This article is based on a visit made on Friday, 18 May 2018.
Previously on Sekai Ichi, I visited the
Showa-kan museum in Takayama. The museum stands on the edge of one of Takayama's main draws, its old town. Formally known as the Sanmachi Historical Houses Preservation District (三町伝統的建造物群保存地区,
Sanmachi Dentouteki Kinzoubutsugun Hozon Chigu), the old town is a neighbourhood of homes and shops, some of which have been standing since the Edo period (1601-1868).
The old town is located on the east side of the Miya River (宮川,
Miya-gawa). One of Takayama's two popular morning markets, the Miyagawa Morning Market, is set up every morning along the riverside, just north of the old town area. But since it's the afternoon, let's move on to where the real action is.
The action in the old town is centred around three parallel streets. Some of the buildings are private homes, but many others are shops which specialise in all manner of foods, crafts, and sake, a.k.a.
nihonshu (日本酒, lit. 'Japanese liquor'). Like the
Higashi Chaya district in Kanazawa, I found that the similar building styles and Japanese signage tends to make each business blend into the next, but the wider variety of businesses does help each to stand out a bit.
One object you'll see lots of in Takayama is the
sugidama (杉玉, lit. 'cedar ball'), a common decoration found in front of sake-related businesses. They are made of cedar branches and leaves, the same tree whose wood was traditionally used to make casks for fermenting liquor. They are coloured green when made in the winter, and turn brown later on in the year, when the sake has aged enough and is ready to drink.
Numerous sake shops in Takayama offer samples for a low cost. The sample shown above is
umeshu (lit. 'plum liquor'). For obvious reasons, only those who are of drinking age in Japan (20 years old) and who are not planning to drive anytime soon need apply.
One of the other sake breweries in the area even sells sake-flavoured ice cream! If the alcoholic bite of the real thing is too much for you to handle, this is a good way to experience it with a more mellow sweetness. The same age restrictions apply for the ice cream, just to be on the safe side.
Looking for something more substantial? Hida beef, along with the more famous Kobe beef, is one of the most prestigious varieties of
wagyu (和牛, lit. 'Japanese cattle'), and Takayama is the best place to try it out. One of the most accessible places to try out Hida beef is a
nikuman, or steamed beef bun, from Kihachiro Beef Bun, whose signboard is shown above. Kihachiro also has additional stores as far away as Kyoto and Kamakura.
Sugidama aren't the only creative signage to be found here. This
soba restaurant incorporates some noodles draped over a pair of chopsticks.
And in front of another place, I came across this animatronic puppet. Simply put, you never know what you'll find out here!
Case in point, I found a chopsticks shop where I was able to get my name printed on a pair of my own.
Making this moment even more special, I also got a ¥2,000 note back with my change. This denomination was first printed, appropriately enough, in the year 2000, but is rarer to come across than the other bills (¥1,000, ¥5,000, and ¥10,000). In that sense, it's a lot like the US $2 bill, although closer in value to $20.
Not every business in the old town is steeped in tradition. My grandmother was drawn into a shop that specialised in tomato juice and similar products. The store itself gave off a hipsterish schoolhouse vibe.
We came across that place while we were searching for some place where we could get a rickshaw ride. It took some searching, but we found one. Our guide for the ride spoke enough English -- not that much according to her, but suitable enough for me -- to give us insights that helped us enjoy the neighbourhood even more. She was even willing and able to take a couple of pictures of us, one of which I've used for my sign-off above. If you'd like a rickshaw ride for yourself, expect to pay ¥5,000 for 30 minutes, but if you can get a shorter and cheaper course like we did, you'll still get your money's worth. As for us, there was one more city we made a stop at on our way back to Tokyo. Find out where, next time on Sekai Ichi!
Access: From the Takayama Bus Centre, take the Machinami loop bus to Sanmachi-dori (さんまち通り, ¥100), in the middle of the old town. The Counterclockwise route takes 9 minutes to get to this stop, while the Clockwise route takes 24 minutes.
You can also reach the area in about 10 minutes on foot from Takayama Station. Turn right out of the station's East Exit, then take the next left at the traffic light. Continue on up the main road for about 850m (½ mile). After crossing the river, you will have arrived in the old town.
Kihachiro
Hours: Open from 10:00 AM to 6:00 PM. Closed on Wednesdays.
Address: 35 Kamisannomachi, Takayama-shi, Gifu-ken 〒506-0845
Website:
(Japanese)
