Crazy Digest: Takayama and Shirakawa-Go, Japan

Date of Travel: 25 Jul 2014

Shirakawa What?? Where? Huh?
Shirakawa-Go is a UNESCO Heritage Site in Central Japan. It is famous for these houses shaped like hands in prayer, and whose roof has no nails. Most houses have 3 layers, such that when winter comes, you have to go in and out of your house from the top most level door.

We were one of the fortunate few who managed to fly to Nagoya where AirAsiaX once flew to. After landing at 4:20pm, we picked up our rental car for our adventure in Central Japan. It took approximately 3.5 hours to reach Takayama, what I call a transit town for Shirakawa-Go. By 8:30pm, everything was really dead. We were lucky to reach the restaurant on time, before last order of 9:00pm. Try locate Ajikura Hida Beef restaurant, Hanasato-machi 4-147, Takayama. Tel: 0577-371129. After dinner, we checked in to Takayama Super Hotel.

Our rented Nissan March, 4 days rental for 30240¥ (RM967)

The GPS system is really easy to navigate in Japan

Ajikura Hida Beef Restaurant

Ox Tongue is my favourite!

Super Hotel Takayama

Free hotel breakfast

The next morning, we decided to leave our car at the hotel for a morning stroll of Takayama. We started walking at 8am, but that was a bit too early for this sleepy town. We soon found the morning market, but not that many stalls at this hour. Since checkout is at 11am, we had to see all we could. The feel of the place was really peaceful, and woody. NICE! But sorry, a bit too slow for my liking.

Well hello hello! Nice to see you. What can 2 persons who don't speak the same language, laugh about?

These peaches were so nice I tell you! We had one everyday

3 bridges to take photos from

Crystal clear waters

So clear, that there are fishes!

Even 7-11 has different feel here

A very famous old-town street in Takayama, with the backdrop of the mountains

Did I tell you that I brought a Selfie Stick???

After checking out, it was a short 1 hour drive to Shirakawa-Go. To key in the GPS, use Tel number 0576961013 / 0576961311. We arrived there at high-noon. The sun was unforgiving! There is a shuttle bus to the Shiroyama Viewpoint, where people recommend to go there for sunset. Due to time constraints, we ended up there at 1pm. Not the most pleasant time to take photos. But what to do.

After parking, you gotta walk into Shirakawa-Go

Of course there's a souvenir shop

That's the main road of this Ogimachi Village, as seen from the Shiroyama Viewpoint

That's where the shuttle bus stop is, to get to the Shiroyama viewpoint.

For lunch, we tried Hida beef again! Locate #37 in the tourist map, called Shiraogi. No english name whatsoever, just ask around. It was AWESOME! Much nicer than the bbq the night before.

This is Shiraogi Restaurant, #37

Hida Beef cooked on a lotus leaf with miso paste. *drools*

Cold noodles to cool off

After lunch, we had a stroll around the Gassho Houses in the scorching sun before calling it quits. We drove 1 hour to Kanazawa, where the next adventure awaits.