11 FUN Things to do in Takayama, Japan: Miso, Sake & More!

Tucked away between ancient rice fields amongst the Japanese Alps, Takayama is the Japanese countryside town that absolutely made our trip.

In many ways, Takayama is everything you probably wish Kyoto was—a town that feels locked in the Edo era with decades-old sake distilleries, local soy sauce and miso makers, bright red bridges arched over the river, and vibrant cultural festivals that feel less like a performance and more like a genuine Shinto celebration that locals take deep pride in.

Adding this sweet little town to your Japan itinerary is the right choice, and in this article I’m sharing all the best things to do in Takayama, including stepping back in time amongst the thatched-roof homes of Hida Folk Village, indulging in all the local foodie delights, walking beside the koi canals of nearby Hida Furukawa, attending the UNESCO Takayama Festival, and more!

🏯 Prefer to explore with a local guide? Maximize your time in Takayama and learn the history from a local on this exceptional half day exploration of the city!

Night floats at Takayama Autumn Festival

📍 Where to Stay in Takayama: We stayed in a gorgeous traditional room at Temple Hotel Takayama Zenkoji—yep, that’s an active Buddhist temple! I’d highly recommend it for the cultural experience, but some other lovely options include Sumiyoshi Ryokan, Hotel Wood, and ICHIRYU. Takayama is very walkable, and these spots are all centrally located! ↗ My full article on where to stay in Takayama.

☀️🌺🌿 Article Outline (Jump Ahead)

Best Things to do in Takayama, Japan

1. Experience Takayama Festival (or see the floats at the museum)

Takayama Festival is UNESCO-recognized and said to be one of the three most important cultural festivals in Japan. It goes without saying that if you’re in Takayama during the festival—which happens twice a year in October and April—you can’t miss it!

The two days of the Takayama Autumn Festival were packed with parades and rituals, and our favorite was the night floats when locals carried the yatai (portable shrine floats) through the streets, illuminated by hundreds of paper lanterns! It felt like something straight out of Spirited Away!

If you’re visiting Takayama any other time of year, you can still get a glimpse of these incredible floats up close at the Takayama Matsuri Yatai Kaikan Museum.

2. Visit Hida Folk Village

Situated on 24 acres upon a hill over Takayama, Hida Folk Village is a model village with over 30 thatched roof homes that were moved here from across the Japanese Alps.

It’s one of those places that sounds like it could be too touristy and bland, but is actually really worth visiting, especially if you don’t have time to visit Shirakawa-go, Hida’s living folk village!

We rented bikes near Takayama station and rode up the hill—a ride that looks short and easy until you realize how steep the hill is up to the folk village! (I’d rent an e-bike instead!)

Entry is ¥700 per adult (~$4.50) and there is plenty of parking and room to park bikes. Inside, you’re greeted with a picturesque pond and several of the historic homes in sight. Inside each building you’ll find interesting artifacts—traditional clothing, art, kitchenware, and more. The homes themselves are of course magnificent—look closely and you’ll see that they use no nails!

We giggled at some of the translated signs, one of which that read “do you know the silkworms?” and another in that same home that said “The silkworms are nice. If I work hard, I will have a good response.”

3. Taste local miso, soy sauce, and sake

As a foodie, the artisan food culture in Takayama really charmed me—all along the same road you can taste (and buy!) rich miso, soy sauce, sake, and tofu produced right here in Takayama!

To make it even better, local brewers and artisans are located along Sanmachi Suji, one of the most beautiful streets in Takayama—with Edo-era wooden houses and a small canal, it feels straight out of a storybook!

For miso and soy sauce, head to Onoya Brewery. You can taste all the soy sauces and two misos for free, plus try some of the miso in a hot miso soup!

For sake we ended up at Harada Brewery (but there are a few other sake brewers in the same area). Here a ¥500 ticket gets you a beautiful little sake cup and self-serve tastings of 12 different local sake flavors. Let’s just say we had to make those tastings really tiny to get through all twelve!!

Finally, we tried nearly a dozen tofu varieties at Tofu Cuisine Noguchiya for lunch. We generally eat tofu a lot and love it, but I’ll admit two tasting plates was a LOT of tofu for us 🤣 But they’re all made in house by the sweetest old ladies, so I still feel like this place is a must! I’d probably get a small selection of tofu to share as a couple and order their hot pot, I heard it’s really good!

4. See the koi canals of nearby Hida Furukawa

If you’ve read my guide to nearby Hida Furukawa, you’ll know that it’s actually this little town and its cute koi-canals-lined streets that drew me to the area—only later did I learn about Takayama.

April through November you can see—and feed—1,000+ carp that swim through Hida Furukawa’s Seto Canal. There are little deposit boxes along the canal where you can leave ¥100 yen in exchange for a bag of bread to feed the koi.

