3. A stroll through Takayama Old Town
Takayama, Gifu Prefecture
Dark wood houses, shoji (the traditional Japanese sliding doors made of wooden frame and translucent paper), rickshaw rides, and cozy tea houses. Taking a walk through the preserved old town of Takayama is like the epitome of all your Japanese dreams.
And, as luck would have it, my visit coincided with the Takayama Autum Festival which is considered to be one of the three most beautiful festivals in Japan along with Kyoto’s Gion Festival and Saitama’s Chichibu Night Festival. That day, the quaint little town of Takayama was bustling with lively spirits, locals and tourists alike, making their way up the shrines, watching dragon dances under tall pine trees, and adoring the traditional festival floats or “yatai” that are recognized by the government as folklore cultural assets.
Whether it’s the festival season or not, though, Takayama Old Town is still worth the visit. Plus, the famous morning market here—where you can find traditional Japanese treats (takoyaki!), items, and many more—is consistently open for tourists to enjoy any time of the year. Takayama is a feast for all the senses, and you will leave feeling full not just in the stomach, but in overflowing joy as well.
2. A glimpse into Japan’s past at Nagoya Castle
Nagoya, Aichi Prefecture
“Ninjas are real???” Was my first reaction at Yuko’s first mention of ninjas. Before that, I honestly thought they are just a figment of anime (are you judging me?). But, alas, I found out that they indeed existed, and immediately the world felt like a much cooler place. Although, of course, history does not always align with the bright, happy colors we like to paint it with. Ninjas were hired assassins and spies of Samurais, who were huge political leaders for over 700 years in Japan.
And, as luck would have it yet again, I was able to catch a Samurai and Ninja Show, a traveling performing group in Japan who tells the history of samurais and ninjas through dance, dialogue, and light, comical entertainment. Although performed in Japanese, the well-executed dances and war scenes (not to mention the brawny samurais) are all worth squeezing in through the crowd for.
Nagoya Castle, which stands gloriously atop a hill, now houses exhibit halls that give you a glimpse of Japan in the Edo Period (1603-1868), also known as the Tokugawa period, when Tokugawa Ieyasu ruled Japan as its “shogun” or supreme military commander. The top most floor of the castle, on the other hand, has been turned into an observation deck where you can get a 360 degree view of Nagoya from above.
I’ve been told the trees surrounding the castle are cherry blossom trees, so another great season to come to this place would be in the spring when the cherry blossoms come in full bloom for two weeks.
1. Bask in the breathtaking beauty of Shirakawa Village
Shirakawa-go, Gifu Prefecture
Oh, Shirakawa-go. Where do I even begin. Shirakawa is a breathtaking sight. So painfully beautiful that I hold no shame in saying I shed a tear the first moment I laid my eyes on it from the observatory deck.
Nestled between mountains covered in picturesque pine trees, Shirakawa-go is considered to be one of the most scenic places in Japan, which is no surprise that it is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Shirakawa-go is a farm village, and what makes it so charming is the 200-300 year old thatch-roofed houses where residents live. These “gassho style” houses, as they are called, are built to withstand the cold of winter. It gets pretty cold here, especially in the winter when everything becomes covered in snow and even more tourists come to visit. Because, apparently, Shirakawa-go in winter nights, when the town is illuminated under the white of snow, is even prettier than it already is.
The small rice fields between houses, the scarecrows, the narrow streams of water where colorful koi fish would swim, the persimmon growing on the trees, and the old ladies tending to their blossoming gardens who would smile as you pass by—Shirakawa-go is that place you thought only existed in postcards or paintings, and yet here it is. Waiting for you to come visit. Waiting to sweep you off your feet.
On my third day in Japan, during a long transit between Shirakawa and Takayama, I was looking out the window of my bus seat at dark-hued brick roofs of Japanese houses in quiet neighborhoods. I was slowly drifting into sleep. But Tomoko-san, the jolliest Japanese you will ever meet, started singing. She was singing in Japanese. A song I couldn’t understand, but whose tune was otherwise familiar. It’s called “Ue O Muite Arukou,” she tells me, writing the words down on my little notebook.
“The song is about looking up,” Tomoko says. “We tend to look down when we are disappointed, so it’s telling us to look up because happiness can be found beyond the clouds.”
I look outside my window again, and as we pass a mountain of lush forests towered by fluffy white clouds of cumulus, I understood what she meant. I smiled, for I knew I have found happiness. Here, in the land of the remarkable rising sun.
Gifu Prefecture Tourism
www.travel.kankou-gifu.jp/en/
facebook.com/Gifu-Crossroads
Nagoya Travel
www.centrair.jp/en/
facebook.com/japantravel.nagoya
Guide Interpreter
Yuko Muraguchi
E-mail: marinleo@oboe.ocn.ne.jp
