Most travellers visit Gokayama for a few hours. They arrive by bus. Photograph the gassho-zukuri houses. Walk through Ainokura or Suganuma. Then leave. But staying overnight gives you: a completely different Gokayama experience. Once the daytime visitors disappear, these tiny mountain communities become incredibly quiet. And in Ainokura: you can actually sleep inside a traditional: … Read more
If you want to see Japan’s famous gassho-zukuri villages without spending your entire day surrounded by tour groups: consider Gokayama. Located in the mountains of Toyama Prefecture, Gokayama contains two extraordinary traditional villages: Ainokura and: Suganuma. Together with Ogimachi in Shirakawa-go, these villages form the UNESCO World Heritage Site: Historic Villages of Shirakawa-go and Gokayama. … Read more
Takayama is one of the best places in Japan to slow down. Hidden in the mountains of Gifu Prefecture, the city combines: historic streets + Hida beef + sake breweries + morning markets + traditional architecture + Japanese Alps scenery. It’s considerably smaller than Tokyo, Kyoto or Osaka. That’s part of the appeal. You don’t … Read more
Two days is an excellent amount of time for Takayama. It’s enough to experience the historic old town, morning markets, Takayama Jinya, sake breweries, Hida beef and Hida Folk Village without turning your visit into a race. And Takayama is compact. Most of the historic centre can be explored: on foot. For your first visit, … Read more
Getting from Shirakawa-go to Takayama is extremely easy. There’s no train station at Shirakawa-go. Instead, the main public transport option is: Shirakawa-go → Nohi Bus → Takayama The journey takes roughly: 50–60 minutes and the current adult fare is: ¥2,800 one way. Buses operate throughout the day, making it easy to visit Shirakawa-go for several … Read more
Getting from Kanazawa to Takayama is easier than it looks on the map. The two cities sit on opposite sides of a mountainous part of central Japan, and there isn’t a simple direct train between them. Instead, the best option for most travellers is: Kanazawa → highway bus → Takayama The journey takes approximately: 2 … Read more
Getting from Tokyo to Kanazawa is surprisingly easy. Despite Kanazawa sitting on the opposite side of Honshu from Tokyo, you don’t need to fly or make complicated train connections. The easiest route is: Tokyo Station → Hokuriku Shinkansen → Kanazawa Station It’s direct. No transfers. And the fastest trains complete the journey in roughly: 2.5 … Read more
Kanazawa Castle is one of the essential places to visit in Kanazawa. Once the seat of the powerful Maeda family, the castle stood at the centre of the Kaga Domain for more than 280 years. Today, the original castle tower is gone. But don’t make the mistake of thinking that means there’s nothing to see. … Read more
Higashi Chaya District is one of the most beautiful areas in Kanazawa. Rows of traditional wooden townhouses line narrow streets where geisha once entertained wealthy merchants and visitors during the Edo period. Today, many of these historic buildings have become: But the historic streetscape remains the main attraction. And there’s an important trick to visiting: … Read more
Kenrokuen Garden is one of the places you shouldn’t miss in Kanazawa. Considered one of Japan’s great landscape gardens, Kenrokuen combines ponds, streams, bridges, carefully shaped pine trees, seasonal flowers and traditional teahouses directly beside Kanazawa Castle. But there’s an even better reason to visit: Kenrokuen changes dramatically with the seasons. Spring brings cherry blossoms. … Read more