The town is just a 17 minute train ride away along the Takayama line, and very worth a half-day visit if you’re in Takayama for a few days.

I’d also recommend visiting Hida Furukawa Festival Exhibition Hall, where you can see the Shinto floats used in the annual Furukawa Festival, and try your hand at some of the traditional activities!

Also See: A First Timer’s Guide to Hida Furukawa: Koi Canals, Sake & Yatai

5. Explore Takayama’s Edo-era streets, temples, and shrines on foot

Though Takayama’s boundaries extend deep into the surrounding mountains, historic downtown area is quite compact and best explored on foot!

A few places to add to your walks around Takayama include:

Sakurayama Hachimangu Shrine and the Higashiyama Promenade
The shops and breweries throughout the Sanmachi Historic District (this area had the best cute local gifts and shopping we found anywhere in Japan!)
Enako River Canal and bridges
Hida Kokubun-ji Temple
Hida Takayama Town Museum
Hida Takayama Retro Museum
Ikada Bridge
Takayama Jinya

6. Take a day trip to Shirakawa-go

While Takayama itself is full of charm, a lot of people travel all the way here for Shirakawa-go, a UNESCO World Heritage Site just over an hour away.

Home to over a hundred triangle-shaped thatched roof homes, Shirakawa-go look more like they belong in the Swiss Alps rather than the Japanese countryside. And the town is especially beautiful when the leaves change in autumn, and in the snow!

This Shirakawa-go tour includes roundtrip transportation from Takayama to not only Shirakawa-go, but also Ainokura, another UNESCO World Heritage Site that’s equally as charming and less visited. You also get entry to the Tenshukaku Observatory overlooking Shirakawa-go, and Gassho-zukuri Minkaen museum.

Also See: What You NEED to Book in Advance for Japan (And How)

7. Eat, drink and explore along the river

The Miyagawa River that runs through Takayama town—and the picturesque bridges over it—might just be my favorite part of Takayama!

Walking along the river will be a natural part of your visit to Takayama, but there’s a few riverside businesses (and tips) you’ll want to know about beforehand!

First, don’t miss the daily Miyagawa Morning Market (7am-12pm), which takes place on the east side of the river.

Second, head to Kamon for ramen with a view! It ended up being our favorite meal in Takayama, and perhaps the best ramen we had in Japan—and it gets even better if you’re able to snag the table overlooking the Kaji Bridge and river. We also soaked in the river views from Haiz Coffee (by the way, Takayama has quite the coffee culture!)

And finally, you can’t beat a connivence store meal (or snack) eaten along the river bank. There are plenty of areas with paths down to the river throughout the city!

8. Shinhotaka Ropeway

Another favorite day trip from Takayama is to take the Shin-Hotaka Ropeway (gondola) up the mountain—especially in the wintertime!

The ropeway is a 1.5 hour bus ride away from Nohi Bus Station, and the bus also stops in Hirayu Onsen, a small mountain village full of hot spring resorts and the Hirayu Onsen Ski Area.

I wasn’t able to do this on my visit, but I heard from other tourists in Takayama that the 2-day Okuhida Marugoto Value Ticket for tourists (which includes roundtrip bus fares plus access to the gondola) is the way to go and cheaper than buying tickets in person.

Alternatively, for the easiest (and most educational) all inclusive experience, book this excellent guided Shinhotaka Ropeway tour with roundtrip transportation from Takayama.

9. Stay in a Buddhist temple

Staying at a Buddhist temple turns your accommodations into a cultural experience—and it can be surprisingly affordable (but not for us…!)

We stayed at Temple Hotel Takayama Zenkoji in a gigantic traditional room surrounded by beautiful zen gardens and it was epic! Since we were visiting during the Autumn Harvest Festival, it was quite pricey… like $700/night pricey…. but there was literally nowhere left to book, so we did it!

But on a normal day, you can stay at Zenkoji for as little as $150! It is an operating temple, and you’re welcomed to participate as much or little as you’d like in Buddhist life here. They also offer Zen cooking classes and some other cultural experiences onsite.

PS: Check out my other Takayama article, Where to Stay in Takayama: Temple Stays, Ryokans & Hotels

10. See the city from Shiroyama Park

Head up to Takayama’s Shiroyama Park on foot, bike or in a taxi to get a view of the city and surrounding mountains! The park is also home to some red torii gates, reminiscent of Kyoto’s Fushimi Inari shrine.

11. Bike through the countryside

If I’d had more time, I’m sure biking through the Hida countryside would have been one of the highlights of my Japan trip! We had planned to book this guided cycling tour by Satoyma Stay, but it was sold out when we visited. It sounds like a lovely way to support a small business and learn about local life.

The bike tour focuses on Hida Valley’s satoyama spaces—meaning spaces where the wild mountain nature and villages intersect. The bike tour would be really special during rice harvest season as the route takes you through miles of rice fields!