Exploring Takayama and Shirakawagoe in 3 days
- Theshani Chandrasena
- Oct 17, 2020
- 4 min read
It was our third day exploring Gifu prefecture. Gifu has so much to offer in terms of breathtaking views, delicious local food and cool weather. Takayama and Shirakawago was one of the bucket list places I wanted to visit in Japan. After exploring Kamikochi took a bus to Takayama hoping to stay overnight at the Cup of tea guest house. That night we had Hida beef Yakiniku dinner with some local sake. I highly recommend Hida beef as it tastes so good.

Next day morning we went to explore the morning market in front of Takayama Jinya. In the morning market there are many local fruits and vegetables selling for a cheaper price. Sometimes they give free goods when you purchase from the local sellers. It was quite a wonderful experience trying out local goods.

Next we went to Takayama Jinya which served as a local government office headed by the officials dispatched from Edo. The entrance fee is 440yen and because of COVID-19 circumstance need to check body temperature and wear masks all the time while keeping 2m distance. The guide explains the importance of the tatami mat layered on the floor and how it has differentiated based on the local officer ranking. The premises held a mini museum where displaying different equipment and tools used during the period. The place is also known as the biggest traditional rice storehouse in Japan.




After exploring Takayama Jinya we went to have early lunch in Takayama old town. It was a bit crowded as the Japanese Government promoted a go to travel campaign for locals to travel. We had lunch at a local restaurant serving soba noodles. After lunch we decided to explore the old town filled with souvenir shops, restaurants and coffee houses.

Takayama old town was known for being a wealthy town of merchants in the Edo period but now it preserved old town serving a variety of local goods to attract tourists. While we walked around the street we found many delicious streets even though our tummies were full. The must try street foods are Hida beef sushi, Miso soup, Grape Daifuku. Some of the shops sell souvenirs as chopsticks where they engrave your name for additional charge. I fell in love with this old town as it's so much to explore. We went to almost twice most of the stores to check cute souvenirs. We end the tour stop by an antique shop where rare household and decoration items sell for an affordable price.



Around evening we head to Shirakawagoe hoping to explore another Hida village in the Gifu area. We took a bus from Takayama station which took 1 hours to reach the Shirakawago village. The ticket costs around 2600yen for one way. When we arrived in Shirakawago it was perfect to see the sunset from the Ogimachi observatory deck. We took a shuttle bus running from the bus station to the deck as we had a limited time to see the sunset. The shuttle bus one way costs 200yen and can pay for the bus. The observatory deck is perfect scenery to check gassho-zukuri farmhouses in Ogimachi. As it was late September the surrounding colors gave a different outlook to the area.

The Shirakawa-go is a UNESCO world heritage site and it is famous for the traditional gassho-zukuri farmhouses which are 250 years old. Few of the houses are open to the public as Wada houses and need to pay an entrance fee to explore the interior of the house. The shape of the houses constructed as hands in prayer where the roof resembles the hands of Buddhist monks pressed together in prayer. The other reason for the shape of the roof is to build a strong structure for heavy snow. The large attic spaces created in these houses are used to cultivate the silk worms. I find these houses interesting both exterior and interior as it gives an iconic landmark to the area.






We had a nice early dinner at Irori restaurant. A gassho-zukuri house turned into a restaurant. We had local food as Hida beef again as we love the taste and its freshness. After the dinner we head back to our accommodation hoping to explore the town early morning.

Next day morning we went on a walk to see the village and it was perfect with sunrise and no crowd. We explore the whole area within an one hour. We end our trip walking back to accommodation to get ready to go to our last stop Kanazawa.

In my opinion Takayama and Shirakawago both cities can be covered within 2-3 days and staying overnight in these two cities is a must as it has so much to offer. We went to the end of summer and I believe it is a magical place during winter as it's one of the popular destinations to go in Japan during winter. I decided I should come back to see this beautiful village in the winter season so I can enjoy famous winter illumination.

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