Sometimes, the small and lesser known towns found throughout Japan are the most beautiful and surprising destinations. We got the chance to stop and do some sightseeing around Gujo while driving back to Nagoya from the city of Takayama. While touring Gifu Prefecture, Gujo might have been the most surprising destination. Gujo had everything a large city has packed into a small town. In Gujo you can hike to Gujo Castle, explore the cute alley ways, walk through historic districts, visit temples, and dine in the many restaurants that line the historic streets.  Gujo on a map and how to get here Gujo is located in Gifu Prefecture. If looking at the map above it appears to be almost halfway between Takayama and the outskirts of Nagoya City.  The best way to reach Gujo is by vehicle and it is easily accessible from the expressway (E41) or Route 256.  If taking the expressway from Takayama, Gujo is a little over an hours drive. We decided to take the scenic route and avoid tolls and the drive took about 1 hour and 30 minutes.  If departing or heading toward Nagoya, the route takes about 1 hour and 10 minutes on the expressway or 2 hours and 20 minutes if avoiding tolls.  Sightseeing Around Gujo – Can’t Miss Attractions and Sites Everything in Gujo is within walking distance, with the exception of the castle, I recommend driving to the castle. Gujo just is not that big, there are a few parking lots around town, from there you can walk to all the recommended sites below.  Gujo Hachiman Castle Gujo Hachiman Castle is probably the most famous attraction in Gujo and is well worth a visit. This castle is perched on a hill overlooking the city. There are several parking lots around the castle ranging from at the base of the hill to right behind the castle. We parked somewhere in between and walked about 15 minutes to the castle entrance.  Gujo Hachiman Castle is on the smaller side and doesn’t take to much time to visit. I’d say 30 minutes or less is all that is needed for a thorough visit.  Gujo Hachiman Castle was originally built in 1559 but was dismantled during the Meiji Period. The castle was again rebuilt in 1933. Today, you can enter the castle and walk the grounds. Since the castle is new, it was built with larger stairs that aren’t as steep as some of the original castles, so it’s a bit easier to make it to the top of the main keep. You get incredible 360° views of Gujo and the surrounding mountains.  Admission and Hours Admission ¥320 Per Person Hours 9:00 to 17:00 – March to May and September to October 8:00 to 18:00 – June to August 9:00 to 16:30 – November to February Yanagi-machi Dori Yanagi-machi Dori is a street at the base of the hill below the Gujo Hachiman Castle. The architecture of the houses reminded me a lot of the houses we saw in Takayama. We parked our car at a paid lot near Yanagi-machi Dori, walked from one end to the other before making our way to the downtown area of Gujo. Because the houses and street here was so beautiful, I recommend a quick stroll on Yanagi-machi Dori. Yanaka Lane Yanaka Lane or Yanaka Mizu No Komichi is a small alley way in the center of Gujo. Yanaka Lane has been around since ancient times and was a community road leading toward Yanaka Inari Shrine. According to a plaqard at the beginning of the alley way there are 80,000 stones that line the pathway. There is a cute little canal on the side of the pathway. We visited on an off day and there were no people around. I can see this area being popular in the summer time, especially for children to play in the canal.  Igawa Lane Igawa Lane is the primary attraction that drew me to stopping in Gujo while on our road trip. It popped up in Google Maps, and I was instantly drawn to it. According to a placard at the entrance of Igawa Lane, this lane is 1 meter wide and 119 meters long. The lane is in a peaceful neighborhood in Gujo not far from the Yoshida River. This alley way was absolutely beautiful! The canal, maple trees, old style houses, and gigantic carp really made Igawa Lane worth visiting. Honestly, the carp in the canal here where some of the fattest I’ve seen in my life. You can pay for food and feed them at a few sites along Igawa Lane.  Miyagase Bridge There are three bridges in Gujo that cross the Yoshida River. They all have incredible views, but I highly recommend walking over the Miyagase Bridge. The views of the river and homes from here were just spectacular. During the summer months, locals take advantage of the hot weather and cool off in the river below.  Sogi Spring Sogi Spring itself was worth a quick visit, but I recommend walking the river walk nearby along the Kodara River. The Shimizu Bridge, is a pretty red bridge that is a popular photo spot. When we were here, there were a lot of school age children on the bridge taking photos. There are stairs near Sogi Spring leading to the river, it’s also a popular lunch spot.  Manhole Covers Around Gujo **This post contains affiliate links. If you click on one of the links throughout the page, whether it be TripAdvisor, Booking.com. Agoda.com, or any other affiliate, I might receive commission at no extra cost to you. For more information, you can visit my affiliate link page here. Thanks for the support!  Enjoying my photos and want to see more? Check out my Picfair Store. 

