Monthly Archives: April 2015

{Japan Winter} Shirakawa-go, Gifu: Snow-covered fairytale heritage village

{Japan Winter} Shirakawa-go, Gifu: Snow-covered fairytale heritage village

What’s better than a snow-covered town? A snow covered UNESCO world heritage village that looked like it came out of a fairy tale, of course! And that was exactly what Shirakawa-go looked like on the day that we visited. Only about an hour away from Takayama by bus, Shirakawa-go is a beautiful little village famous for its traditional gassho-zukuri farmhouses, some of which are more than 250 years old. Gassho-zukuri means “constructed like hands in prayer”, as …

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{Japan Winter} Takayama, Gifu (Part 2): A Japanese ryokan & Hida beef experience

{Japan Winter} Takayama, Gifu (Part 2): A Japanese ryokan & Hida beef experience

Takayama city is beautiful during winter and is so easy to walk around that you would totally enjoy the experience! If my first post about Takayama did not entice you enough, here’s another one focusing solely on the accommodation and food (specifically wagyu). It was our first ryokan experience and so we were a bit worried in picking one that was too expensive or too authentic (some of you might choose a different route: i.e. …

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{Japan Winter} Takayama, Gifu (Part 1): Cute little town covered in snow

{Japan Winter} Takayama, Gifu (Part 1): Cute little town covered in snow

People often ask me: “what’s there to do in Japan when it’s winter?” or “is there any small town you’d recommend in Japan?”. Well, here’s my answer: visit Takayama (and Shirakawa-go)! Takayama (高山) is a city in the mountainous Hida region of Gifu Prefecture. The city is also commonly referred to as Hida-Takayama. Takayama retains a traditional touch like few other Japanese cities, especially in its beautifully preserved old town. Source: Japan-Guide.com We took a train …

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{Japan Winter} Nabana no Sato, Nagashima: Japan’s spectacular winter illumination

{Japan Winter} Nabana no Sato, Nagashima: Japan’s spectacular winter illumination

The Japanese love their winter illuminations. Some illumination would end on Christmas Day, however others extend up until late February or even March. And if you are visiting Japan during this time, I would highly recommend planning a trip to one of the ridiculously gorgeous winter illumination spots. My favourite so far has to be Nabana no Sato (なばなの里) in Nagashima, Mie prefecture. During the day (and for most of the year), Nabana no Sato …

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