Takayama in Japan

Saturday, 26 February 2022 - 11:00 am (CET/MEZ) Berlin | Author/Destination:
Category/Kategorie: General
Reading Time:  6 minutes

Presentation of floats during Sannō Matsuri © Chme82/cc-by-sa-4.0

Presentation of floats during Sannō Matsuri © Chme82/cc-by-sa-4.0

Takayama is a city located in Gifu, Japan. As of 1 January 2019, the city had an estimated population of 88,473 in 35,644 households, and a population density of 41 persons per km2. The total area of the city was 2,177.61 square kilometres (840.78 sq mi) making it the largest city by area in Japan. The high altitude and separation from other areas of Japan kept the area fairly isolated, allowing Takayama to develop its own culture over about a 300-year period. The city is popularly known as Hida-Takayama in reference to the old Hida Province to differentiate it from other places named Takayama. The name ‘Takayama’ means ‘tall mountain’. Takayama is located in northern Gifu Prefecture, in the heart of the Japan Alps. Mount Hotakadake is the highest point in the city at 3,190 metres (10,470 ft). The city has the largest geographic area of any municipality in Japan. The economy of Takayama is strongly based on tours, agriculture and woodworking.

The area around Takayama was part of traditional Hida Province, and was settled as far back as the Jōmon period. During the Sengoku period, Kanamori Nagachika ruled the area from Takayama Castle and the town of Takayama developed as a castle town. During the Edo period, the area was tenryō under the direct control of the Tokugawa shogunate. In the post-Meiji restoration cadastral reforms, Ōno District in Gifu prefecture was created, and the town of Takayama was established in 1889 with the creation of the modern municipalities system. At the time, it was the most populous municipality in Gifu Prefecture. On November 1, 1936, Takayama merged with the town of Onada, forming the city of Takayama. Takayama annexed the village of Josue in 1943 and the village of Ohachiga in 1955. On February 1, 2005, the town of Kuguno, and the villages of Asahi, Kiyomi, Miya, Nyūkawa, Shōkawa and Takane (all from Ōno District), the town of Kokufu, and the village of Kamitakara (both from Yoshiki District) were create to merge and expanded city of Takayama. which made Takayama both the largest city and largest municipality in Japan by area.

<
>
Hida Mountains © 663highland/cc-by-2.5
This city was selected as one of the top ten travel destinations in Asia by Lonely Planet Magazine in the year 2017.

  • Mount Norikura, a dormant volcano that is 3,026 meters (9,928 ft.) tall is east of Takayama. A bus takes visitors to a point near the summit.
  • Shin-Hotaka Ropeway and Okuhida Spa Resort: There is a 3,200-meter ropeway offering great views of the Northern Alps.
  • There are old homes in the heart of Takayama that are cultural artifacts.
  • Takayama has multiple morning markets near the river in the center of town.
  • The Hida Minzoku Mura Folk Village is nearby.
  • Takayama is the home of one of the three largest Shinto festivals in Japan. The Takayama Festivals are two distinctive festivals. The yatai (floats) used can be found in the Takayama Yatai Kaikan (Takayama Festival Float Exhibition Hall). Nearby is the Sakurayama Nikkō Kan, an exhibit of 1/10 scale replicas of Nikkō’s famous Tōshō-gū shrine.
  • Takayama-shi Kyodo-kan is a local history museum with handicrafts and traditional items.
  • Takayama Jin’ya is a historical government house and National Historic Site
  • Kusakabe Folk Museum is a local museum in an old merchant’s home.
  • Hida Kokubun-ji, founded in the Nara period as the provincial temple of Hida, it is the oldest structure in Takayama. It has a three-level pagoda and stands beside a ginkgo tree that is over 1,200 years old.
  • Ankokuji Temple and Storehouse is an ancient structure from 1408 that is recognized as a national treasure.
  • Hida Takayama Kur Alp (Hida Takayama Spa Land) is a large public bath and swimming area.
  • World shrine to Su-God, the worldwide headquarters of Sukyo Mahikari
  • Hida Tōshō-gū shrine
  • Akahogi Tile Kiln Site, a National Historic Site
  • Dōnosora Site, ruins of a Jōmon period village, a National Historic Site

Culture

  • Takayama is known for its local foods, including sansai (mountain vegetables), wasakana (river fish), beef, soba, ramen, and sake.
  • In addition to its fame for its carpentry, Takayama is well known for its lacquerware, pottery, and furniture.
  • The mountain city of Takayama is associated with charms known as “sarubobos“, which are traditionally passed from grandmothers to grandchildren and mothers to daughters, though are now often sold as souvenirs. The city and the Hida area are also known for carpentry, and its carpenters are called Hida no takumi.
  • Around the east of the city is a tour, called the Higashiyama Walking Course (Higashiyama-hokōdō), which goes past many shrines and temples to Shiroyama Park (Shiroyama-kōen).
  • Takayama holds two festivals every year, Sannō Matsuri in spring and Hachiman Matsuri in autumn. These festivals are among the most popular in Japan.
  • Takayama was the basis for the settings in the anime series Hyōka, adapted from Honobu Yonezawa‘s Classic Literature Club series. Designs of the fictional city of Kamiyama are based on Takayama.