Like Takayama, Kanazawa is a city that is a little bit off the beaten path. Kanazawa is said to have the best preserved Edo-style districts in the country. If you love food, especially seafood, then Kanazawa is the right place for you. Besides exploring the Edo-style districts, Kanazawa is most famous for it’s beautiful white castle and Kenroku-en Garden which is considered one of the top 3 gardens in Japan. Visiting Kanazawa should be included on any itinerary when visiting Japan.  Kanazawa on a Map and How to Get Here Kanazawa is a large city located in Ishikawa Prefecture. With access to the Sea of Japan to the West, Kanazawa has done remarkably well throughout history and continues to grow into a modern and well developed city.  Train travel is not as prevalent in western Japan as it is along the east coast, so getting to Kanazawa does take time and effort. The Kanazawa train station is serviced by West Japan’s Hokuriku Line.  We rented a car in Nagoya and drove north toward Kanazawa. Renting cars in Japan is easy and fairly cheap. I recommend going this route as it allows more freedom to explore and can be cheaper in the long run especially if traveling with multiple people.  Once in Kanazawa, getting around by bike or on foot is recommended. Most attractions are within walking distance. Can’t Miss Attractions and Things to do While Visiting Kanazawa We were visiting Kanazawa for two days while road tripping through central Japan. I’ve heard tremendous feedback about Kanazawa from other travelers and resources, so both Jill and I were excited to explore Kanazawa at a slower pace.  The main attractions we wanted to see were definitely Kanazawa Castle, Kenroku-en, and the historic districts of Higashi Chaya and Naga-machi. We managed to fit a lot more into our itinerary for Kanazawa and visited many more sites. Below are the attractions and things we did around Kanazawa. Omicho Market According to japan-guide, Omicho Market has been the largest and most popular fresh food market in Kanazawa since the Edo Period.  Today, Omicho Market consists of around 200 different vendors and restaurants selling a wide variety of fun and tasty food items from wasabi shoots to delicious and fresh seafood.  My recommendation for visiting Omicho Market is to come early and come hungry. Unfortunately, our hotel had an amazing Japanese breakfast, so I only had room to try a few fresh pieces of tempura and fresh fruit. We had plans to come here later in the day for a late lunch or early dinner. Again, we didn’t do our research and most restaurants closed at 3:00 pm here. By the time we came back to Omicho Market, most vendors were sold out for the day.  Oyama Shrine Oyama Shrine is a Shinto Shrine near Kanazawa Castle. Prior to entering the grounds of the shrine, visitors can view and walk through the western-style gate, designed by a Dutch architect. Other then the shrine itself and unique gate, there is a nice park within the complex consisting of a few ponds. There are also some interesting sculptures scattered around the shrine’s grounds.  Nezumita-mon Gate Nezumita-mon Gate is one of the main gates to Kanazawa Castle. Nezumita-mon Gate is on the west side of Kanazawa Castle, right behind Oyama Shrine. The appearance of the Nezumita-mon gate is unique given its black plaster tiles and namako walls. The gate and bridge have been restored as it was damaged due to fire over a hundred years ago.  We walked over the bridge to Nezumita-mon several times while visiting Kanazawa. I found this spot to be particularly photogenic, especially at night.  Gyokusen-inmaru Park This small Japanese garden is located in Kanazawa Castle Park. Situated between the Nezumita-mon Gate and Kanazawa Castle the Gyokusen-inmaru park has a large lake with three islands connected by bridges. There is a tea house/information center here. They offer a brief “English” if interested. I have “English” in quotation marks, because we stood on the houses balcony and a sweet older gentleman tried his best to explain the garden and its history in English.  Kanazawa Castle Kanazawa Castle was home to the Maeda Clan from 1583 until the final years of the Edo Period. Kanazawa Castle has burnt down several times since then, with the latest fire being in 1881, only one gate and a couple storage houses remained.  The castle area was being used as a headquarters for the Japanese army during the Meiji Era. Afterwards, until 1996 it was being used by Kanazawa University. After 1996, the castle has gone through extensive renovations. A major project is currently underway. This project is focusing on building the castle from the ground up using original techniques.  Kanazawa Castle is particularly beautiful with its white outer walls and decorative tiles.  Admission and Hours for Visiting Kanazawa Castle Admission Fee  Adults ¥320 Children ¥100 Hours 9:00-16:30 Daily Kenroku-en Kenroku-en is considered one of the Three Great Gardens of Japan, along wih Koraku-en in Okayama ad Kairaku-en in Mito.  Kenroku-en became a garden in 1620 and was owned by the Maeda Clan until the 1840’s, before ultimately opening up to visitors in the 1870’s.  The garden is massive and deserves several hours to explore. There are various parts to the garden which includes large ponds, various plant species, trails, tea houses, restaurants, and other shops.  While walking around Kenroku-en we couldn’t help but notice the beautiful landscapes and gigantic old trees. In Japan they take good care of their trees and help them grow properly in any way possible as illustrated in the photo below.  We also discovered a beautiful tea house on Kasumiga-ike Pond. We were served delicious matcha tea and a sweet treat. The tea house was so relaxing, we lost track of time here.  Admission and Hours to Kenroku-en Admission ¥320 for Adults Hours 7:00 to 18:00 March until October 15 8:00 to 17:00 October 16 until February Higashi Chaya District Higashi Chaya District is the largest of the three Edo period districts in Kanazawa. This historically preserved area has several streets and alley ways lined with beautiful wooden buildings on either side.  