Japan (Lonely Planet, 11th Edition) - Chris Rowthorn [192]
TAKAYAMA YATAI KAIKAN
A rotating selection of four of the 23 multi-tiered yatai (floats) used in the Takayama Matsuri can be seen at Takayama Yatai Kaikan (Festival Floats Exhibition Hall; 32-5100; 178 Sakura-machi; adult/child/high-school student ¥820/410/510; 8.30am-5pm Mar-Nov, 9am-4.30pm Dec-Feb). These spectacular creations, some dating from the 17th century, are prized for their flamboyant carvings, metalwork and lacquerwork. A famous feature of some floats is karakuri, mechanical puppets that perform amazing tricks and acrobatics courtesy of eight accomplished puppeteers using 36 strings. A video gives a sense of the festival. The stately, hillside Sakurayama Jinja is just around the back.
The Yatai Kaikan is on the grounds of the stately hillside shrine Sakurayama Hachiman-gū; the shrine’s main buildings are behind the Yatai Kaikan. Dedicated to the protection of Takayama, the shrine also oversees the festival.
Your ticket also admits you to the Sakurayama Nikkō-kan diagonally across from the shrine, with intricate models of the famous shrines at Nikkō. Lighting takes you from dawn to dusk and back again, allowing you to witness these sites in different kinds of light.
You might pass some unusual slender garages around town with three-storey doors; these house the yatai that are not in the museum.
SHISHI KAIKAN
Just south of Sakurayama Nikkō-kan is the Shishi Kaikan (Lion Mask Exhibition Hall; 32-0881; 53-1 Sakura-machi; adult/child ¥600/400; 8.30am-5.30pm Apr-Nov, 9am-5pm Dec-Mar). It displays over 800 lion masks and musical instruments connected with the lion dances performed at festivals in central and northern Japan, as well as art pieces such as scrolls and folding screens. The real reason to visit, though, is the twice-hourly demonstrations of karakuri. You can view these marvellous puppets in action and go backstage to see how it’s done.
SHUNKEI KAIKAN
Shunkei lacquerware was introduced from Kyoto several centuries ago but has become Takayama’s signature style, used to produce boxes, trays and flower vases. West of Takayama Yatai Kaikan and across the river, Shunkei Kaikan (Lacquerware Exhibition Hall; 32-3373; 1-88 Kando-chō; adult/child ¥300/200; 8am-5.30pm Apr-Oct, 9am-5pm Nov-Mar) has more than 1000 pieces, including some dating from the 17th century. Unlike many other Japanese lacquer styles, shunkei is designed to show off the wood grain. A display shows production techniques, and the shop has occasional specials.
HIDA KOKUBUN-JI
Takayama’s oldest temple, Hida Kokubun-ji (32-1395; 1-83 Sōwa-chō; treasure hall adult/child ¥300/250; 9am-4pm) was originally built in the 8th century and subsequently ravaged by fire; the oldest of the present buildings dates from the 16th century. The temple’s treasure hall houses some Important Cultural Properties, and the courtyard boasts a three-storey pagoda and an impressively gnarled gingko tree, which is in remarkably good shape considering it’s believed to be 1200 years old.
TAKAYAMA SHŌWA-KAN
Nostalgia for the mid-20th century is all the rage in Japan these days, and Takayama Shōwa-kan (exhibition hall; 33-7836; 6 Shimo-ichi-no-machi; adult/child ¥500/300; 9am-6pm Apr-Oct, to 5pm Nov-Mar) feels like a nostalgia bonanza from the era of Shōwa, the Japanese name for the previous emperor, known elsewhere as Hirohito. Though Shōwa ruled from 1926 to 1989, the museum concentrates on the period between 1955 and 1965, a time of great optimism between Japan’s postwar malaise and pre-Titan boom. Lose yourself among the vehicles and movie posters, recreated storefronts, beauty salon and classroom.
MORNING MARKETS
Asa-ichi (morning markets) take place every morning from 7am to noon, starting an hour earlier from April to October. The Jinya-mae Morning Market is in front of Takayama-jinya; the Miya-gawa Morning Market is larger, situated along