Morning markets line the river. Sake breweries hang cedar balls over their doors. Preserved Edo-period streets look like a film set, except people still live and work here. Takayama is the gateway to Shirakawa-go and the heart of Japan's alpine culture.
What Takayama is known for
Top-rated in Takayama
Heianraku
4.9restaurant
Family-run Chinese restaurant beloved by travelers for its hospitality and vegetarian options.
Bouldering in Kanayama
4.9nature
The Kanayama district of Gero is a popular destination for bouldering enthusiasts and rock climbers.
Ichii Wood Carving Studio
5.0craft
Single-knife yew wood carving in the centuries-old ichii-itto-bori tradition of Takayama.
Hida Takayama Gyoza Sohonten
4.7restaurant
Specialty shop serving dumplings made with Hida pork and local ingredients.
Kanenbo Dojo Site
4.8historic_site
Kanenbo Zenshun was an itinerant priest who is believed to have introduced Jodo Shinshu (True Pure Land) Buddhism to the Shirakawa area in the thirteenth century.
Mt. Senjogatake
4.7nature
Queen of the Minami Alps.
Senju Hall
4.7temple
Senju Hall houses a statue of the Senju, or Thousand-armed Kannon, the bodhisattva of compassion.
Sericulture in Shirakawa-go
4.7nature
Sericulture, or silkworm raising, was practiced in Shirakawa-go since at least the eighteenth century and became a major local industry in the latter half of the nineteenth century.