Chaya means “teahouse” and this district was considered to be an entertainment district. Wealthy customers would visit the tea houses mainly for entertainment.  Today, the Higashi Chaya District is full of cute shops, sake breweries, and restaurants. We simply walked around the district taking any alley possible. The district wasn’t to big so there was no getting lost.  Kazuemachi District Just across the Asano River from the Higashi Chaya District is the smaller but my favorite district, Kazuemachi District.  This district is basically one long road that follows the Asano River for a few blocks. The front of the buildings were gorgeous, but I preferred walking the small street behind the buildings. It was a small network of local homes. There are no real places to visit within the Kazuemachi District and you don’t need but 10 minutes to explore the area, but I found it to be very charming.  Nagamachi District The Nagamachi District is a good walk from the other two districts. This one is closer to the Oyama Shrine. Nagamachi was considered the samurai district. Being in close proximity to Kanazawa Castle, the samurai along with their families lived in this district. Many of the homes in this area are still lived in today by locals, so be polite. Nagamachi district is made up of several roads and canals. There is a museum and restored samurai house that can be visited. We visited this district twice but both at night, unfortunately we did not visit any attractions within the district. I loved the quietness there was here at night. We didn’t see a single person or car both times.  Dining and Drinking around Kanazawa Being so close to the Sea of Japan, Kanazawa is known for their seafood, especially crab. If you don’t like seafood, you can still find all your favorite Japanese dishes in Kanazawa. We had some of the best Indian food we’ve ever had in Japan here and found a decent omurice restaurant in the basement of a department store.  Kanazawa also has several sake breweries within the historic districts that are fun to try. We even found a beer brewery near the Higashi Chaya District that brewed up spectacular beers. Below are some of the places we found ourselves eating and drinking at while visiting Kanazawa.  Dining Aashirwad (Indian Food) Probably some of the best Indian Food I’ve had while in Japan. People probably won’t believe me, but Indian Food here outside of India is probably some of the best on the planet. The curry at Indian Restaurants and Naan bread is out of this world.  At Aashirwad I had my favorite garlic cheese naan with lamb curry and was blown away by the amount of food and flavors. The staff spoke English and were extremely polite. I was very satisfied with Aashirwad and think it might just very well be my favorite Indian restaurant in Japan.  勝乃屋 金沢エムザ店 (Japanese Food) Sorry, no translation for the restaurant name. We were on our way back from the Higashi Chaya District and were starving. We figured we’d grab dinner at Omicho Market plus I was craving seafood. To our surprise, most restaurants at the market closed at 3:00 pm. So we browsed around the area and found a shopping mall. In Japan, even shopping malls have amazing local restaurants. So don’t let a mall scare you into thinking they just have a food court with chain fast food restaurants.  Right across from Omicho Market is the M’za department store. Jill and I found a nice restaurant called 勝乃屋 金沢エムザ店 that served omurice and other Japanese dishes. I got the omurice with tempura and was quite surprised. For those that don’t know Omurice is a Japanese dish that is a Japanese omelet over rice. Jill had a stir fry, we were both pleasantly surprised, especially since our bill was under ¥2000 for dinner.  Drinking Oriental Brewing Right in the Higashi Chaya District is Oriental Brewing. After walking all day in a new place, one of my favorite things to do is to find a local brewery to take a much needed break. Oriental Brewing was a fantastic brewery serving up delicious beer. You can order beer flights here or by the pint.  I had a total of 5 beers here, including tasters and ranked all their beers pretty high according to my Untappd app. They had a Barleywine that I was a fan of. I also liked their Yuwaku Yuzu Ale, Noto Sea Salt Saison, and their Single Hop Citra beer.  福光屋 ひがし (sake brewery) We came across this sake brewery in the heart of the Higashi Chaya District.  I am not a huge sake guy, I like sake, I just don’t know it as well as I do beer. I do know that good sake can be found all throughout mainland Japan, so I had to at least try one sake brewery in Kanazawa.  We stumbled upon 福光屋 ひがし based on their sign hanging outside the wooden brewery for sake tastings. The inside was modern, we sat at the bar and ordered a set of three different sake’s to try. They gave us generous pours.  Along with the sake, we got a small miso paste dish that was supposed to complement the sake. It had a very unique flavor. Lets just say, I used the sake to wash this dish down and get the flavor out of my mouth.  Where we Stayed and Other Lodging Options Like any other city in Japan, you can find a wide range of hotel and lodging options from onsen resorts to hostels. While visiting Kanazawa, we stayed at a hotel named Hotel Resol Trinity Kanazawa and it was very nice, their breakfast was superb. Next door was an Italian restaurant and the breakfast buffet was hosted at the restaurant. We choose this hotel based on location

