Japan in Autumn - Takayama

 Takayama is a historic city, a gateway to the Japanese Alps.  It took two trains to get to Takayama from Nagano.  The second train, the Hida, runs along its namesake, the Hida River providing a scenic ride to Takayama.  Its tributary, the Miyagawa River, flows through Takayama creating scenic interest in the town itself with several bridges.

Once we got to Takayama, our first stop is the Hida Folk Village, an open air museum with more than 30 traditional centuries old houses with thatched and shingled roofs.  It is situated in a beautiful setting with the autumn colours at peak.  We spent a couple of hours walking through it and exploring the insides of these houses.

The old town has some beautiful, well-preserved Edo-period merchant houses but it was so crowded in the afternoon we could not see the buildings properly so we made a return visit at night to get the true feel of the old town.  So glad we did.

We could not in good conscience visit the gateway to the Alps without getting a bit closer to the mountains even though it was not on our original itinerary.  Thanks to a conversation with a fellow traveller while waiting for a bus earlier in Nagano, we found out a day trip is possible.  It took two hours and two buses to get to Kamikochi, the gateway to Chubu Sangaku National Park.  While no private cars are allowed in the park, there is a huge parking lot filled with buses which presumably shuttle passengers to and from the various stations so it didn't take long for the next shuttle to come along.  Everything ran smoothly with Japanese efficiency (as we have come to expect) with station masters at popular stops to answer questions and direct boarding.   

From Kamikochi, we could see the Hida Mountain Range in the Northern Japan Alps, the highest mountain range in Japan.   We were able to see Mt. Oku-Hotakadake (3,190m) and the still active volcano Mt. Yakedake (2,455m) at Taisho Pond, reachable after a reasonable hike from the shuttle station.  We were lucky to see the larches in their peak autumn colours - what a treat!  I can see that gleam in the eyes of my much younger travel companions answering the call of the mountains to return to climb or ski at some later date...

Hida Folk Village

Scenic railway trip up the Hida river

Terraced fields 

View of the Japanese Alps from Hida Folk Village

Thatched roofs on houses

Inside the houses

Inside altar

Outside shrine

Farmer's equipment

Wedding gowns

Wakayama's House from the mid-1900's - example of "old Japanese-style house with a steep rafter roof.  The ground floor was built by carpenters and the upper floors were constructed by the village people.  It took all the village people four das to make the thatched roof which is said to last for 40-60 years.  The fire in the heart is always lighted, not only because it reproduces the atmosphere of the old days, but also because the smoke is very important for preserving the house in a good condition.  The smoke protects it from harmful insects, keeps the ropes tight and gives the house moderate moisture." from sign posted outside

The roof as seen from the attic

Impressive wood floor planks

The Tori  gate leading to the shrine - again reachable via a millioin steps

Streets of Takayama 

Two interesting characters guarding the bridge in town - one has the longest arms, the other the longest legs!   Ashinaga (long legs) and Tenaga (long arms)- a pair of yōkai (supernatural beings or monsters) from Japanese folklore.  In the folklore, they are said to be from two different "countries" and work together as a team to fish. Tenaga climbs on Ashinaga's back, and Ashinaga wades into deep water, allowing Tenaga to use his long arms to reach and catch fish. The story is often seen as a metaphor for teamwork and utilizing different individual strengths to achieve a common goal.    (AI summary)

Pagoda at Buddhist temple in town

Old town street and shops in Edo-period (1601-1868) buildings.

This willow is marked as preserved property

The Miyagawa River flowing through town

Old town at night

An interesting encounter with a motorcyclist who parked his precious bike on the street so he can photograph it with the old houses.  

Gyojin Bridge

Takayama station at night

The Abo Tunnel - an impressive 4.5 km long unnel providing access to Kamikochi.  I was very impressed by how it curves around like a regular road unlike most tunnels that are usually straight.

Kamikochi with the Kappa-bashi bridge below the Alps

Mt. Yakedake, active volcano

Mt. Hotakadake

Larches at peak

An interesting arrangement on the trail - left and right tracks.  The Japanese are rule bound - you walk on the left and stick to it.  Given there is no plank in the centre, if you pass on the right you would be in the way of someone coming in the opposite direction. 

A beautiful boardwalk over the marsh

Reflections of the mountains at Taisho Pond - if we had gotten off the bus in the morning and hiked to Kappa-bashi bridge from the pond, the reflection would have been much smoother as it is much calmer in the morning.