Day 18: Through the mountains towards Kanazawa
We left Takayama on the 11:00 train which would take us to Toyama. From Toyama we would then catch a train to Kanazawa. I know there was so much we didn't see in Takayama and somethings I had wanted to see. I don't think I prepared myself for the Japanese alps well enough however. One mountain fleece may keep my core warm but it's definitely not windproof and leggings don't do the trick either! I should have invested in some warm joggers.
The train ride towards Toyama was beautiful. Our train travelled over rivers, through mountains and sometimes along the mountain side. We saw whole towns covered with farm land though I have no idea what they were farming. As we sped past them I thought it was rice but seeing the images now I don't think it is.
We passed by many beautiful houses. Some huge and some very small. They were a mix of old and new buildings. Most were in the traditional Japanese style.
With mountains surrounding us on every side it felt like we were on a giant mountain plateau. High up in the alps it's easy to imagine this place cut off with snow. The water was a deep turquoise and clear even as it frothed and spilled over rocks.
Many of the trees seem to be evergreens in Japan and I think the ones that aren't are probably the ones that turn the beautiful shades of red and yellow during autumn. I think it would be wonderful to visit this place in Autumn. If it weren't for how cold I suspect this place to get I think it might be a great place to live in fact!
I really enjoyed the view from Takayama to Toyama. Once we had changed on to the train towards Kanazawa though the view seemed more of a cityscape and less rural. Kanazawa itself feels like a modern city on arrival though parts of it cling to old tradition. I'll cover Kanazawa more in the next post. You can also read about Jose's thoughts on Kanazawa here
Day 17: Shopping in Takayama!
Today we skipped our usual routine of running around town trying to see everything. Although Takayama has lots to see the combined stormy weather with freezing cold wind and my lack of super warm clothing meant I didn't want to stay out too long.
From Yamakyu we walked to the main shopping area. It's possible to walk around the whole town if you don't mind the hilly nature of it so much. Whilst we were walking we came across many antique shops with expensive antiques inside. Even the smallest of trinkets were near £100 by themselves! There are also many French looking stores with French names which I think are to cater to French tourists.
We wandered down to the main high street and there were many shops, some meant for tourists, others not so much I think. We went into one and I tried talking to the lady owner about her goods and found out that the goods in her shop are made in China and the goods made in Japan are much more expensive. It made me real think about the effect it has on the Japanese economy, being to close to an economic giant like China.
Down one of the side roads I saw this and whilst I haven't seen any gang graffiti this is a different kind of art and still tagged with a signature. I think it's cute and have been looking for art here since we arrived though not the museum type, more local art.
My first Kokeshi Doll! I picked her up at the toy store. I have seen many Kokeshi Dolls since travelling to Japan, most tend to have similar aspects. Though this was the first green one I have seen since we have been here. Her hair reminds me of the bamboo forest we visited back in Kyoto's Arashiyama. She looks so pretty!
Finally when the storm was starting up again we headed back to Center 4 Hamburgers once more for a last Hida Burger. It was delicious and the lady gave us small hamburger sweets for coming back. These hamburgers are so cute!
Day 16: The long road to Takayama
This morning we said good bye to Kyoto though I think we will go back again some day. If just to get my custom kimono made! I’ve also figured out my family crest with a little help from a Japanese crest book which I picked up in Kyoto. I haven’t drawn it out yet but I have the idea mostly solid except for the sword detail and type of sword. I may post a sketch of it later (providing I create a sketch).
From Kyoto we took the 8:31 Hida Limited Express which took us straight from Kyoto to Takayama in just under 4 hours. The journey was pleasant with sunshine, no rain and beautiful scenery passing by of rivers running around mountains. The train itself rain by many of those rivers and also through many of the mountains. Towards the end of the train journey the train started to gently climb some of these mountains until we reached Takayama which sits approximately 550m above sea level.
After we dropped off our bags at the hotel we decided to run around the town and have a look around. We found a toy shop that sold dolls in kimono which I was so happy about as I had been looking for one ever since Tokyo but in all the places we have visited I have visited so far this is the only place that I've found that sells this particular type. I know there are tonnes of dolls out here and they are all super expensive but I'm glad I got to see this one at least. The price for this one was around £300.
