Takayama

Takayama is a place to fell in love. All I knew was that a small village in the middle of the mountains was a popular destination thanks to people efforts to keep it very well preserved since the Edo-period. It wasn’t just beautiful, it was magical, a place of beauty for contemplation. The silence I was involved here when the sun sets it was a whole new experience.

There’s no many streets, and the north side is full of temples connected by a large road. You can go that way or you can choose the other option, going through the forest, full of signs to be aware of bears. The forest goes depth in a few minutes and you feel like you’re in the middle of nowhere, but actually just a few corners separates you from the town.

I like Takayama so much that I also wrote an article about it in the Japanese Society North West magazine. I also returned in winter another time and the contrast was huge, everything was covered by layers and layers of snow.