Takayama is an amazing town. Despite itâs relatively small footprint, itâs bustling with life â although most of it hidden somewhere around the corner.
The good thing about being a small town is also that all the nice places and attractions are relatively near one another. For example, the morning market is right next to the old town.
We were a little late that day so the market was already packing when by the time we reached. (Closes at 10-ish). They sell a wide range of stuff from vegetables to fish. Some of the booths also sell ornaments and souvenirs and further towards the end of the road, you can find stalls selling cooked food. Itâs a good way to experience life of locals as it is. Thereâs so much more to it beyond itâs superficial appearance of a sleepy  town; if you know where and when to go, of course.
Thatâs not all there is on that street. Once the morning market closes, youâll find several cafes starting to open for business. Thereâs even one with a dog as itâs cafe manager. (even on the name card).
Back to the main highlight. Just a row of shops behind is a completely different scene. Old merchant houses, Sake breweries, tea houses and old restaurants. Being on an old merchant route meant that Takayama is filled with heritage buildings.
Thereâs a few things you should look out for when at Takayama:
Gassho houses â Must-see day trip kind of place (Shirakawa and Hida Folk Village)
Long queue for Hida beef sushi
If you are a beef eater, donât miss the Hida beef sushi along the old streets. Thereâs 2 shops but this one is the longest queue. Itâs hard to miss as this is where a huge crowd hangs around and jams up the road.
Thereâs also several breweries around. Some even with dedicated rooms for sake tasting. Ever tried drinking sake from traditional masu cups? Beautifully crafted cypress wooden cups. These delicate pieces are placed on a plate before being filled with overflowing sake. Literally overflowing as its a tradition to filled the cup over its brim. The sale that falls over to the plate is a âbonusâ for savour. Tiny pots of salt are placed at every table to add a little dash of flavour.
P.S: the salt is for you to line it up along the brim like a tequila shot. Except itâs only supposed to be on 2 corners of the cup so that thereâs just enough salt on the edge of our lips to lick it off as you slowly slurp down your brew.
Conclusion
It may be a small sleepy town at first sight but thereâs so much life bustling as you look deeper. We really lives Takayama. Especially that magical moment when it suddenly snowed as we were heading to the train station departing for our next destination. We so wished that we had stayed for a few more days. Such warmth in a small rural town is so refreshing.
The underrated Takayama Old Town Takayama is an amazing town. Despite it's relatively small footprint, it's bustling with life - although most of it hidden somewhere around the corner.