Shirakawa-go and surrounding villages are one of Japan’s UNESCO sites. These sites span across the borders of Toyama and Gifu Prefectures in Central Japan 🇯🇵. These villages are unique as the Gassho-style houses are well preserved and have been untouched for hundreds of years. Gassho-style refers to the roof and that they resemble praying hands. The three villages that make up UNESCO’s Historic Villages of Shirakawa-go and Gokayama include Ogimachi in the region of Shirakawa-go Ainokura, and Suganuma in the region of Gokayama. The houses most noticeable features are the thatched roofs. These houses were built so uniquely to withstand heavy amounts of snowfall during the winter months in the harsh mountain climates.  While road tripping 🚙 through Central Japan, we decided to make a day out of visiting the Historic Villages of Shirakawa-go and Gokayama. We had no idea how vast and impressive these villages actually were until we visited them. Needles to say, after visiting this area, we fell in love and have plans to come back.  Historic Villages of Shirakawa-go and Gokayama We were driving from the city of Kanazawa, making our way to Matsumoto and planned on visiting all of the historic villages of Shirakawa-go and Gokayama. We first stopped at Ainokura Gassho-zukuri Village before making our way to Suganuma and finally Ogimachi in the Shirakawa-go region.  Ainokura Gassho-zukuri Village Ainokura Gassho-zukuri village is Gokayama’s largest village. This village has a total of 20 gassho-style houses. Not only is Ainokura Gassho-zukuri village a World Heritage Site, but residents still live within these houses. In fact, we were able to tour one of the homes and meet the owners of the home.  Inside the home we visited, it looked like your traditional Japanese home. There were tatami mats scattered throughout the house, a stove in the middle of the main room, and even an alter room. We were able to visit the second floor of the home, this is where a lot of storage and work takes place. The photo below is what the second floor of the homes look like.  This style of building was popular in the 1800’s, so most buildings throughout the villages are 100-200 years old but there are buildings that are as old as 400 years.  Visitors are free to walk around the area and enter homes only if access is allowed. Since most homes are still occupied by residents the majority are off limits. But some homes will have signs in front allowing access, although there might be an additional fee.  Admission and Hours Admission Admission is per vehicle and is to be paid at the gate prior to parking. ¥500 per vehicle Hours 8:30-17:00 Daily Suganuma Historical Village Suganuma was interesting because it was almost two villages combined together to create the site we know today as Suganuma.  Visitors can access this village via the parking lot, take the elevator or trails down to the village and proceed right to the Houses of Suganuma or left to Gokayama Gassho-no-Sato.  Suganuma sits next to a river in a stunning mountainous area. There are a total of nine thatched roof houses that remain in the area.  Admission and Hours Admission ¥500 per vehicle Hours 9:00 am – 4:30 pm, (April – November) 9:00 am – 4:00 pm (December – March) Closed December 31 and January 1.  Ogimachi in the Shirakawa-go Region Ogimachi Village in the Shirakawa-go region is the largest and most popular of the sites we visited. This site has dozens, upwards to 100 thatched roof houses 🛖.  Like the other sites, access to Ogimachi is best via the parking lot, you then cross a long bridge spanning over the Sho River. This site takes time to explore since it is much larger then the other villages. There are many side streets that are worth exploring. There was a trail leading to the top of a nearby hill, where you can get that iconic photo of the entire town and surrounding mountains. The trail was somewhat steep and took about 10 – 15 minutes of walking. Trust me, the views were worth the extra exercise.  According to the Shirakawa-go Tourist Information website, there are about 40 inns and guesthouses that are available for people to stay in. These are built in traditional gassho-style so you can get a truly unique experience. We definitely have plans to come back and stay in one of these inns. It would be amazing to stay at one at some point during the winter.  There are also many restaurants and shops throughout this village. When it comes to restaurants there is a wide variety here from cute cafes to soba and syokudo restaurants.  Admission and Hours Admission ¥1000 for cars and ¥200 for motorcycles Hours 8:00 am – 5:00 pm daily Additional Information for Shirakawa-go and Surrounding Villages We were here in early June during Covid and Shirakawa-go and the surrounding villages were nearly empty. We almost had the villages to ourselves. Since these villages are a popular tourist destination, they will be crowded and people will be here by the bus loads once tourism is open in Japan.  There are a limited amount of trash cans if any throughout the villages, so no littering. Take your trash with you. The houses in these villages are very fragile and flammable. Absolutely no smoking or fires around the villages. For smokers, there are designated smoking spots.  Although the flowers in my photos are beautiful, don’t pick them. Leave nature be! Many of the homes are sill occupied by residents. So, be respectful and don’t try to access any unless posted and be quiet, just enjoy the beauty. Enjoying my photos and want to see more? Check out my Picfair Store. 📸 Plan Your Trip: 🗺 ✈️ 🇯🇵  Booking Accommodations ⛺️ 🛖  For booking recommendations on the best deals and locations, check out Agoda or Booking.com Activities and Tours  🏖 🚁  Find fun activities and things to do through Tripadvisor. If you are looking for tours and day trips, Viator and Get Your Guide have a lot of great options.  In need of a car rental? 🚗 🚘  I recommend checking with Rental Cars. **This post contains affiliate links. If you click on one of the links throughout the page, whether it be TripAdvisor, Booking.com. Agoda.com, or any other affiliate, I might receive commission at no extra cost to you. For more information, you can visit my affiliate link page here. Thanks for the support!

