made in the region. Many of the streets in the center are wonderful walking venues with many shops that produce local products and still retain their small town virtues, featuring locally made arts and crafts, specialty food and produce. Along the way, you’ll also find street vendors offering grilled fish, squid and other specialties or even the local tofu maker who has a small stand for you to try out his just-made tofu creations.
A large portal gate to the old historic center at Takayama
Sanomachi street is lined with sake breweries, old homes, coffee houses, galleries and delicious restaurants serving local favorites from the region.
One of the old shopping districts in the city
Barbeque fish selling from a street vendor
Rickshaw drivers touring the historic district
Its pleasant walking or taking a rickshaw ride through some of the older in the historic district, this particular street has many sake breweries that you can sample all their offerings. Many artisans of wood working, ceramics, jewelry and other crafts have small galleries which are fun to explore and view their work in progress.
Shopping district with sake shops and crafts stores
The tofu maker is enthusiastic about sharing his specially made tofu products and you can try all of his favorites!
Offering different tastes of home-made tofu
Takayama has a spring and autumn festival that is one of the most popular and gorgeous Japanese festivals to attend. Many parades occur with specially made floats crafted from the various artisans of community and there are many ceremonies and events that happen during this timeframe along with the very popular “Yatai” or street vendors that line the entire length of the riverside of the old town. My next post will feature the fall harvest festival and the wonderful types of street food to try at this event.
A colorful bridge crossing the main river
Where to stay in Takayama
There are plenty of hotels, small inns and BnBs around the historic district and greater Takayama to visit and stay as a base for the area. You can check out these various hotels and reviews of places below for more information on staying in the area.
Wat Hotel and Spa – A quiet area and close to train station with access to shops and dining, top floor onsen, small but comfortable rooms and affordable rates
Oyado Koto no Yume – A traditional ryokan in with authentic touches including great breakfast and fantastic location.
Hidatei Hanaougi – A beautiful small inn or ryokan in this traditional stay with onsen style spa, traditional foods and Japanese type of sleeping style.
Check these best rated Trip Advisor hotels here for reviews and hotel images.
Check out these other posts on visiting the region
Fall harvest festival at Takayama
A weekend in the Japanese Alps
A visit to Shirikawago in the Japanese Alps
Thanks for visiting today and checking out this post on Takayama, Japan, Travel Photo Mondays . I hope you are inspired to plan a visit and enjoy these wonderful attractions. If you enjoyed the images and post, could you please share it with any of the social media buttons located around the post.
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Loving the photos! Can’t believe I didn’t see this on Monday–would’ve been a nice pick-me-up. Anyway, will share it today 🙂
it seems to be a nice place. 🙂
Beautiful photos of a region that I haven’t visited in Japan. Adding this one to my travel to do list.
Aww I love the smile on that man’s face as he’s pulling the rickshaw. He looks so happy! Gorgeous photos! I’m dying to visit Japan.
Beautiful photos, Noel, as usual. If I ever have the chance to revisit Japan, I’m going to aim to visit smaller towns and villages—such a different vine thanTokyo.
Gorgeous photos and what an exotic place 🙂
Noel,
Have you considered adding a Pin It button to your photos so that we can save the photos we like to our Pinterest Boards or is this not in line with your thinking? Thanks.
Mike
Hi Mike,
MY posts do have pin buttons on each photo on the top left side of the image, not sure if you noticed?
Takayama looks like a very beautiful and cultural city. I’d love to spend time in the shopping district viewing all the wares.
I love Takayama… great photos 🙂
There are some beautiful photos here Noel. I particularly like the BBQ Fish and Rickshaw Driver for the story they tell. Oh and the man in blue 🙂
I had never heard of Takayama before but what a lovely town and so full of culture and history. I love those shopping streets and the historic district ambience. Beautiful pictures but I am so drawn to the fish street food. I can almost taste the salt on them.
This is wonderful, Noel, the photo of the fish is my favorite, but the ones with the people smiling for you are great, too. Thanks for hosting. -Dawn @ We Call It Junkin.
HI Noel, Another beautiful photo series of Japan. I’m so delighted to see this post on Takayama. I good friend of mine lives there and its great to see through your photos that her city as beautiful as she described. I love the photos of the old shopping district – they beautifully depict its old world charm. The photo of the BBQ fish is amazing – they look alive and dancing!
So beautiful it hardly seems real 🙂