Logan (brown sweater - foreground) is facing away from the camera.
The drainage channels in front of the buildings on each side of the street in the Old Town perhaps were also used to prevent fires from spreading - all of the buildings were constructed of wood. The drainage channels may still serve that purpose.
Old Town is a beautifully preserved area of Takayama. Many of the structures (houses, stores and sake breweries) date from the Edo Period (early 1600's to the mid-1880's) when many rich merchants lived and did business in Takayama. Old Town still has many shops, homes, restaurants and sake breweries (because of the purity of the mountain water). One reason that many of the structures in Old Town survived for so long is the isolated mountain location of Takayama - not subject to destruction from internal or external wars.
Takayama is surrounded by mountains and has an old world feel. It was a big supplier of timber during the Edo Period, the feudal period from the early 1600’s to mid 1800’s when the town was under shogunate control.
Takayama is located in the mountainous Hida region. The town often is referred to as Hida-Takayama to distinguish it from other places named Takayama.
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