Read more on japan-guide.com – Takayama, Wikivoyage Takayama and Wikipedia Takayama (Smart Traveler App by U.S. Department of State - Weather report by weather.com - Global Passport Power Rank - Travel Risk Map - Democracy Index - GDP according to IMF, UN, and World Bank - Global Competitiveness Report - Corruption Perceptions Index - Press Freedom Index - World Justice Project - Rule of Law Index - UN Human Development Index - Global Peace Index - Travel & Tourism Competitiveness Index). Photos by Wikimedia Commons. If you have a suggestion, critique, review or comment to this blog entry, we are looking forward to receive your e-mail at comment@wingsch.net. Please name the headline of the blog post to which your e-mail refers to in the subject line.






Recommended posts:

Share this post: (Please note data protection regulations before using buttons)

Oberstaufen in Oberallgäu

Oberstaufen in Oberallgäu

[caption id="attachment_154238" align="aligncenter" width="590"] Invitation from Oberstaufen to Google Street View. As a result Oberstaufen is the first German village featured on Google Street View © Oberstaufen.de[/caption][responsivevoice_button voice="UK English Female" buttontext="Listen to th...

[ read more ]

Tilburg, in the heart of Brabant

Tilburg, in the heart of Brabant

[caption id="attachment_159787" align="aligncenter" width="590"] Street view © Michielverbeek[/caption][responsivevoice_button voice="UK English Female" buttontext="Listen to this Post"]Tilburg is a landlocked municipality and a city in the Netherlands, located in the southern province of Noord-Bra...

[ read more ]

Theme Week Afghanistan - Mazar-i-Sharif

Theme Week Afghanistan - Mazar-i-Sharif

[caption id="attachment_209050" align="aligncenter" width="590"] Blue Mosque © flickr.com - ISAF Headquarters Public Affairs Office/cc-by-2.0.[/caption][responsivevoice_button voice="UK English Female" buttontext="Listen to this Post"]Mazār-i-Sharīf, also called Mazār-e Sharīf, or just Mazar, i...

[ read more ]

The Robinsón Crusoe Island

The Robinsón Crusoe Island

[caption id="attachment_153947" align="aligncenter" width="590"] © Lestercl[/caption][responsivevoice_button voice="UK English Female" buttontext="Listen to this Post"]Robinson Crusoe Island, formerly known as Más a Tierra (Closer to land), or Aguas Buenas, is the largest island of the Chilean Jua...

[ read more ]

Getty Villa in Pacific Palisades

Getty Villa in Pacific Palisades

[caption id="attachment_203351" align="aligncenter" width="590"] © Bobak Ha'Eri/cc-by-3.0[/caption][responsivevoice_button voice="UK English Female" buttontext="Listen to this Post"]The Getty Villa is at the easterly end of the Malibu coast in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles, Cali...

[ read more ]

The HafenCity in Hamburg

The HafenCity in Hamburg

[caption id="attachment_6145" align="aligncenter" width="590"] HafenCity model © MissyWegner - CC-BY-SA-3.0[/caption][responsivevoice_button voice="UK English Female" buttontext="Listen to this Post"]HafenCity is a quarter in the district of Hamburg-Mitte in Hamburg. It is located on the Elbe river...

[ read more ]

Alexanderplatz in Berlin

Alexanderplatz in Berlin

[caption id="attachment_206548" align="aligncenter" width="590"] World Clock © Diego Delso/cc-by-sa-4.0[/caption][responsivevoice_button voice="UK English Female" buttontext="Listen to this Post"]Alexanderplatz is a large public square and transport hub in the central Mitte district of Berlin. The ...

[ read more ]

Theme Week North Frisian Islands - Föhr

Theme Week North Frisian Islands - Föhr

[caption id="attachment_152914" align="aligncenter" width="590"] Wyk - Frisian Museum © Daniel Ponten/cc-by-sa-2.0-de[/caption][responsivevoice_button voice="UK English Female" buttontext="Listen to this Post"]Föhr is part of the Nordfriesland district in the federal state of Schleswig-Holstein. F...

[ read more ]

Tuvalu in the Pacific Ocean

Tuvalu in the Pacific Ocean

[caption id="attachment_151585" align="aligncenter" width="590"] Funafuti © flickr.com - INABA Tomoaki/cc-by-sa-2.0[/caption][responsivevoice_button voice="UK English Female" buttontext="Listen to this Post"]Tuvalu, formerly known as the Ellice Islands, is a Polynesian island nation located in the ...

[ read more ]

Theme Week Abruzzo - Pescara

Theme Week Abruzzo - Pescara

[caption id="attachment_153300" align="aligncenter" width="590"] Piazza Garibaldi © Freegiampi/cc-by-sa-2.5[/caption][responsivevoice_button voice="UK English Female" buttontext="Listen to this Post"]Pescara is the capital city of the Province of Pescara, in the Abruzzo region of Italy. As of 1 Jan...

[ read more ]

The Dreikaiserbäder on the Baltic Sea

The Dreikaiserbäder on the Baltic Sea

[caption id="attachment_160971" align="aligncenter" width="590"] Bansin Pier © Horst schlaemma/cc-by-sa-3.0[/caption][responsivevoice_button voice="UK English Female" buttontext="Listen to this Post"]Heringsdorf is a municipality and a popular seaside resort town on Usedom Island in Western Pomeran...

[ read more ]

Galeries Royales Saint-Hubert in Brussels

Galeries Royales Saint-Hubert in Brussels

[caption id="attachment_231938" align="aligncenter" width="590"] © flickr.com - William Murphy/cc-by-sa-2.0[/caption][responsivevoice_button voice="UK English Female" buttontext="Listen to this Post"]The Royal Saint-Hubert Galleries (French: Galeries Royales Saint-Hubert, Dutch: Koninklijke Sint-Hu...

[ read more ]

Return to TopReturn to Top