The old streets of Hida Takayama—also known as Little Kyoto—are lined with houses built in traditional renji-koshi and senbon-goshi architectural styles. Visitors listening to the local gossip of the old ladies at the morning market stocked with seasonal wild vegetables can’t help but feel a nostalgic sense of returning home.
During the Takayama Festival, the dazzling festival floats that showcase the refined technique of Hida craftsmanship are sure to make visitors wonder—how could such a small, isolated mountain town have such splendor?
When asked, tourists in Takayama will answer that they have visited multiple times in the past.
Although Hida Takayama is now a well-known tourist destination, we believe that the unique secret to its popularity is the fact that it is not deliberately designed to draw in tourists, but is naturally authentic and appealing. The local people still live in renji-koshi-style homes, and shop for the day’s vegetables at the morning market.
Because of its location near popular destinations such as Miyagawa Morning Market and Takayama Old Town, Yasugawa Shotengai (market street) attracts many visitors. We have also seen an increase in overseas visitors in recent years, and various languages can be heard.
Yasugawa Street also serves as a boundary between the Spring Takayama Festival and the Autumn Takayama Festival, making it an ideal location to enjoy both festivals. Because of its location, many locals and tourists alike pass through this street without even knowing the name Yasugawa Shotengai.
This website was created to serve as a guide for everyone who visits this area.
We would be happy if this website would encourage visitors to stop by some of the shops located here, or cultivate some curiosity in the Yasugawa area.
We hope you enjoy your stay.