Takayama – weekend retreat
Takayama, lying deep in northern Gifu, is famed for its glimpse back to the old days and the old ways. On a whim, as with most of my weekend trips, my buddy Rick and I rose early to take the cheaper JR train into mountain country. In densely populated Japan it seems to take forever to break into the countryside.
But arriving in Takayama at 10am the day was ours. On a short bus ride on up to the museum village of Hida no Sato we passed a proud golden roofed temple topped with a whopping red ball. Why the ball? A tribute to clowns everywhere? Cot death awareness? Or just the cherry on the top? Before mulling it over any more we arrived outside a huge Hello Kitty, took our first snaps, said hello to kitty and then entered the Hida no Sato open air museum of dwellings from eras past.
Perched in the hills of Takayama, Hida no Sato affords some great views out to the Japanese Alps. The ‘hands in prayer’ architecture re-assembled here are all originals of the pre war era – a time before TV’s, dishwashers and fridges. The roofs were especially interesting. Ceder wood strips were laid down in overlapping layers with the top layer pinned down by boulders to stop them blowing away. They are solid enough to withstand the weight of a few feet of winter snow, and now in the summer weirdly sprout small plants. Inside the spare interior design pronounced the Japanese sliding doors, tatami mats and household shines, fires smouldered beneath hanging kettles (no chimneys) and a wiry old woman weaved cotton.
By the lake I belted a large copper bell with a swinging log in a prayer call. A perfectly round rice paddy held my attention, the only round paddy in Japan today as modern machinery can’t harvest round fields. The symbol of a field spiralling in to a central post is offering to the gods.
After slurping back some Udon noodles we returned back to the centre of Takayama ambled through Takayama Jinya and its torture chamber. One fabulous piece of calligraphy caught my eye – a swan brushed in ink in only a few strokes. We crossed the river and walked the preserved old streets. Ever tried a sake slushi? Awesome.
We had booked a room for the night at a temple that doubled as a Backpackers on the back hills of the city. We picked up some beers and walked the hills behind, got hungry, ordered 10 dishes at an Izakaya in town and returned before the temple curfew.
Early morning the sound of the monks flute woke me so wandered downstairs and sat on the Tatami mats with Buddha and the sound of the flute before a Japanese breakfast of miso and tofu.
At the morning markets we took advantage of free samples of everything. I didn’t have the kind of crap charms hanging off my cellphone that most Japanese have so I thought I’d make a start with a mini Sarubobo. Sarubobo looks to me like a cheeky demonic figurine but really this treasured faceless Japanese amulet meaning ‘baby monkey’ is associated with Takayama for a happy home or safe delivery of a baby. Anyway, after stealing pickles, fruits and nuts, and rice crackers we checked out the ornate festival floats (Yatai) for which Takayama is famous and which will be next used in the October festival which I want to return for. The floats with flamboyant carvings, metalwork and lacquerwork date from the 17th c and have been used every year.
The heat of the day called for an ice cream. I said no to the green tea ice cream this time and instead went for sesame seed flavour. Don’t knock it till you’ve tried it. A few more temples and Japanese lunch in a garden setting rounded off the weekend and Rick and I contentedly took the cheap train back to Gifu. I managed to learn all my Katakana on the way back and we pulled up in time to head out to Naomi’s latest gig.
*Photos are under photolog >Japan>takayama
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