Takayama

Lee and I went on a trip with the kids to a small town in central Japan smack in the middle of the Japanese Alps. We rented a van from MWR so that we would have lots of room. We drove up there after preschool on Friday. It was an easy and beautiful drive. It took us about 4 1/2 hours. Once we got up there we found the Rickshaw Inn and checked in. We stayed in the Sakura Suite. It had 4 futons and one western style bed.

We asked for a recommendation for a kid friendly place for dinner. The girl at the hotel told us about a restaurant gave us directions to a cute little restaurant right on the Migawa River. We had a great dinner...the kids were awesome and we met some fun Japanese people who were there celebrating a birthday. They even shared some of the birthday cake with the kids.



The next morning we got up and and went to the morning market that is along the Migawa River. There was produce for sale as well as fun souviners. We found lots to buy of course. Next we went to a museam that houses these amazing floats that they use in the two festivals that the have in Takayama in April and October. These were very ornate and expensive floats. They were beautiful. We stopped for lunch and did some more sightseeing.







Later that afternoon we went to Hida Folk Village. Think a Japanese version of Williamsburg. The kids loved this place where they could watch a woman weaving, a man making wood shingles and they also got to feed the koi in the pond. For dinner that night we went to a Hida Beef restaurant. Hida beef is riviling Kobe beef. It was the most delicious beef I have ever had. So tender that it almost melts in your mouth.








We had such a great weekend exploring a part of Japan that is a little less crowded and incrediably beautiful.