Takayama Shirakawa-Go

Pictures are here

The plan was to spend some time in Takayama and then take the 60 min bus ride to Shirakawa-go before taking the last train at 6:45pm from Takayama back to Nagoya. One look at the bustling markets of Takayama convinced us we needed much more time in Takayama. We visited the Miyagawa morning market and I bought some hot red peppers (which I later discovered to be seriously hot, who would have thunk the Japanese would dabble with such hot stuff!). We all also bought an apple each, the samples we tasted were very sweet. The major shopping and eating market is spread across 3 or so blocks. Tons of shops, Takayama is known for its sake breweries and Hida beef. I did know about either until I got there. The hida beef displays in the restaurants were teasing, beautifully marbled beef, I wondered why I hadnt heard of this beef before? I think because all advertising is reserved for neighboring Kobe beef. They don’t make enough Hida to export. We stopped by a store that had sake tasting. I promised I would come back later to buy some, didn’t want to lug sake all the way to Shirakawa-go.

We then took the bus to Shirakawa-go and had lovely views of the snow capped Japanese Alps in the distance, unfortunately the camera did not quite capture the alps. Shirakawa-go is a UNESCO World Heritage sight and is a remote set of villages with thatched roof farmhouses. Due to heavy snow, the roof is at a really steep angle, the style is called gassho-zukuri (folded hands like in a prayer), the roof is almost 2/3rd s of the height of a 2 or 3 storey house. No nails are used in construction of these houses, its wood, straw and strong rope to tie it all together. The roofs need to be replaced every year. The Upper floors are used to raise silk worms. There are less than 2000 residents in about 356 square km land. The river with the mountain backdrop was gushing and green. We took a tour of one the houses (Kando I think), quite dark and claustrophobic though every floor has windows. We had considered staying in one of these houses for the gassho-zukuri ryokan experience, but my readings told me it would be very cold in April and there is usually only one open hearth fireplace (irori) in the central communal room and maybe a small heather in the room where you sleep and shared bathrooms outside the house. I am glad we dropped the idea, there was snow all over the place (though that day itself was sunny and quite pleasant).

Shirakawa-go didn’t not take much time, after a while the homes all looked identically charming. We were rather keen on experiencing more of Takayama so we headed back.

Eugene wanted to walk a trail passing by several shrines and I felt a little shrined out by then. Anu had been told about a place that served shojin-ryori, she wanted vegetarian food: desperately. So we split with Anu and I headed out to find the vegetarian food intending to then continue shopping. The place she had been told about was a false start and then she wanted to head out to a shrine that may or may not have veg food. So then we split and I headed back to the shopping streets (everything was going to close up by 5 or 6). An hour later, I had bought my sake and a lot of gifts for back home (chocolate covered tofu and soy candy among other things), Anu still had not found any food (shrine was closed) and Eugene had abandoned his walk since it was deserted (all shrines were closed). He had, however, run into a traveler from California called Diana. Though we had agreed to meet at a particular intersection @5, we all ran into each other in the shopping streets earlier than that.

Eugene and I had earlier agreed to have a Hida dinner before taking the last train back to Nagoya. Diana helped us pick a place called Takyumi (spelling?) from her guide book. This place was a butcher’s shop with restaurant on top. The food was as delicious as I had anticipated. Succulent, melt on the grill; it hardly needed any seasoning and very little cooking time. Delish!! After the ryokans this was the best meal and other than tofu, the tastiest thing I ate in Japan.