Day 6 of 15, Takayama Part 1

Woke up 5am this morning, got ready, packed up, checked out, and walked to the station to catch a train to Shin-Yokohama station to catch the 6.15am Shinkansen to Nagoya.

Vending machines in the station

The sun was already up at 5.30am.

Mat double checking the times of the trains to catch on the iPhone online

The Shinkansen Series N700

Our selection of breakfast this morning. Of course, Mat’s yakisoba roll, and 3 other buns bought from a bakery last night. All tastes sweet.

Random shots in the shinkansen

We reached nagoya at 8.21am and our next connecting train to Takayama is at 8.43am. So we went to scout around for some morning tea to eat on our journey.

Couldn’t stop ourselves from getting a box of bento as morning tea Not as nice as the one I had in Mitaka. But still, good breakfast.

Our “morning tea”

This is Nagoya station at 8.30 in the morning on a Saturday. Empty hor.

Then caught the connecting train to Takayama. This one is not a Shinkansen though. Just a normal train.

Getting on the train to Takayama

The driver doing some hand gestures, dunno for who to see, and he was talking to himself too!

If you don’t have time to buy food and drinks in the station before you board the train, don’t worry. Got someone selling food and drinks. And the price is the same as you buy from the station or from the vending machine.

The journey to Takayama takes around 2 hours. But the sceneries that you pass is just breathtaking.

I think this is buckwheat. They grow it to make Soba noodles.

We arrived Takayama at 10.55am.

I booked ourselves in a ryokan. A ryokan is a type of traditional Japanese Inn. This particular ryokan has both western style rooms and japanese style rooms. Of course I chose the latter. You’ll see the pictures of our room in the end of this post. This ryokan is called Rickshaw Inn.

Since we can’t check in yet (check in time is at 3pm), we put our bags at the reception, and went to walk around Takayama.

The river looks so clean

We shall start our tour this morning at the Miyagawa Morning Market.

The sun felt so harsh that I got myself a hat here. (Both Mat and myself got a nice tan after this Japan trip)

Stopped to get something to eat. These are not Takoyaki. These are Gyuutama (beef balls).

Imagine these trees filled with Sakura. Come in Spring. But then I heard the crowd here in Spring is crazy.

Next stop, Sakurayama Nikkokan. Btw, we’re going everywhere in Takayama by foot. The town is small enough to walk.

It’s just another shrine. And beside the shrine, there’s a Takayama Festival Floats Exhibition Hall, which we didn’t go in, cause need to pay

Mat climbing up very steep stairs which fortunately I didn’t go up, cause he said nothing one.

Wishing papers tied to a tree

Next, Yume Kojo Hida.

We went in and was taught how to make rice crackers. To watch the man do it is free. But if you want to do it yourself also can. Have to pay.

After this, we got lost. It’s not bad navigation, it’s a very bad map. The map is simplified so much that it missed out alot of roads. But anyways, we got lost at this nice looking temple, so it’s ok.

It’s Shokyuji Temple.

Then we found our way back again, and walked pass Old Private Houses. Takayama is a very quaint town. They try and preserve this town like it was during the Edo Period.

A shop selling alcohol (beer, sake)

Went into this house called Miyaji Heritage House.

In the middle of this house, is a garden.

This is how the inside of a japanese house in the olden days look like. Tatami mats, paper screen doors.

To keep warm in the winter, they have this “fireplace” in the middle of the room. The smoke that is produced will ward off mosquitoes, and most importantly, it’s to keep the humidity in the house balanced and to preserve the wooden structure.

Takayama is famous for their sake. We didn’t really try because we’re not drinkers. To tell whether that shop is selling alcohol, or it’s a brewery, or both, you’ll see “Sakabayashi” hanging above the entrances.

This is a Sakayabashi

A dog we saw while walking

Next, lunch time! Went to a Japanese restaurant called Suzuya.

Mat choosing what to order in the menu while waiting for a seat

I ordered one of Takayama culinary treats, hoba-miso (sweet miso paste cooked on a hoba [magnolia] leaf).  This one comes on an earthen clay “pot”. I have to sort of cook my own food that is on the hoba. Very nice!

And Mat ordered something that I forgot.

A wonderful meal indeed!

Desserts: a sesame seed pudding and green tea ice cream…. yum~!

Suzuya

As if what we ate is not enough, we went to look for more food Stopped by a Japanese confectionery store which claims to be 100-years-old, Tohoen. The sweets look so pretty!

