Locations: Takayama, Hida-Furukawa and surroundings
This is the continuation of my week-long trip through central Japan! My third day started in Takayama, and was spent mostly in the Hida Furukawa area, about 15 minutes north by train. This is the area underlined in blue on the left on the map below.
My third day began with breakfast at Sumiyoshi Ryokan, the traditional Japanese inn where I stayed the night. Since I had asked for no whole fish the previous night, my breakfast ended up being very enjoyable and free of any challenging fishy dishes. The meal included natto (fermented soybeans), which I had never tried before, but it was actually not bad! Afterwards, I checked out early again, and set out to explore a few final parts of Takayama before departing northward.
This day was mostly dedicated to a biking tour through the countryside in Hida-Furukawa, but the tour wasn't scheduled until noon, so I had several more hours to spend in Takayama. The weather was great again, so I took yet another stroll along the waterfront, stocked up on more souvenirs, and stopped by one more temple. For an early lunch, I treated myself to one last taste of Hida miso steak, after which I leisurely strolled back through the old town towards the train station.
A 15-minute train ride took me to the small town of Hida-Furukawa, situated downriver of Takayama. While the latter was a fairly busy hub of activity, especially from tourists, Hida-Furukawa was very peaceful and equally pleasant to walk through. There were no streets specifically designated as historically preserved, but nonetheless the town was full of well-maintained traditional architecture. A small canal cut through the middle of town, filled with colorful carp.
When I arrived at the Hida Satoyama cycling office, I was greeted warmly and informed that I was the only person signed up that day for the apple orchard cycling tour. This surprised me, as the tour was completely booked the previous day, but I looked forward to a more personal experience. Luckily, my guide Misa turned out to be quite fluent in English and offered clear explanations and helpful answers to my questions. Once I had adjusted my sleek rental bike, we immediately set out on our tour!
For the first few miles, we biked on a flat path along the river, passing by some farms and a local school. Many of the locals were very friendly and greeted us along the way! Schoolchildren and elderly folk alike provided us with smiles and the occasional short conversation (conveniently translated by Misa). We took a short break at a small spring near the mountain slopes, where we filled our water bottles with delicious natural spring water. Afterwards, we crossed the valley floor and began a relatively long climb up an adjacent river valley, passing through more farms and small towns. Since Misa was close to my age, we shared many interesting conversations along the way to pass the time! Eventually we arrived at the orchard, where we proceeded to pick the nicest apples we could find and, munching down, enjoyed the fantastic views of the surrounding mountains and the valley below.
Misa brought a few cooking supplies and ingredients, which we used to make fresh apple compote! Combined with some green tea, it made for a pretty awesome picnic. I had enjoyed the ride and Misa's company so much that I hadn't even noticed the time going by, and it was almost sundown by the time we packed up and began the ride back towards Furukawa. At a certain point, a blanket of clouds began to roll over the tops of the mountains on the opposite side of the valley, reminding me of the ocean fog cascading over the mountains along the I-280 near San Mateo. In truth, the natural beauty throughout the entire tour was difficult to capture by photo, especially since the fresh and peaceful atmosphere contributed greatly to it.
It was getting late when we finally returned to the office, and I had to hurry to catch the train to my next destination, Toyama, on the northern coast of Japan. We said our goodbyes, and after a brisk walk through the old streets illuminated by the fading rays of the sun, I arrived at the train station just in time for the next express train. Since my stop in Toyama only served as a starting point for the Alpine Route the following day, I had booked a simple Western-style motel room close to the train station. Thus, I retired to the only Western bed I would have on this trip, and began to recover energy for the long day ahead.
This is the continuation of my week-long trip through central Japan! My third day started in Takayama, and was spent mostly in the Hida Furukawa area, about 15 minutes north by train. This is the area underlined in blue on the left on the map below.
