Day 36 - Takayama to Kanazawa

:A Day Through the Mountains

We started at Takayama’s morning market, where Cindy bought colourful jinbei—Japanese tops with matching bottoms—for our three grandchildren. Miniature versions of the comfortable outfits we’ve been wearing in the hotels! Now we have to figure out how to pack them.

She also bought a tiny red sarubobo doll from an older woman who was busy making them by hand. These traditional local good-luck charms take considerable work for such a small price. The woman’s smile after the sale was a highlight of the morning.

After picking up our rental car at 9am, we headed to Shirakawa-go. Its steep thatched roofs and mountain setting are wonderfully picturesque. Cindy’s questions took us beyond the postcard view, exploring how people survived here and the unusual household traditions that developed in this isolated community. The beauty of the village can easily overshadow how hard life must have been.

The weather was so lovely that we canceled our planned tea ceremony and continued outdoors, taking the winding Hakusan Shirakawa-go White Road across the mountains toward Kanazawa. Mountain scenery, waterfalls—and monkeys along the way! A rewarding day to have a car.

With time remaining before our 6pm return, we stopped at Watagataki Falls and Shirayama Hime Shrine. The shrine’s wooded approach was particularly beautiful: stone steps, torii gates and tall trees, with afternoon sunlight filtering through the leaves. A peaceful finish to our sightseeing.

We returned the car and settled into our hotel in Kanazawa, then ventured out for groceries. Unfortunately, dinner turned into one of our worst supermarket meals of the trip. We couldn’t even find bran flakes! Tomorrow’s mission includes a bigger grocery store.

A beautiful day through the mountains, souvenirs to squeeze into our luggage, and a dinner best forgotten.Read more