Beautiful Shirakawa-go and Takayama
Trip Start
Jul 28, 2007
1
28
71
Trip End
Aug 30, 2008
Takayama, Japan
Thursday, March 20, 2008
Wow! This place is amazing! The bus takes you even deeper into the mountain, through all kinds of tunnels, and before you know it, you're in a different world! You're immersed in a land from long ago, as you descend into the tiny gassho-zukkuri (the housing style...see photos) filled village. Definitely a big highlight of the trip, things don't get much more traditional than this! The friendly owners of our farmhouse showed us to our cozy rooms, and would later prepare a wonderful dinner and breakfast for us. We strolled around the village, enjoying the different buildings, and in the evening had a soak in the local onsen. We woke up early in the morning to enjoy more of the village, and check out the foggy view over the area. It was a pity to have to leave the place so early!
But off we went, to see more of Japan! We bused back to Takayama, where we would spend the night at a lovely minshuku (family-run inn...like a pension). It was fun seeing the old streets in Takayama, though it was bit chilly. The streets in Takayama are much like those found in Kyoto's Gion district, albeit less crowded and Geisha-less. The following morning we would take the scenic train-ride back into Nagoya, and then boarded the Shinkansen into Kansai!
