Takayama City is located in Hida Region in the northern part of Gifu Prefecture. This city has a charming townscape and is a popular tourist destination because of its historical buildings and traditional culture which has been in place since the Edo period (1600 to 1868). Most people know it by the name Hida Takayama.
This article lists a number of sightseeing spots that will allow tourists to fully enjoy the charm of Hida Takayama. We will also provide information on dishes that highlight Hida-gyu or Hida beef as a part of the exquisite Wagyu brand.
Let’s jumpstart this list by seeing some of the most common tourist spots in this city.
Main image credit: Alexander Hagseth / Shutterstock.com
1. Visit Takayama Jinya, the last magistrate’s office in Japan
Takayama Jinya is a government office that served as the workplace of magistrates and county officials dispatched by the military government or bakufu. Sixty of such offices existed in Japan by the end of the Edo period. Still, at present, Takaya Jinya is the only existing main building. As such, the structure is considered a national historic site.
Takayama Jinya also served as a courthouse during the Edo period. It has maintained the Oshirasu — a place where criminals sat during court proceedings.
Takayama Jinya also has volunteers that offer free on-site tours that allow you to appreciate the history and charm of Takayama Jinya's beautiful and well-maintained courtyard.
Takayama Jinya
1-5 Hachikenmachi, Takayama-shi, Gifu 506-0012
0577-32-0643
Hours: March 1 to October 31 (excluding August): 8:45 am to 5:00 pm, August 1 to 31: 845 am to 6:00 pm, and November 1 to February 28: 8:45 am to 4:30 pm.
3月1日〜10月31日（8月除く）8:45〜17:00 / 8月1日〜8月31日 8:45〜18:00 / 11月1日〜2月28日 8:45〜16:30
Admission: 440 yen/person (with group discounts); free for high school students and younger
Closed: December 29, 31, and January 1
2. Enjoy the beauty of Hida Folk Village's traditional gasshō-zukuri thatched roof homes!
Hida's old valuable houses, including gasshō-zukuri houses (traditional Japanese architecture with thatched roofs), were dismantled and rebuilt in Hida Folk Village to recreate the life or ancient seasonal events in nostalgic rural villages. Hida Folk Village features more than 30 gasshō-zukuri houses and around 8000 folk items.
You can also go inside these houses to fully appreciate the structure of one of Japan's traditional houses. Hida Folk Village also has a classroom that gives tourists a hands-on experience of Hida's folk craft.
In this classroom, you can make a Japanese amulet called sarubobo and even experience kumihimo, which is a form of braid-making featured in a popular anime film set in the Hida region.
Hida Folk Village
1-590 Kamiokamotomachi, Takayama-shi, Gifu-ken 506-0031
0577-34-4711
Hours: 8:30〜17:00
Admission: Adult: 700 yen, Children (elementary and junior high school): 200 yen
Closed: None (open all year)
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3. Stroll around Sanmachi-dori in Hida Takayama, the iconic must-see sightseeing area!
Furui Machinami (Old Town) are iconic tourist spots in Hida Takayama featuring a stretch of buildings from the Edo period. The most popular among these streets is the Sanmachi-dori, which extends from the Kamiichinomachi to the Kamisannomachi. This street is considered a Preservation District for Groups of Traditional Buildings.
Blessed with good rice, wate…