Located near the Japanese Alps in Gifu Prefecture is the city of Takayama. Takayama is known for its preserved historical districts consisting of Edo-style streets. Takayama is also famous for its food, most notably the “Hida-gyu” or Hida beef. Outside of walking the historical Edo-style streets and eating Hida Beef, visitors can pay a visit to the Takayama Yatai Kaikan, browse the morning markets, or walk the Temple Trail. We spent two solid days exploring the city of Takayama. Outlined in this post is our Takayama Travel Guide.  Takayama on a Map and Getting Here Takayama is in the Japanese Prefecture of Gifu in central Japan. Takayama is considered the major hub in the area, so there is a train station here which services the JR Takayama Line.  The best way to travel to Takayama by train is to take the limited express train from Nagoya to Takayama. The train ride from Nagoya takes about 4 hours and costs just under ¥15000. Jill and I did a road trip around central Chubu and Takayama was our main destination. If renting a car like we did, Takayama is very accessible using either the express way or scenic nature roads. We opted for the scenic roads and glad we did. The mountains en route to Takayama were breathtaking!  Things to do and see in Takayama Takayama is not a huge city and can easily be explored on foot. Most attractions, restaurants, and shops are located around the Sanmachi (Section of the historical district). Although not a big city, I recommend at least two days in Takayama. Two days offers plenty of time to visit museums, walk the historical districts, sample local sake, and eat some of the best beef in Japan. We spent two days in this magnificent city and want to share our recommended Takayama Travel Guide. Must See and Do Attractions Sanmachi Historical Houses If you see photos of Takayama, chances are that the photos are from the Sanmachi area. Sanmachi is located in Takayama’s old city and is made up of three long and narrow roads lined with old wooden buildings. The beautiful architecture of the buildings on Sanmachi are unique to the area. The dark colors of wood used on the buildings makes the Sanmachi area so distinct. Many of these buildings date back to the Edo Period (1600-1868). During this period most buildings where used as merchant shops.  Many of the buildings on Sanmachi have been turned into sake breweries, restaurants, boutique shops, and even museums. I highly recommend visiting the inside of at least one of these buildings. Within the Sanmachi area and especially outside this district many of the houses are residential. People still live in many of these houses. Keep that in mind and always be respectful.  Try Sake at One or Many of the Sake Breweries I’m no sake connoisseur, but I do like a good drink and have been getting into sake since living in Japan. For this trip, I wanted to try sake in various cities and found Takayama to be a great sake destination. The Sanmachi District had several sake breweries.  You can always tell a place is a sake brewer because there is usually a Sugidama or Cedar Ball hanging by the entrance. Basically the Sugidama is hung up in winter while the cedar twigs are still green. This tells customers that the new sake has been pressed. Once the cedar ball turns brown the sake is aged and ready to be enjoyed!  We popped into a few sake breweries in the Sanmachi District and one that stood out to us was Harada Sake Brewery. We paid around ¥300 for a tasting, which included a tasting glass. There was a cooler off to the right with around 20-25 different sake’s to try from the brewery. We were free to try each and every one and of course we took advantage of that fabulous opportunity. After 20 or so samples of sake, we were feeling pretty good and Takayama was a little blurry afterwards!  Check out the Festival Floats at Takayama Yatai Kaikan The Takayama Festival is considered one of the best festivals in Japan. It is celebrated twice a year. There is a Spring Festival and an Autumn Festival. The main attraction of the festival are the floats or “Yatai” in Japanese. Many of the floats still used today date back to the 17th century. The floats are massive and highly decorated.  In total there are 12 floats that take part in the festival. A few of these floats are on display at the Takayama Festival Float Exhibition Hall. The museum is open to visitors and the entrance fee is ¥800. I found the entrance price to be steep for what it was. We spent about 20 minutes in the museum and left kind of disappointed but it was still really cool to see the floats in person. I would recommend this museum unless you are an extreme budget traveler.  Walk the Takayama Temple Trail After a visit to the Float Exhibition Hall, Jill and I randomly stumbled upon the Takayama Temple Trail. The trail is well signed in places and not so much in other places. We found a sign pointing us in the right direction. We then found ourselves at an intersection with no signs so we kind of walked around until we found the trail again.  Once we found the actual trail it was well maintained and easy to follow. The trail crosses paths with about 10 temples give or take. Most the temples were fairly small. Impressive, yes but nothing compared to other temples around Japan. Either way it was a nice and easy walk through town.  Browse the Morning Markets One of our favorite things to do in a new city is to explore the local markets. Takayama has two daily markets, the Miyagawa Market and the Jinya-mae Market. Both markets are open from 7:00 am (8:00 am during winter months) until noon.  The morning markets consisted of local vendors selling a good mix of crafts, souvenirs, local food products, and snacks. Some vendors had free samples. Some of the more interesting items we tried were the wasabi Nori (dried seaweed) and mushroom tea. Although these were a little overwhelming to the taste buds, not to bad! But seconds weren’t necessary!  