Takayama Photo Gallery by Philip Game at pbase.com

Takayama

Hida Hideaway The Tokaido Line fast rail route from Tokyo to Kyoto (and on to Osaka) is something of a rat run for travellers to Japan, just as it was during the historic Edo Period when the Tokaido Road between the Shogun's capital of Edo (now Tokyo) and the imperial capital of Kyoto formed a tightly-controlled artery of the ruthless Shogunate regime. Twenty-first-century travellers can detour north from Nagoya, up into the ancient, mountainous Hida region, where the residential streets of Takayama retain much of their 17th-century ambience. Join the Japanese sightseers who tour the historic merchants’ homes and pause to savour the regional sake brews and the local miso bean paste.

The Hido-no-Sato folk village outside Takayama deserves a gallery of its own.

These images were taken with Nikon D300 using RAW format, and are available for licensing. Please visit my blog.

Not the Shinkansen... it's a Limited Express, heading north from Nagoya	Forested hills of the Hida region, from the train	Valley townships of Hida, seen from the train
Belltower of the ancient Hida Kokubunji Temple	Worshippers at Hida Kokubunji	Approaching the shrine at Hida Kokubunji
The shrine at Hida Kokubunji	Pagoda at Hida Kokubunji	Deities at Hida Kokubunji
Deities at Hida Kokubunji	The Miyagawa River splits the town in two	Along the Miyagawa River
Along the Miyagawa River	Along the Miyagawa River	Along the Miyagawa River
Along the Miyagawa River	Bouquet at the morning market	Jinya-mae Morning Markets
Great big apples for sale!	Food stand near Jinya-mae	Takayama Jinya is a 200-year-old government building
A gate at Takayama Jinya	Volunteer guide Akane-san demonstrates the kitchen at Takayama Jinya	Inside the Takayama Jinya
Inside the Takayama Jinya	Inside the Takayama Jinya	Tatami mat patterns and textures
Gardens of the Takayama Jinya	Gardens of the Takayama Jinya	Traditional pottery on display
A reception room within Takayama Jinya	Calligraphy remains recognised as an art form	Persimmons for sale
At the Miyagawa Morning Markets	Miyagawa Morning Markets	Miyagawa Morning Markets
Miyagawa Morning Markets	Miyagawa Morning Markets	Grilled fish kebabs
Miyagawa Morning Markets	Kusakabe Mingei-kan, an historic merchant's home	Roof beams of Kusakabe Mingei-kan
Doll displayed inside Kusakabe	Interiors of the Kusakabe Mingei-kan	Interiors of the Kusakabe Mingei-kan
Complimentary green tea!	Homewares display at the Kusakabe Mingei-kan	Chrysanthemums in bloom
Chrysanthemums in bloom	Traditional shopfront in the old town	An idiosyncratic mailbox evokes the postal runners of the Edo Period
Traditional shopfront	Traditional shopfront	Two women at their door
Latticed wooden screen doors and windows	Persimmons as an art form	Ready to roll
Beside the Miyagawa	Olde-worlde shopfront	Ice-cream and snacks...
Preparing a miso soup lunch	Serving a miso soup lunch	Lining up to sample local miso paste
Sake bales stacked outside an artisanal brewery	Local sake placed on display	Unmistakeably Japanese...
Traditional sandals	Streets of Takayama	Temples in the eastern foothills
Temples in the eastern foothills	Hokkeji Temple	Hokkeji Temple
Higashiyama-shinmae Shrine	Stone tablet outside the Shrine	Looking back downhill from the Higashiyama-shinmae Shrine

comment |

George McCarten		10-Aug-2021 03:16
Excellent collection of images here!

Cathryn		21-Dec-2012 06:01
Fabulous! These traditional and rustic scenes are a welcome change from the more predictable images of cities and temples. Many of my best travel experiences have been detours and side trips, and this town looks like no exception.

sgame		28-Nov-2012 08:18
Enjoyed this set. Must go there!

click on thumbnails for full image

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