My third day began with breakfast at Sumiyoshi Ryokan, the traditional Japanese inn where I stayed the night. Since I had asked for no whole fish the previous night, my breakfast ended up being very enjoyable and free of any challenging fishy dishes. The meal included natto (fermented soybeans), which I had never tried before, but it was actually not bad! Afterwards, I checked out early again, and set out to explore a few final parts of Takayama before departing northward.
This day was mostly dedicated to a biking tour through the countryside in Hida-Furukawa, but the tour wasn't scheduled until noon, so I had several more hours to spend in Takayama. The weather was great again, so I took yet another stroll along the waterfront, stocked up on more souvenirs, and stopped by one more temple. For an early lunch, I treated myself to one last taste of Hida miso steak, after which I leisurely strolled back through the old town towards the train station.
Another beautiful day in Takayama!
Duck crossing
Restored traditional buildings line the street leading to a shrine
Large stone torii in front of the shrine
Bonsai exhibit, containing cool rock-based bonsai, near the shrine!
A 15-minute train ride took me to the small town of Hida-Furukawa, situated downriver of Takayama. While the latter was a fairly busy hub of activity, especially from tourists, Hida-Furukawa was very peaceful and equally pleasant to walk through. There were no streets specifically designated as historically preserved, but nonetheless the town was full of well-maintained traditional architecture. A small canal cut through the middle of town, filled with colorful carp.
When I arrived at the Hida Satoyama cycling office, I was greeted warmly and informed that I was the only person signed up that day for the apple orchard cycling tour. This surprised me, as the tour was completely booked the previous day, but I looked forward to a more personal experience. Luckily, my guide Misa turned out to be quite fluent in English and offered clear explanations and helpful answers to my questions. Once I had adjusted my sleek rental bike, we immediately set out on our tour!
For the first few miles, we biked on a flat path along the river, passing by some farms and a local school. Many of the locals were very friendly and greeted us along the way! Schoolchildren and elderly folk alike provided us with smiles and the occasional short conversation (conveniently translated by Misa). We took a short break at a small spring near the mountain slopes, where we filled our water bottles with delicious natural spring water. Afterwards, we crossed the valley floor and began a relatively long climb up an adjacent river valley, passing through more farms and small towns. Since Misa was close to my age, we shared many interesting conversations along the way to pass the time! Eventually we arrived at the orchard, where we proceeded to pick the nicest apples we could find and, munching down, enjoyed the fantastic views of the surrounding mountains and the valley below.
Misa brought a few cooking supplies and ingredients, which we used to make fresh apple compote! Combined with some green tea, it made for a pretty awesome picnic. I had enjoyed the ride and Misa's company so much that I hadn't even noticed the time going by, and it was almost sundown by the time we packed up and began the ride back towards Furukawa. At a certain point, a blanket of clouds began to roll over the tops of the mountains on the opposite side of the valley, reminding me of the ocean fog cascading over the mountains along the I-280 near San Mateo. In truth, the natural beauty throughout the entire tour was difficult to capture by photo, especially since the fresh and peaceful atmosphere contributed greatly to it.
It was getting late when we finally returned to the office, and I had to hurry to catch the train to my next destination, Toyama, on the northern coast of Japan. We said our goodbyes, and after a brisk walk through the old streets illuminated by the fading rays of the sun, I arrived at the train station just in time for the next express train. Since my stop in Toyama only served as a starting point for the Alpine Route the following day, I had booked a simple Western-style motel room close to the train station. Thus, I retired to the only Western bed I would have on this trip, and began to recover energy for the long day ahead.
Arriving in Furukawa and finding the mountains much closer than in Takayama
Passing by a temple in the city center
The downtown canal, flanked by greenery and traditional buildings
Ready to set out on my bike tour with Misa!
Stopping on a bridge to soak in the peaceful scenery of Hida valley
Biking higher up into the mountains
Apple compote crackers, with yogurt, cinnamon, and fresh mint leaves. Delish!!
As sunset approaches, clouds start to roll over the mountains
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