Japan!
I’ve been mentioning that we’ve settled on a home base for the next year, and I’m very excited to reveal that Japan is soon-to-be our temporary home. We’ll be leaving Thailand March 2nd, spending a week traveling in Indonesia, and then flying to Japan from there.
When I was a kid, there was a Japanese restaurant in my home town called “Ah-So Gardens”. I distinctly remember the familiar, good feeling of walking into the restaurant’s lobby, where the lighting was low, shamisen music played in the background, and beautiful koi fish swam in an enormous fish tank. The servers all wore brightly-coloured kimonos, and we dined in small rooms with sliding shoji doors. We took off our shoes before entering these rooms, and kneeled on silk pillows in front of low tables made of black marble. I loved Ah-So Gardens so much that my parents bought me a porcelain statue of a Japanese women dressed in a red kimono for my 8th birthday. In retrospect, I realize that the theme of Ah-So Gardens was almost an offensive parody of traditional Japanese culture, but regardless, ever since my infatuation with this restaurant, I’ve wanted to visit Japan.
While we’re planning to explore all corners of this beguiling country, our home base will be in Takayama – a place that Lonely Planet recently listed as one of the world’s 10 unsung places.
So why am I so excited to live in Takayama?
Atmosphere
Photo Credit: Uncornered Market
Takayama is found in a mountainous region of Gifu Prefecture. After living in numerous different cities over the past few years, I’ve come to realize that I’m usually happiest when I’m living near mountains or water. Our current home in Ban Pong, Thailand is not without its gritty charms, but I long to wake up to inspiring natural scenery on a daily basis.
Takayama’s location, nestled away in the mountains, has kept it relatively isolated from the rest of Japan. As a result, Takayama has developed a unique sub-culture, and many of its classic Edo period (1600-1868) buildings still remain in use.
Last night in Ban Pong, Brent and I went out for a relaxing dinner. We left the restaurant after dark, and were meandering lazily to our scooter, when 3 stray dogs appeared out of nowhere, charging at us with their teeth bared. The peaceful night was disrupted as Brent fired up the scooter in a panic, and I screamed “Go! Gogogogogo!” as the dogs chased us down the bumpy gravel road, nipping at our ankles and barking in a disturbingly flesh-hungry manner.
Yeah, so needless to say I’m kind of looking forward to the end of moments like these.
The combination of fewer rabid stray dogs and fresh mountain air also means that I can resume my running routine, which I have been missing in a very serious way over the past few months.
Photo Credit: Uncornered Market
Festivals
The Takayama festivals held in April and October are said to be among the largest and most beautiful festivals in Japan. The spring Takayama festival will take place just a few weeks after we arrive. I’ve been sending my wanderlusting-heart aflutter by looking at pictures of the elaborate costumes, and festival floats (yatai) decorated with life-like marionettes. Hotels and guesthouses in Takayama are typically booked up over 6 months in advance of each festival, but we’ll have front row seats for the action.
Food
Photo Credit: Uncornered Market
Takayama’s cuisine is a little different compared to Japan’s coastal cities. The town is known for its beef, soba noodles, sansai (mountain vegetables), and wasakana (river fish). Plus, I’ve been digging up the names of a few Western-style restaurants, which include a burger joint and a Mexican restaurant. I’m excited to dive into Japanese cuisine, but after living in Ban Pong for a year, where the meal options are local or nothing, it’s nice to know that I’ll be able to get some Western food once in a while when the craving strikes. Takayama is also known for its sake, with several old breweries located in town, some of which provide samples. I like samples.
Best of all, our new teaching schedule will be much more flexible than our current one, and they’re throwing in a car for us too. This means I’ll have even more time and freedom to travel around and to share my stories and advice with you lovely readers. Are you as excited as I am, yet?
Have you been to Takayama? Or Japan? What were your impressions?
Ooooh – amazing! Japan has been on my list for as long as I can remember. Enjoy and good luck!!
Thanks, Andrea! My expectations are pretty high, but somehow I imagine Japan just might be able to live up to them.