Don’t Miss the Old Gingko Tree at the Hida Kokubunji Temple Hida Kokubunji Temple, we came for the Pagoda but stayed for the Gingko tree! This temple complex is a short walk from the Takayama Train Station and has a lovely temple, pagoda, and very impressive Ginkgo tree. The Great Ginkgo tree of Hida Kokubunji was enormous, estimated to be 1,200 years old! The tree is 28 m in height and has a circumference of 10 m.  Hida Beef Literally Melts in your Mouth Hida-gyu or Hida Beef is a type of Wagyu beef raised in Gifu Prefecture and can be found everywhere in the Takayama area. Hida Beef is known for its marbling and taste that literally melts in your mouth. A bit cliché, but it’s true. I’ve never had meat quite like Hida beef. The only other meat I’ve had before that can compare is the Crown Rib from Jack Stack in Kansas City Recommended Restaurants, Food Vendors and Snacks around Takayama Restaurants and Food Vendors Kyoya Most of these restaurants were recommended to us by friends and they were all incredible, Kyoya was no exception and might be one of our favorite dining experiences in Japan so far.  Kyoya was a Yakiniku style restaurant in an old fashioned Japanese house. There most popular items include Hida Beef, of course as well as houba miso, which is grilled on a leaf. Also recommended were their wasabi shoots. There was an English menu available. We ordered one set to grill which came with slices of beef, vegetables, rice, and miso soup. The food was absolutely fantastic!  こもり(Komori) Komori was a little food stand in the middle of Takayama right before crossing the Kaji Bridge at the intersection of Honmachi Dori and Yasukawa Dori. As far as I am aware, this vendor just sold Hida Beef on a stick for ¥550. There were about 4-5 chunks of beef on the stick.  This was our first encounter with Hida Beef and I was instantly addicted. After my first bite, I was speechless by how good the meat was. We might have came back here a couple more times during our stay in Takayama.  Coffee Don Another great recommendation we received from friends was to have coffee and sweets at Coffee Don. Coffee Don is located on Honmachi Dori, not far from Komori.  Coffee Don had a nice selection of both hot and cold drinks. They also offer sweet treats like cake and pie. With its old timey atmosphere and friendly service, we really enjoyed our time at Coffee Don.  Hida Takayama Gyoza Sohonzan We needed a break from heavy meals but were still craving Hida Beef. Both Jill and I love gyoza, if you are unfamiliar with gyoza, I wrote about it in my Dining and Eating Around Japan post. We decided on a smaller meal and went to Hida Takayama Gyoza Sohonzan. This restaurant is famous for their unique takes on gyoza, whether it Hida beef gyoza or vegetable gyoza. They also have fried, boiled, and deep fried dumplings. We ordered three different assortments and were pleased with them all. The Hida beef gyoza didn’t really taste like Hida beef, but it was still very good!    Hida Beef Related Snacks Hida Beef Sashimi  Getting tired of reading about Hida beef yet? Hida beef was just so good, we had to try various meals and cooking styles of it. Another popular street food in Takayama was the Hida beef sashimi. Sashimi is basically a thin cut of raw meat, it doesn’t have to be just fish!  The Hida beef sashimi was sold at various vendors throughout town. We ordered a few to try and like all the other beef we had around town, it was amazing. The flavor was phenomenal.   Hida Beef Steamed Bun  Steamed buns are found all over Japan. You can find them at the local konbini (convenience store), grocery stores, and at most food markets. The steamed buns in Takayama were filled with Hida beef and like everything else, it was mouth watering.  Lodging and Where to Stay In Takayama, visitors can find all sorts of lodging from high end onsen resorts to youth hostels and everything in between. There are lodging options all throughout Takayama and the surrounding area. There are several hotel options conveniently located near Takayama station.  Takayama Ouan We stayed two nights at Takayama Ouan. This is one of those in between hotels where it felt like a resort but price wise it was cheap, at least to United States standards. The hotel had an onsen (private onsen options as well), late night complimentary ramen, all-you-can-eat breakfast buffet, and all the amenities anyone could ever ask for.  Below are photos of our daily breakfasts. The quality of the food was higher then other hotels we’ve stayed at. I’ve said this before, only in Japan can you get a breakfast that consists of rice, soup, hot dogs, karaage, pasta, fermented vegetables, toast, fish, and the list goes on.  Sarubobo I can’t write about a Takayama Travel Guide without mentioning Sarubobo. Sarubobo means “Monkey Baby,” and it is the mascot of the Hida region. These dolls are faceless and generally colored red, although we saw them in various other colors. Sarubobo is a good luck charm primarily for a good and happy marriage and easy going birth delivery.  **This post contains affiliate links. If you click on one of the links throughout the page, whether it be TripAdvisor, Booking.com. Agoda.com, or any other affiliate, I might receive commission at no extra cost to you. For more information, you can visit my affiliate link page here. Thanks for the support!  Enjoying my photos and want to see

