best things to do Takayama Japan
Takayama, Japan
Takayama, Japan –
13 Best Things To Do In
This Japanese Fairytale Town
This year, I was invited to travel Japan on the award-winning OneLife Adventures 10 day tour.
So my best friend and I packed our bags and set off on the most amazing, whirlwind trip that took us all over Japan.
One of our favorite stops was the beautiful and historic, Takayama. It truly is something out of a Japanese fairytale.
For being a small town, there was SO much to do here.
Our OneLife Adventures guide, Mike, gave us a long list of recommendations. We packed as much as we could into one day and here were my favorites!
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You can watch the video highlights of my recommendations here:
1. Spend the night in a temple
We stayed at the stunning Takayama Zenkoji and it was an absolute highlight of our trip!
It’s located just a short walk from the historic district of Takayama and is absolutely stunning.
In the morning, you’ll have the option to add a morning prayer or meditation class. The morning prayer is free but the mediation class has a small additional fee. I attended the prayer and found it very interesting and very worthwhile for the early wake up call!
Between the gardens and the architecture, it’s a beautiful place to take pictures as well.
Pro tip: It is chilly in the temple at night so pack some cozy, extra warm socks.
The rooms have individual heaters but like most places in Japan, you’ll be expected to take your shoes off when you enter. And walking around the beautiful temple is quite chilly if you don’t have warm socks!
2. Wander the Sanmachi Suji historic district
Takayama’s historic district feels like something out of a Japanese fairytale.
The narrow streets here are lined with wooden merchants’ houses dating to the Edo Period, along with many small museums, shops and sake breweries.
Pro tip: The historic main street of shops all close very early. Many by 4:30pm/5pm! So plan your day accordingly if you want to shop and do a sake tasting etc.
Pro tip: Many of the shops close at 5pm so if you want shop and wander this district,
make sure you come during the day.
3. Morning stroll at the Miyagawa Market
The Miyagawa Morning Market has been around, in one form or another, for over two centuries. And still today it’s a popular place to buy produce, coffee and gifts.
The market is located on either bank of the Miya River between the Kajibashi and Yayoibashi bridges.
Every morning, weather permitting, you can shop for everything from local fruits and vegetables to fancy dolls and chopsticks. The food stalls here are also fantastic and I encourage you to try a few things you’ve never had before.
As with all markets, the earlier you go, the better.
The best and freshest produce will be sold first. And I think you’ll find the market is a great place to people watch!
4. Sake Tasting at A Local Brewery
When visiting Takayama, be sure to indulge in a little sake tasting!
I recommend Harada Sake Brewery but there are several in town. This place is self service and has a wide variety of both hot and cold sake you can sample.
It’s also a great place to buy a bottle of sake to bring home!
5.Visit an Onsen
The Japanese have perfected the art of onsen, or hot spring baths, for centuries.
And there are several great onsens in Takayama that you can visit during your stay.
Keep in mind, you will be completely nude while bathing and separated by gender. Some non-Japanese travelers may be surprised by this but it is the standard custom in Japan!
Not all Japanese onsen allow tattoos so it depends which onsen you plan to visit. Confirm ahead of time that you can enter if you have tattoos! Utopia Inari-yu is a tattoo friendly onsen.
But if you’re in Takayama, I would opt for the onsen at Takayama Green Hotel. And you don’t need to be staying at the hotel to use the facilities. You can simply pay to enter the onsen at a pay machine.
Pro tip: If you stay at the same temple hotel as I did, Takayama Zenkoji ,
there is a small personal onsen you can reserve and use!
6. Shop for custom chopsticks at Maruhyaku
There are so many cute shops in the historic downtown of Takayama but easily my favorite was the customs chopsticks store.
Here you can shop for chopsticks of ALL varieties.
And for an extra special souvenir or gift, you can custom order chopsticks with a name on it for FREE.
I chose to get a set with my name in both Japanese and English. Initially, I was afraid the custom printing would look cheap but they turned out BEAUTIFULLY. I highly recommend this as a present as well!
7. Learn to shoot Japanese Archery at Hankyudojo
This small shop is a Japanese archery training room.
You won’t need long here but its a fun stop worth seeking out!
When you arrive, the shop attendant will teach you the Japanese style of archery and you’ll have 10 arrows per round you purchase.
| Address | 11-2 Asahi-machi, Takayama-city, Gifu |
|---|---|
| Hours | 7:00pm to 10:00pm |
| Fee | JPY700 per 10 arrows |
8. Try the Hida Beef
The Takayama region is famous for its hida beef. If you’re a meat eater, you’ll want to try some while in town.
“Hida Beef is a designation awarded to Japanese black cattle of the highest quality that are bred in the Hida region of Gifu Prefecture. Recognized as Japan’s Best Beef multiple times, the name “Hida Beef” is synonymous with succulent taste and exquisite, marbled texture.”
I suggest trying the hida beef at Jugemu right in the old town district! You’ll order at a vending machine, then take your ticket to the counter and collect your order. They serve it up fresh and have different cuts of beef you can try!
But you can also check out this list for great recommendations on where to try Hida Beef!
9. Try the Japanese Curry at Jakson Curry & Coffee
This hole-in-the-wall restaurant is tiny but was probably my favorite meal I had anywhere in Japan.
Our guide told us about this renowned local joint but it comes with a lot of stipulations.
There are no vegetarian options, no groups are allowed, it can be difficult to get a spot, the menu is only in Japanese… but that being said, it’s worth it. A true Japanese dining experience. They offer 4 different curries with rice and you won’t regret your choice!
Just note if you are traveling with a group like I was with OneLife Adventures, you’ll need to arrive at separate times with just 2-4 people max!
Address: 5 Chome-5 Tenmanmachi, Takayama, Gifu 506-0025, Japan
10. Try Japan’s Cremia Ice Cream
This recommendation may be slightly biased since ice cream is my favorite food but that being said…
Japan’s Cremia ice cream is UNREAL! You can try it many places throughout Japan but they do have a shop right in the historic district of Takayama.
And there is no better area to wander and take in the sites while enjoying an ice cream cone.
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If you prefer to explore the amazing Takayama food scene with a guide, check out the guided tours on Get Your Guide. This particular tour visits 3 local eateries + a sake brewery.
11. Wander through Dekonaru yokochō
Dekonaru yokochō is a tiny but fun area that will still be lively in the evening when the main historic streets close down early.
Here you can find a variety of open bars (see the next suggestion!) a fun arcade shooter game (if you’re lucky the fun, quirky host will sing for you!!) and even a gyoza vending machine.
12. Have a sake cocktail at Bar Lucca
This tiny little sake bar is located inside the Dekonaru yokochō area (listed above!).
Bar Lucca only has a handful of seats in true Japanese izakaya style.
The Japanese word izakaya (居酒屋) is made up of three kanji with the meaning, in order, “stay-drink-place.” A spot to grab a drink, settle in, and get comfortable. Usually very small and family owned. Many with a dozen seats or less.
I recommend the apple and ginger ale sake cocktail. It’s delicious!
Address: 24 Asahimachi, Takayama, Gifu 506-0017, Japan
13. Try the gyozas at Hida Takayama Gyoza Sohonzan
This highly rated gyoza restaurant is also located right in Dekonaru yokochō.
But if you’re looking for Japanese gyoza in Takayama, then there is no better place!
You can try grilled dumplings, hida beef dumplings and so much more.
There is limited seating so go early and like with most dining establishments in Japan, don’t go with a large group.
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