I love Japan! I lived in Sapporo and Nagoya, and had so much fun. Looking forward to reading all about it!
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That's awesome! We're actually spending about a week in Nagoya when we first arrive before settling in Takayama – I might have to hit you up for local advice….
Japan is by far my favorite country, and definitely the place where I have the most friends! I'm pretty sure I know someone in Takayama now, I'll have to ask her if she's got any advice. I traveled around Tokyo, Kyoto, Osaka and Gunma for 3 months a few years ago, and I've been dying to get back. Luckily I'm a couple years from 30 so that is helping push me to get there before the visa isn't so easy. Really looking forward to reading about your new adventures there!
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That must have been a fantastic trip! Let me know if you have any particular recommendations. Everyone I've spoken to who has traveled through Japan has nothing but glowing, gushing things to say about it – I'm so looking forward to finally going!
That sounds like an excellent place to base yourself! We spent one fabulous day there during our 4 weeks in Japan and that definitely wasn’t enough. It’s a small enough place that you should be able to really discover its secrets during your time, but its also excellently located so that you can explore the rest of Japan as well! Make sure you head to Furukawa at some point – it’s about 20 minutes away from Takayama by train and if countryside and mountains are what you crave, you can do no better!
Also, the sake samples are really amazing there. I didn’t think I liked sake. Gifu prefecture taught me otherwise!
Thanks for the tip, Steph! I'm really looking forward to getting to getting to know Takayama. Trying sake is definitely high on my list. The old breweries look really cool!
Lucky you. This has made me feel very jealous. How long do you plan to be in Japan for?
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If everything goes well we might stay for up to a year. I think we're going to have a great base for exploring the whole country, so we're going to travel nice and slow.
Japan is top of my wish list and Takayama looks like it's the perfect place in Japan! Wow! I can't wait for future posts.____I would go in a Tokyo Minute if it weren't for that little thing that happened recently known as a full-on nuclear meltdown. Just because the government say "everything is okay" doesn't mean I have to believe it. I'm either being paranoid or very smart, not sure which.
That was my Mom's first concern too, haha. I've seen a few charts that compare the level of radiation in Tokyo to that of New York City, although I suppose there's no way to verify for sure. Traveling always comes with some risks, I guess, and, personally, I feel comfortable taking this one.
Wow! Japan! I'm so excited for you! Of all the Asian countries Japan has always fascinated me the most (probably because they have the nicest toilets
). I'm looking forward to expanding my knowledge (which mostly consists of sushi and cherry blossoms and toilets) of Japan through reading about your adventures there!!
Japan also fascinated me the most
:) We have more in common than I thought 
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Thanks, Julika! It's hilarious because I'm totally excited about the toilets too! A lot of them look very sophisticated – particularly after nearly 8 months of squat toilets in Thailand. I still haven't really figured those out.
Hey! That's so unfair! I'm so jealous LOL, brilliant news, I wish I went to Japan with you. Don't forget to send me some photos of the real Japanese sushi and Geisha
. Good luck and bon voyage!
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Thanks, Agness! I'll definitely post lots of sushi pictures – I've heard real Japanese sushi is actually quite different from the Westernized version, so I'm looking forward to seeing what it's like.
Oooo! Congratulations on the upcoming move! It sounds like there will be plenty to see, do, and eat in Takayama. And the photos of the place look absolutely beautiful!
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Thanks, Audrey! I can't wait to dig into the local culture.
I am smitten with Japan and really enjoyed Takayama; definitely could have been the sake sampling we did though! I am uber jealous that you will be living there!
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Thanks, Gillian! I actually read your post on Takayama when Brent and I were first considering going there. Your photos of the sake tasting looked lovely – it definitely helped solidify our decision to check it out!
Have a great time! Looks like you're leaving in a few days! Would love to go to Japan one day!
I'm really looking forward to it! We're spending a week in Indonesia, and then flying to Japan March 7th!
Japan is top of my list! What adventures you have… ELL x
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