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City guide · 高山 Takayama
Takayama
The "Little Kyoto" embraced by the Hida mountains — Edo townscape, festival floats, and the wood fragrance of the Hida craftsmen
The city of Takayama lies in the Hida mountains of northern Gifu Prefecture, with the Miyagawa and Enakogawa rivers running through it; the black-latticed townhouses of the Sanmachi-suji quarter stretch on and on, earning it the name "Little Kyoto of Hida." The gorgeous float processions of the spring Sannō Festival and the autumn Hachiman Festival are famous across the country, and the Miyagawa Morning Market at dawn is fragrant with pickles and miso. This is the original home of Hida beef and hōba miso, and the gateway town to the gasshō villages of Shirakawa-gō and to Kamikōchi; snow on the eaves in winter and cool mountain winds in summer make it a place to slow down for a night or two and watch the seasons of a mountain country.
History
How the city came to be
Ancient Hida was a land of timber and carpenters, and under the ritsuryō system the "Hida craftsmen" (Hida no takumi) served with their labour in place of taxes, working generation after generation on the building of the capitals. In the Warring States period the Miki clan held the region; in 1586 Kanamori Nagachika pacified Hida and built Takayama Castle and its castle town, laying down today's street pattern. In 1692 the Kanamori were transferred away and Hida became a direct shogunal territory (tenryō), administered from the Takayama Jinya — the only complete jinya office building surviving in Japan. After Meiji the city stood on timber, silk farming and furniture making; in the late Shōwa years its old streets and festivals made it an international sightseeing city, and in 2005 it merged with nine surrounding towns and villages to become the largest city by land area in Japan.
- Nara periodHida craftsmen serve with their carpentry in place of taxes, taking part in building the palaces and great temples of the capitals — the name "Hida no takumi" spreads across the country
- 1586Kanamori Nagachika pacifies Hida and begins building Takayama Castle and its castle town
- 1692Hida becomes a direct territory of the Edo shogunate (tenryō), and the Takayama Jinya magistrate's office is set up
- Mid-Edo periodThe Takayama Festival float processions take shape; the spring Sannō Festival and the autumn Hachiman Festival are together counted among Japan's three great beautiful festivals
- 1936Takayama established as a city
- 2005Merger with nine surrounding towns and villages makes Takayama the largest city by land area in Japan
- 2016The "Takayama Festival float event" inscribed on the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage list
Stories
Stories of the city
From castle town to shogunate territory
History · Hida-Takayama
After the Battle of Sekigahara, Tokugawa Ieyasu granted Hida Province to Kanamori Nagachika, and Takayama developed as a castle town. In 1692 the Kanamori were transferred to Dewa, Hida came under direct shogunate rule, and Takayama Jinya served as the intendant's office until 1871. It is the only surviving building of its kind in Japan, still used by the courts until 1969.
People
People connected with Takayama
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Before you go
Rules to know in Takayama
There is no tipping in Japan
Do
- Say thank you with 'arigatō gozaimashita'
Don’t
- Pressing loose change on staff
Japan is a no-tipping country and bills usually include service; if you press a tip on staff, some will politely refuse.
Verified Oct 19, 2026Source: JNTO: Japanese table manners
Take off your shoes when you see a genkan (entrance step)
Do
- Take off your shoes at the entrance of homes, some restaurants, temples and hot-spring facilities
- If unsure, look for a shoe rack or slippers at the entrance
Don’t
- Stepping onto tatami or indoor wooden floors in shoes
It is seen as very rude.
Verified Oct 19, 2026Source: JNTO: Japanese etiquette
No phone calls on trains and the shinkansen; queue to board
Do
- Put your phone on silent; on the shinkansen, take calls in the area between carriages
- Queue at the marked spots on either side of the train door, and let people off before you get on
- Give priority seats to older people, pregnant women and passengers with limited mobility
Don’t
- Talking on the phone or playing sound aloud in the train
Not illegal, but you will get looks and a reminder from the conductor.
Verified Oct 19, 2026Source: JNTO: Japanese etiquette