This was my very first trip to Japan with my hubby for our 1st honeymoon trip. I'm all over the moon as I boarded the SIA A380 jumbo jet to the island of the rising sun!
A380 is indeed the biggest plane I've board to-date. The leg space was so much spacious and the seats were definitely more comfortable. It was really a pleasant flight experience for us!
We first arrived at Narita Airport at 6am in the morning. Narita was a 6 hours flight away from Singapore. I could certainly feel the chill of the winter as we checked out from the custom and headed to the JR station to catch the JR Takayama Line to Takayama.
The JR train station was well connected to the Airport and convenient to locate.
I was very impressed with the connectivity of the train stations in Japan. The train station was big and it could be a little tiring to lug our luggage to board our train. Luckily, there were escalators to take us to the train platform.
The JR train was really long as compared to our MRT. I was impressed that the train even had toilets which were very clean. We were allowed to bring our food on board and eat it as well. If you didn't buy any food, fret not, the train sold drinks and snacks on board at reasonable prices.
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| Very clean toilet on the train |
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| Bought sweet potatoes as snacks on the train...yummy |
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| Scenery along the way |
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| finally arrived |
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| First snow sighted |
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| more snow |
1. Narita to Takayama
Takayama (高山) is a city in the mountainous Hida region of Gifu Prefecture. From Narita to Takayama, the entire train ride took us 5 hours. The old town is just 10 minutes walk away from the JR Takayama Train Station. To differentiate it from other places named Takayama, the city is also commonly referred to as Hida-Takayama. Takayama retains a traditional touch like few other Japanese cities, especially in its beautifully preserved old town.
The old town has been beautifully preserved with many buildings and whole streets of houses dating from the Edo Period (1600 - 1868), when the city thrived as a wealthy town of merchants. The southern half of the old town, especially the Sannomachi Street, survives in a particularly pretty state with many old homes, shops, coffee houses and sake breweries, some of which have been in business for centuries. The shops in the area are typically open daily from 9am to 5pm.
There are many museums within the old town. Unfortunately, most are closed during the winter and hence we didn't have the chance to visit them. Some of the museums include "Takayama Museum of History and Art, Hitara Folk Art Museum, Fuji Art Gallery, Sakae old breweries" and many more.
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| Shop selling sake |
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| One of the many cafes in the old town |
I enjoyed exploring the old town where the wooden houses never failed to capture my attention. These houses built many centuries ago remains solid till today. There were many cafes along the many streets of the town and we decided to pop by one for a short tea break.
We choose one tea house that sold tea and hot steaming buns. We were greeted by two elderly couples who looked so cheerful. Although we couldn't understand what they were saying, they really does provide very good services with their cheerful smiles.
The buns served at the tea house were exceptionally delicious. The buns were no ordinary buns because they were not only stuffed with red bean filings but also have a thin layer of miso rice at the bottom of the buns. Every bite was really beyond words. The buns compliment well with the green tea.
Takayama is famous for its Hida beef that literally melts in your mouth. This dish is not to be missed if you ever visit Takayama. Other famous local dishes include local buckwheat noodle (something like cha soba) and Hoba Miso which is food grilled with fermented soybean paste and magnolia leave.
Hida-gyu (Hida Beef) is the specific name given to beef from a black haired Japanese cattle breed, that has been raised in Gifu Prefecture for at least 14 months. It is one of the finest quality varieties of beef, and is the highest quality in marbling, luster, colour, texture and smell.
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| This is superior |
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| This hot stone rice is the best I've ever tasted |
2. Minshuku Sosuke
Minshuku Sosuke is a delightful Japanese guest house in Hida Takayama, situated only 8 mins walk from Takayama station. The building is 180 years old and the interior building has been fully renovated. I would say that this is the perfect starting point for a wonderful sightseeing tour on foot around the historic spots: morning market, temples, private houses, etc.
The room we stayed in has very tall ceiling and although simple in design, the wooden room gives a very cosy feel.
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