Takayama in January

Shrine visits, temple bells and traditional foods to start the year.

Lunar celebrations in Yokohama Chinatown and Nagasaki.

Ornate festival floats are paraded and displayed, with mechanical puppet performances and an evening lantern procession.

Why go: Accommodation fills up months ahead; book early if you want to stay in town.

Where: Hie Shrine and the southern old town

The autumn counterpart of the spring festival, with float displays, puppet performances and lantern-lit night parades.

Why go: Expect very large crowds; the night float procession is a highlight.

Where: Sakurayama Hachimangū Shrine and the northern old town

The old town's preserved streets of dark wooden merchant houses, sake breweries and small shops.

💡 Arrive early morning or late afternoon to avoid the midday tour groups.

A former government office of the Edo shogunate, the only surviving building of its kind in Japan.

A riverside morning market selling local produce, pickles, crafts and snacks.

💡 It runs in the mornings only and winds down before noon.

An open-air museum of relocated thatched gassho-style farmhouses from the surrounding region.

💡 In winter the houses under snow are especially atmospheric.

A hall beside Sakurayama Hachimangū shrine displaying some of the ornate festival floats used in the autumn festival.

A walking route linking temples and shrines on the eastern hillside of the old town.

Highly marbled wagyu from Gifu Prefecture, served grilled, as sushi or as street-food skewers.

💡 Old town street stalls and restaurants

A local style of ramen with thin curly noodles in a light soy-based broth.

💡 Ramen shops around the town centre

Rice dumplings on a skewer, in Takayama glazed with soy sauce rather than sweet sauce.

💡 Street stalls in Sanmachi Suji

Miso with leeks and mushrooms grilled on a dried magnolia leaf over a small burner.

💡 Traditional ryokan and Japanese restaurants

Takayama has several historic breweries using local rice and cold mountain water.

💡 Breweries in Sanmachi Suji, marked by cedar balls hanging at the entrance

Faceless red cloth dolls, a traditional Hida charm for good fortune and safe childbirth.

💡 Souvenir shops across the old town

Carvings made from yew wood using only a chisel, a traditional Hida craft.

💡 Craft shops in the old town

Lacquerware finished with a clear lacquer that shows the natural wood grain.

💡 Craft and lacquerware shops

Bottles from the local breweries, often available to taste before buying.

💡 Sake breweries in Sanmachi Suji