Takayama and Shirakawa-go in 2 Days: An Itinerary

Two days is the right length for Takayama and Shirakawa-go. Spend the first day in Takayama's old town, with its morning markets, wooden merchant houses and sake breweries, and the second at Shirakawa-go, the mountain village of steep thatched farmhouses about fifty minutes away by bus. Both are in the mountains of central Japan, between Nagoya and Kanazawa.

Getting there

From Nagoya, the Hida limited express follows river valleys up to Takayama in about two and a half hours, and the Japan Rail Pass covers it. From Kanazawa, highway buses run to Shirakawa-go and on to Takayama. Many travellers come in one way and leave the other, for example Nagoya to Takayama, then Shirakawa-go, then on to Kanazawa.

Day 1: Takayama

• Morning markets. Two markets run every morning, one along the Miyagawa River and one in front of Takayama Jinya. Locals sell vegetables, pickles and crafts.
• Takayama Jinya. The only surviving government office of its kind from the Edo period, with tatami rooms, storehouses and a garden.
• The old town. The Sanmachi streets are lined with dark wooden merchant houses, craft shops and sake breweries; a cedar ball hung over the door means a brewery is open for tasting.
• Hida beef. The local wagyu, served as grilled skewers on the street or as sushi on a rice cracker, and at dinner in many restaurants.
• Evening. Takayama is quiet after dark. Stay in a ryokan and try Takayama ramen, a light soy-based noodle soup.

Day 2: Shirakawa-go

Buses from the Takayama Nohi bus centre reach Shirakawa-go in about fifty minutes; book seats in advance in busy seasons. The village of Ogimachi is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, known for gassho-zukuri farmhouses whose steep thatched roofs carry the heavy winter snow.

• The viewpoint. A short walk or shuttle bus takes you up to the Shiroyama viewpoint for the classic view over the village.
• A farmhouse inside. Several of the large houses are open to visitors, with displays of farm life and the silk work once done in the attics.
• Onward travel. Continue to Kanazawa by bus in about an hour and a half, or return to Takayama.

When to go

Each season changes the trip. Winter brings deep snow and the occasional evening illumination of Shirakawa-go, for which places are limited and must be reserved. Spring and autumn bring the Takayama festivals in April and October, when hotels fill early. Summer is green and cooler than the cities.

Combine this with our 2-day Kanazawa itinerary or the longer Japan Alps route.