We bought some back to eat later.

Mat got ourselves a popular street food, mitarashi-dango (skewers of grilled rice balls seasoned with soya sauce).

Truthfully speaking, tasted like tang yuan, but coated with light soy sauce

Continued our walk through the Old Private Houses while eating our mitarashi-dango. These streets have remained largely untouched from their time as part of a prospering merchant district from the Edo and meiji periods.

Walked pass a lot of sake distilleries.

Huge sake bottles

Random photos of flowers along the street

Random photos of flowers along the street

Popped in to see the Takayama City Memorial Hall.

Old telephones on display in the hall

We kept seeing ppl wearing these traditional looking clothes walking around. So we politely asked one of them if we could take a photo with them. We soon found out that they are tourists as well

If I knew earlier, I would have paid 1500YEN to dress up in a kimono, and have a free pass to 16 sightseeing facilities in Takayama… hai ya…

I absolutely love this next photo! The rickshaw man also so spotting to pose such a nice pose! If you’re lazy to walk, and if you understand japanese, you can get these men to pull you on their rickshaws around the town, and they will be your tour guide as well.

Some more photos of the old town

Around 3pm, we went back to our ryokan to check in and have a little rest.

In Malaysia, you normally push the door to open right? In Australia as well.

In Japan, you have to pull the door towards you to open. So don’t go cursing the door if the door won’t open. Mat did it a few times and it was hillarious when he realized that he has to pull the door towards him.

Our room, with tatami mats. Funny that the first thing Mat did when he entered the room was to test the tv…. men…

These are the “sweets” that we bought earlier. The green one is called Kusa manju, brownish one is Kuri kanoko, and the white one is I don’t know….

Verdict… all tasted the same!!! -_-  Just that the green one is coated with green tea, and the brownish one is wrapped in chestnut.

The “living room” of the ryokan:

After resting for awhile, we went out again. Went to a temple nearby which claims to have this tree which is a few hundred years old. I also can’t remember the temple’s name. Well… just enjoy the pictures anyway.

This is probably the most common souvenier, a Sarubobo (monkey babies), dolls of red cloth , with pointy limbs and featureless faces. These are said to date from the time when locals had to make toys out of materials on hand.

I nearly wanted to get one of these as a souvenier, but then later found out on the internet that these are normally used as amulets, a good luck charm. People buy them to write their wishes on it and offer it to the gods.

Sarubobo

Welcome to Bandaraya Takayama:

Love this next photo too!

Next, we walked around the Higashiyama area. Lots of temples there.

And since this temple was next to a hill or mountain or whatever…. it’s also a graveyard.

No wonder we didn’t see a soul at 5pm in the the evening.

But we walked through the graveyard anyway. Whom shall I fear but God! Amen!

Nice views from the graveyards though….

When we came back down back to the city, there was a group of big bikers coming through. All on Harleys I think.

This one is a very interesting looking flower. Looks like swans flying.

Saw a dead rat in the river.

Have you ever seen Koi fishes (Japanese carp) in their natural environment? I haven’t. I normally see them as decorative fishes in koi ponds or water gardens. But in Takayama, I see them everywhere in the river! I wonder if they are edible?

Before we know it, it’s dinner time!

Miniminimynimo…. chose this strategically placed restaurant at the corner of the street.

It wasn’t this empty, I took this photo later in the night after our night walk.

Takayama is also popular for another thing. Hida beef (among the finest grades of meat in Japan).

A lot of people say Kobe beef is the best in Japan. I did not go, and have not been to Kobe, but the beef in Takayama is pretty darn good to me!

Beef sushi… YUMMY~!

Takayama noodles in different broths.

Beef skewer

The people seem to dissappear by 7pm, Takayama looks nearly like a ghost town at this time. Wonder where they all went. Dinner I guess.

A very quiet street at 8pm

Back at Rickshaw Inn

Our futon beds

Of all the high tech toilet seats that I’ve seen, this toilet seat in Rickshaw Inn is just pure genius!

When you flush the toilet, the water will refill like this. So while it’s refilling your toilet water compartment, you can wash your hands at the same time, save water…. genius!

Every hotel in Japan will provide a Yukata for you to wear. Yukata literally means bathing clothes. So in western terms, I guess it’s like a bathrobe?

Oyasumi nasai!

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