Page 152 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide: Japan

150  JAP AN REGION B Y REGION

Exploring Takayama

Takayama is best explored slowly on foot or by bicycle.
Old merchant houses reveal high, skylighted ceilings,
soot-covered beams, and fireproof storage rooms; the
dirt-floor area at the front was the shop. The town’s eight
sake brew eries can also be visited during the peak brewing
week in January or February. To the east, the tranquil
Higashiyama temple district has a 3.5-km (2-mile) walking
course taking in 13 temples, five shrines, and a hilltop park.

P Lion Dance Ceremony The government office was built
Exhibition Hall in 1615 for Takayama’s lord, but
Tel (0577) 32-0881. Open daily. & in 1692 the shogunate made
Lion dances, to drive away wild it their own provincial office –
animals and evil spirits, are the only one still in existence. Gassho-zukuri houses in Shirakawa-go
integral to festivals such as The front of the building
Takayama’s. This exhibit contains comprises rooms where people t Shokawa Valley
over 800 lion masks from all of various ranks waited or met Shokawa Valley
over Japan plus armor, screens, officials; behind are the kitchens
pottery, and coins. There is also and living quar ters of the Gifu and Toyama prefectures. @ from
a performance by karakuri governor’s family. To one side Nagoya (summer only), Takayama,
Gifu & Takaoka. n (0576) 96-1013.
marionettes, inven ted in Edo is a jail, with a small array of _ Doburoku Matsuri (Shirakawa-go,
(Tokyo) in 1617. torture instruments. The Oct 14–19). ∑ shirakawa-go.
storehouses contain items org/en/
P Takayama Festival Floats relating to the rice-tax system.
Exhibition Hall A remote mountain region
Tel (0577) 32-5100. Open daily. & Environs with unique thatched houses,
Takayama Festival dates from Just out side Takayama is the Shokawa valley comprises
about 1690 and takes place Hida Folk Village, over two areas: Shira kawa-go
twice a year, in spring, coin- 30 houses from surrounding (including Ogimachi) to the
ciding with planting, and in fall rural areas, including a south and the five hamlets
at harvest time. Both festivals gassho-zukuri house from of Gokayama to the north.
involve processions of 11 tall, the Shokawa Valley. There are Under deep snow from
lavishly decorated floats, guided also storehouses, a festival December to March, the
by townspeople in traditional stage, and tradi tional crafts. region was historically a
costume. Four floats also feature The buildings, on a hillside refuge for the defeated and
karakuri marionettes. Between with views of the Japan Alps, persecuted. Until the 1970s
festivals, four of the floats are are interesting both architec- most families here produced
displayed in this hall along with turally and for what they silk, raising silkworms in
photographs of the others. reveal – such as the demands gassho-zukuri thatched houses.
There is also a gallery of exqui- of a snowy climate or the life Of the original 1,800, less
site scale models of Nikko of a village headman. than 150 gassho houses
Tosho-gu Shrine (see pp270–71). remain. Three settlements –
E Hida Folk Village Ogimachi, Suganuma, and
E Takayama Jinya 40 mins walk or 8 mins by bus from Ainokura – are World Heritage
Tel (0577) 32-0643. Takayama stn. Tel (0577) 34-4711. sites. Every April– May, a few
Open daily. & Open daily. & houses are re-thatched, one
roof taking 200 villagers and
volunteers two days. Ogimachi
is the largest village, with
59 gassho houses and an
Open-Air Museum. Suganuma
has nine gassho buildings.
Ainokura is a hill side hamlet
of 20 gassho houses (two
open to visitors).
P Open-Air Museum
Across the river from Ogimachi.
Tel (05769) 6-1231. Open Apr–Nov:
Inside the Takayama Festival Floats Exhibition Hall daily; Dec–Mar: Fri–Wed. &
For hotels and restaurants see p303 and pp326–9

150-151_EW_Japan.indd 150 08/08/16 3:07 pm
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