Takayama tourist information
Takayama in the northern part of Gifu Prefecture is a castle town at the foot of Takayama Castle built in the 16th century. It is a town of old wooden houses standing side by side, and its lineal beauty, highlighted by projecting lattice and eaves of uniform height, draws visitors' attention. Takayama-matsuri Festival, believed to have begun in the 16th to 17th century, is one of the three largest and most beautiful festivals in Japan. At the Festival, intricate floats roam around the city. The floats, utilizing the essence of Hida's traditional techniques, are dazzling and magnificent. Takayama-matsuri Festival is held in spring and autumn every year. In the spring the central shrine is Hie-jinja Shrine, and in autumn, the central shrine is Sakura-yama Hachiman-gu Shrine.
At the Shishi Kaikan, there is a live performance of the marionettes used in the festival. In both spring and autumn there are events held at the Takayama Shisei Kinenkan that allow women to wear kimono and men to wear hakama, and then tour the city.
Other tourist spots include Kyodo Gangu-kan that exhibits folk-art toys from all over Japan, Hida Minzoku-kan that passes down facts and images of life at farming villages in Hida, and Takayama Shrine, which administered politics in the 17th century during the Edo period. Takayama Shrine's Gate and Examination House remain the way they were in the 19th century, the time of their renovation. In front of the shrine is a morning market and wives of local farmers sell fresh vegetables and mountain vegetables that were harvested that day, as well as homemade miso (Japanese bean paste) and folk-art goods.
There are many skiing resorts nearby. Takayama is also popular as a base for sightseeing trips to Mt. Norikura-dake, Shirakawa-go and Chubu Mountains National Park.
by Japan National Tourist Organization
Takayama aerial map
Please click on any icon on the Takayama aerial tourist map, to find close by places, offering hotels and tourist information. You can zoom in and zoom out our touristical map as well as switch between satelite and map view of Takayama.
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