Snowy Shirakawa-go

Friday 24th February


Takayama has been an absolute gem but the real reason for our visit was the Shirakawa-go UNESCO World Heritage Site and so when the alarm went off at 6.30am we were excited to get going – but not before breakfast! At 7am a woman came in to the room, tidied away our beds and brought our little table back in. We were then served a Japanese breakfast. There was a western option available but we really wanted to try something a bit different and different it certainly was! We had an extensive selection, including; miso soup, tofu, eggs, pickled radish and cabbage, salmon, rice, Macha tea, coffee and that’s just the things I recognised! We had some sort of chutney which was being cooked on a leaf and then an assortment of vegetables that I haven’t seen before. Let’s just say I wont be replacing my Saturday morning trips to the Esplanade for French Toast with Japanese breakfast any time soon and yes, a lot of mine went uneaten but I did at least give everything a go!

We checked out with heavy hearts and said goodbye to our lovely hosts who had been so accommodating and considerate and we gladly accepted their gift of chopsticks before setting off to find the train station. We got on an early bus to Shirakawa-go and fifty minutes later were stepping on to the snow dusted streets that are home to the famous thatched farmhouses in the gassho-zukuri style. The houses are primarily preserved for tourism but they are also home to around 600 people, some of whom we encountered as we made our way around the working village. Not to harp on but I found the history of these farmhouses particularly interesting – the angled roofs prevent snow accumulation and the name, gassho, means “prayer” in Japanese as they look like hands clasped together in prayer. The attic areas are ideal for silk cultivation and some of the larger houses would have been home to wealthier families with up to 30 people living under one roof. In the olden days (yes, I really did just use that phrase) these houses would have been miles and several days of travelling apart. The art of making gassho style houses is dying out but what remains can be seen in Shirakawa-go.

Once again luck was on our side and we managed to avoid the crowds. We even had some sites completely to ourselves and we had plenty of time to explore the village before crossing the river and entering the Gassho-Zukuri Folk Village which is a collection of the farmhouses, many of which you can enter. The guide books refer to the layout as contrived but again Rory and  I had the place to ourselves and I really enjoyed exploring the place. These farmhouses were relocated in the 1960s when the construction of a new dam threatened to submerge entire villages and I’m so glad they were preserved. It’s such a unique way of life and while I’m sure it’s lovely to visit all year round, seeing the houses draped in snow was absolutely breath taking.
Unfortunately we had to catch a bus back to Takayama and so with heavy hearts we left the village behind but not before grabbing a Hida beef korokee – a beef and potato croquette which was melt in the mouth delicious, all for £2! Thankfully when we arrived in Takayama we still had time (and room) for lunch! The restaurant Suzuya was in a traditional building down a side street and here we tried more Hida beef – which we cooked ourselves! The beef was tender and the entire experience enjoyable – we even had French fries which sort of spoil the authentic look of the photos but it’s the first bit of western food we’ve had and they were amazing! For such a small place the food in Takayama has been exceptional and the town even has free Wi-Fi so I was able to send pictures of said food to my family to make them hopelessly jealous!

 

Completely full we boarded the train and headed onwards to Kyoto! The weather only continued to improve as we headed South and the result was some truly spectacular scenery, most of which Rory missed as he was sleeping! Thankfully he woke up before we arrived in Kyoto and once again he led the way to our accommodation – an Airbnb in the Gion district. It was a short walk and a subway ride away and when we got in we spent the evening relaxing and watching The Girl on the Train. Hopefully none of our journeys have the same ending!