Katsuyama, a lesser known mountain town in central Japan is located in Fukui Prefecture, not far from the city of Fukui and Maruoka Castle. Katsuyama is home to Japan’s largest sitting Buddha statue, tallest pagoda, as well as the tallest castle in Japan. With all these stunning statues and beautiful yet massive architectural buildings, why is Katsuyama unknown to most tourists? Simple, the whole western portion of Japan is not the easiest for visitors to travel to. It’s far from Tokyo and Kyoto, train rides are not direct, and the media simply doesn’t mention these types of places. We recently went on a week long road trip through central Japan and made a side trip to Katsuyama on our way to Kanazawa. Katsuyama was one of the highlights of our trip and a visit to this small mountain town is highly recommended!  **This post contains affiliate links. If you click on one of the links or banners throughout the page, whether it be TripAdvisor, Booking.com. Agoda.com, or any other affiliate, I might receive commission at no extra cost to you. For more information, you can visit my affiliate link page here. Thanks for the support! Visit Katsuyama and How to Get Here Katsuyama is located in the Japanese Prefecture of Fukui. A Day trip to Katsuyama is manageable from the cities of Fukui or even Kanazawa. From Fukui, Katsuyama is just over a 30 minute drive and nearly 1.5 hours south of Kanazawa.  We rented a car and drove from Fukui to Katsuyama. For visitors that are lying on railway, there is a Echizen railway that has services between Fukui and Katsuyama Station.  The Highlights from our Trip to Katsuyama For a town of its size, there is quite a bit to do and see around Katsuyama. I won’t even touch all the hiking and other outdoor activities in the surrounding area. Our trip to Katsuyama started with a stop at the roadside station at Dinosaur Valley. We then drove to  Echizen Daibutsu, a huge temple complex which houses Japan’s largest sitting Buddha statue. We also visited the pagoda within the temple complex, said to be the largest pagoda in Japan. We finished our visit of Katsuyama with a brief stop at Katsuyama Castle.  Roadside Station Dinosaur Valley There is Dinosaur Museum  in Katsuyama that is apparently one of the top dinosaur museums in the world. Many dinosaur fossils have been found in this part of Japan. You’ll see random dinosaurs and dinosaur trinkets around town because of this.  If you are like us and time is limited, we skipped the museum this time around but we stopped at the Roadside Station Dinosaur Valley on our way into Katsuyama. The Roadside Station was worth a stop especially if taking a road trip to Katsuyama and beyond.  The Roadside Station had a small restaurant with seating indoors. There was also a small section outside selling produce and a shop with souvenirs, goodies, and other food items. I actually picked up a beer here called Echizen Fukui Roman Dark Ale by Koshiniso Brewing Co. and it was very good! There was a nice outdoor seating area, Jill and I sat at and enjoyed a brew. We also bought back some dinosaur snacks to the office from here and they were a hit!  Below are some fun dinosaur themed photos. The first one is of a construction fence and the other photo is the bathroom sign at the Roadside Station.  Echizen Daibutsu and the Seidaiji Temple Perhaps one of the most impressive temples I’ve seen in Japan is Seidaiji Temple and the Echizen Daibutsu, only rivaled by Todai-Ji in Nara.  Echizen Daibutsu was built by Kiyoshi Tada in 1987. Compared to the temples of Nara, that are hundreds of years old, this temple is basically brand new. But don’t let the date fool you, this temple is home to Japan’s largest sitting Buddha, standing or shall I say sitting at a whopping 17 meters tall. That is 2 meters taller then the Daibutsu in Nara.  There are two large parking lots in front of the temple. Visitors then walk through a small temple village full of shops and eateries. Unfortunately, when we were here, this area was a ghost town. All the buildings were closed so I am not sure if this town took a hit because of Covid or if we visited in the off season.  After passing the shops we found ourselves at the Daimon or Great Gate. After passing the gate, we were both in awe by the Seidaiji Temple sitting in front of us. This temple that houses the Great Buddha was just massive. Inside the temple was the Echizen Daibutsu.   Within the Temple, stands the Great Buddha, there are also 2 Giant Buddha statues on either side of the Echizen Daibutsu . Within the walls of the inner temple were hundreds of other smaller buddha statues.  Not only is Echizen Daibutsu the largest Buddha in Japan, but the tallest Pagoda in Japan can also be found within this temple complex. Pagodas are tall multi storied structures often found in Buddhist temples.  The famous Tojo Pagoda in  Kyoto stands at 55 meters. The Pagoda at Seidaiji Temple stands at an impressive 75 meters. Visitors can actually go inside this Pagoda and take either the stairs or elevator to the top. The views from the upper floor of the Pagoda are breathtaking! You can see most of the temple complex from here along with Katsuyama Castle in the background.  Katsuyama Castle Katsuyama Castle is not an original castle. Actually, far from it. Like Echizen Daibutsu, Katsuyama Castle is fairly new and was built in 1992. Although this castle isn’t significant in any way it is still impressive and beautiful to look at. This is supposedly the tallest castle in Japan. To me, Himeji Castle looked much grander and taller then Katsuyama Castle, but maybe it’s from ground level, who knows? Regardless, it is worth a quick stop.  The castle does have a museum that has a few weapons and armor sets by Samurai warriors. The castle is open from 9:30 until 4:30 everyday except Wednesday.  Conclusion Katsuyama is a hidden gem in Fukui Prefecture. The sheer size of Echizen Daibutsu and Katsuyama Castle make a visit to Katsuyama worth it alone. I could have stayed in Katsuyama longer, there is still much to explore like the Fukui Prefectural Dinosaur Museum, hiking in the mountains, or skiing some of the nearby slopes. Katsuyama has much to offer.  Enjoying my photos and want to see more? Check out my Picfair Store. 📸   Plan Your Trip: 🗺️✈️🇯🇵  Booking Accommodations ⛺️🛖  For booking recommendations on the best deals and locations, check out Agoda or Booking.com Activities and Tours  🏖️🚁  Find fun activities and things to do through Tripadvisor. If you are looking for tours and day trips, Viator and Get Your Guide have a lot of great options.  In need of a car rental? 🚗🚘  I recommend checking with Rental Cars. Train Travel 🚂🚊  For the JR Pass, tickets can be purchased on the JR Pass site. 

