Takayama

We ate a typical Hida breakfast with lots of dishes at the ryokan sitting on the floor.
We went to the morning market where there were lots of shops and booths with food to taste. There were many Japanese and foreign tourists, today being a public holiday to respect the older generation.
Many old houses had been converted into cafes, shops or museums.
We visited Takayama Jinya which was the branch office of the Shogun government from 1692 until 1868 when the Shogun was replaced by the Emperor. This Jinya was the only original one in Japan.
We visited a sake shop for a tasting of three different sakes although I struggled to tell the difference.
I went to the Tourist Information office at the Station to be directed to the only shop with rucksacks but there was nothing on wheels with a handle.
For lunch, I had a Hida beef rice bowl, miso soup, and a Hida cheese pot.
In the afternoon, we walked through a handicraft centre and a local museum to the Retro Museum which had lots of items from the mid-1950s.
We visited a Shinto shrine and a Buddhist temple with a 1000-year-old ginkyo tree. These places were much quieter than the equivalent in Nikko.
We had another Hida dinner at the ryokan, and played cards in the evening.Read more