Apart from the Matsumoto Castle there is not much to see in Matsumoto. We briefly visited the City Museum to learn about the castle, the city and its annual events but left after 30 minutes. We then strolled south from the castle across the Metoba River until we hit the 'frog' street - apparently there… Continue reading Matsumoto
Category: Japan
Matsumoto Castle
From Takayama we took the Nohi Bus to Matsumoto. The bus departs regularly from the bus station next to the train station. We didn't need to purchase tickets in advance, we just arrived 20 minutes before our departure at 10:20. The tickets are 3,100 Yen per person and the bus ride is about 2,5 hours… Continue reading Matsumoto Castle
More gassho-zukuri houses in Shirakawa-go
After our brief visit to Ainokura we travelled to Shirakawa-go, the largest village with gassho-zukuri houses. We first stopped at the Shiroyama Tenshukaku view point to glance over the village with its old style houses with those large triangular roofs. It is a very pretty sight, all year round. Probably even more so in autumn… Continue reading More gassho-zukuri houses in Shirakawa-go
Ainokura gassho-zukuri houses
We travelled from Takayama one hour on a bus to reach the Gokayama region. This region is famous for its traditional gassho-zukuri houses, which have survived for hundreds of years because the region's secluded location in the upper reaches of the Shogawa river. This is also the reason that Gokayama's lifestyle and culture remained very… Continue reading Ainokura gassho-zukuri houses
Takayama: Yatai, miniature temple and Sakurayama Hachimangu shrine
Takayama is known for its two famous festivals, which date back to the 17th century. One in autumn and one in spring, when 11 (autumn) or 12 (spring) huge elaborate yatai (floats), adorned with medical dolls are paraded around town, a spectacle that attracts hundreds of thousands of visitors. The yatai are symbolic of the… Continue reading Takayama: Yatai, miniature temple and Sakurayama Hachimangu shrine
Takayama: Ryokan and Temple
We stayed two nights in Takayama, as we had plans to explore the town and its surrounding area. So we stayed in a Ryokan, which is called Koto No Yume. It is not a traditional one, as it has about 18 rooms and is aimed at Western tourists - it provided the right mix of… Continue reading Takayama: Ryokan and Temple
Takayama: Miso and sake
Back to my posts about Japan. So after Kyoto, we travelled to Takayama. This is a small town, 110km northeast of Nagoya in the Central Alps. It used to be known for the skilled carpenters employed by emperors to build palaces and temples in Kyoto and Nara. Nowadays it is known for its small streets… Continue reading Takayama: Miso and sake
Travelling from Kyoto to Takayama
So, Kyoto was the easy part. We stayed in a very nice Western-style hotel, knew exactly what we wanted to see and if we did not rely on our feet, we just hopped into a train or taxi to get to the next sightseeing spot. If we were unsure were to go, there was always… Continue reading Travelling from Kyoto to Takayama
Sakura in Kyoto
Every year in spring it snows in Japan - and it could be nice, warm and sunny but it will still snow. Why? Because of the cherry blossoms, which will fall to the ground as soon as there is a little wind. We had timed our trip accordingly and took into account that it might… Continue reading Sakura in Kyoto
Kyoto: Zōri and Origami
While walking through Gion I noticed a few shops selling interesting looking footwear. Initially I thought that these are the typical shoes for Geishas, but then I did some research and found that Geishas wear two types of sandals. The wooden sandals, which can be very high, are called Geta. They can be worn with… Continue reading Kyoto: Zōri and Origami
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