If you’ve traveled anywhere around mainland Japan, you have probably noticed these statues that resemble a raccoon with huge balls. Besides the very noticeable balls, the tanuki statue appears to have a round belly with a straw hat on and sometimes they will have a sake bottle, and promissory note, among other items. So what’s the deal with Japan’s Tanuki Statues? **This post contains affiliate links. If you click on one of the links or banners throughout the page, whether it be TripAdvisor, Booking.com. Agoda.com, or any other affiliate, I might receive commission at no extra cost to you. For more information, you can visit my affiliate link page here. Thanks for the support! **As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. Japan’s Mythical Tanuki Statues When traveling in Japan, you might see a real tanuki. But you are more likely to see the statues of the mythological tanuki. You will see statues of tanukis near houses, shops, parks, basically everywhere.  The history of the tanuki is old. The tanuki is even mentioned in old Japanese folklore. In folklore, the tanuki is said to be a shape shifter with powers that are supernatural. In early folklore, the tanukis would shapeshift into a human and haunt or play tricks on other human beings.  After tanukis were first mentioned in early folklore, they were later mentioned as being tricksters. The tanuki was said to use magic on travelers. Today the tanuki is cute, cheerful, and wise, and can bring success to people.  Over time, the tanukis appearance has changed. The giant pair of balls on almost every tanuki statue was added during the Edo period. In various stories the testicles are described in many ways and have various uses. Now a days, the tanuki testicles are just as popular if not more so then the past. The balls are shown in modern art and even in cartoons like Studio Ghibli.  If interested you can find cute Tanuki statues and a wide range of them on Amazon. The Tanuki’s Special Traits Other then the gigantic testicles seen on Japan’s tanuki statues, there are 8 traits in total that are said to bring good fortune to businesses. I read and listened to several sources and all 8 traits are pretty standard throughout the internet. 🦡  The round belly of the tanuki indicates bold and calm decision making. The promissory note at the tanuki’s side signifies trust and confidence. The bottle of sake is there for virtue. The tanuki’s tail means steadiness and strength.  The large balls oddly enough represent financial luck. The large eyes are for seeing the capability to judge the environment and making positive decisions. The straw hat on the tanuki’s head represents readiness and protection against weather. The large grin on the tanuki stands for its friendliness towards customers.  📸 Enjoying my photos and want to see more? Check out my Picfair Store.  The Real Tanuki Yes, the tanuki, often referred to as a raccoon dog is a real animal. Oddly enough, the Tanuki is not related to the raccoon, that is native to North America. In fact, they belong to the same family as wolves and foxes. The tanuki is mostly nocturnal but they can be active during the day. Tanukis have curved claws and are known to climb trees.  On a road trip we took to Takayama, Jill and I were headed to a waterfall to photograph, during the middle of the day on a mountain pass we saw a tanuki run across the road, stand on his hind legs, and stare at us for several seconds. Many roads on mainland Japan have warning signs to watch out for Tanuki’s crossing the road. 📸 Enjoying my photos and want to see more? Check out my Picfair Store. Where to Buy Tanuki Statues Tanuki statues can be found and bought all over mainland Japan. I bought one at a souvenir store while on a short trip to Miyajima near Hiroshima. I also purchased one for my parents at a pottery shop in Himeji. I’ve seen tanuki statues for sale in almost every city and town around mainland Japan. Tanuki statues can even be purchased on Amazon.  I have this Tanuki Statue at home and love it. The quality is very good, size is perfect, and it has all my favorite characteristics of the tanuki.  Feel free to browse here for the different Tanuki Statues sold online. Some are definitely cuter then others. Anything made by  Shigaraki Ware will be of good and original quality made in Japan.  Conclusion The Tanuki will forever hold a special place in Japanese folklore and culture. The tanuki is a symbol of financial luck, prosperity, mischief, readiness, strength, confidence, and so on. Because of this, you will see the tanuki statues all over mainland Japan especially in front of homes and businesses. The tanuki is one of my favorite symbols of Japan and they embody the culture and spirit of Japan.  Enjoying my photos and want to see more? Check out my Picfair Store.  Plan Your Trip: 🗺 ✈️🇯🇵  Booking Accommodations ⛺️  🛖 For booking recommendations on the best deals and locations, check out Agoda or Booking.com Activities and Tours 🏖  🚁  Find fun activities and things to do through Tripadvisor. If you are looking for tours and day trips, Viator and Get Your Guide have a lot of great options.  In need of a car rental? 🚗  🚘  I recommend checking with Rental Cars. Train Travel 🚂 🚊  For the JR Pass, tickets can be purchased on the JR Pass. Tanuki Statues 🐾 Besides finding the Tanuki Statues in shops across Japan, you can find several on the  Amazon Website.