飛

騨

The Hida Guide

2012―2013

Hida is the northernmost and largest of the five regions of Gifu Prefecture.

Situated in the heart of the Japanese Alps, it is an entirely mountainous region,

famous for its natural beauty, its skiing, its onsens, and its many traditional

handicrafts. The main rivers in Hida are the Miyagawa (宮川), which flows

north into the Sea of Japan, and the Hida River (飛騨川) which flows south

into the Pacific. Hida’s elevation and mountains shelter it somewhat from the

rest of Gifu’s murderous heat and humidity and the summers, and pile on the

snow and cold in the winters. The first kanji in Hida, 飛 (ひ), means to fly. The

second, 騨 (だ), means a dappled grey horse, although it’s no longer

commonly used.

The four municipalities that comprise Hida, from south to north, are:

下呂市 げろし Gero City

高山市 たかやまし Takayama City

白川村 しらかわむら Shirakawa Village

飛騨市 ひだし Hida City

HIDA’S LOCATION IN GIFU PREFECTURE:

Hida is hemmed in on all sides by the Japanese Alps. To get anywhere else in

Japan, you’ll need to go over, through and under them. Most of Hida is

actually closer to Toyama City, on the coast of the Sea of Japan, than it is to

Gifu City or Nagoya. Matsumoto, in Nagano Prefecture is about two hours to

the east by car or bus. Tokyo, Osaka, and Kyoto are all about five hours from

Hida by bus.

FUN IN HIDA Outdoors

In the summer, there are almost infinite places to hike. And when the heat is

ridiculous, and the simple act of breathing makes you sweat through the soles

of your shoes, take a dive into the cool, clear river at one of several spots

deep enough to swim, or jump off the rocks.

In the winter, no matter where you live in the Hida area, there’s a ski area

within half an hour of you, and five more within an hour. Just about every

weekend, someone’s heading up to the slopes, so grab your skis or board,

and jump in the car with them. Don’t have a board, skis, and have never seen

snow in your life? No problem: equipment rentals and lessons are available at

all the mountains.

Some recommended ski areas are:

Nagareha in Kamioka

Honoki in Hirayu

Arukopia in Gero

Takasu Snow Park & Dinaland in Takasu

The ski season runs from mid-December through mid-March, although if

you’re a true junkie, the mountains in Nagano and Niigata are bigger than the

Hida ski areas, and boast longer seasons. Too far for a day-trip, they’re close

enough for a great weekend of skiing.

If you prefer exploring towns to tumbling down mountains, Hida offers plenty

for you as well:

Takayama’s Temple Walk meanders through dozens of temples and several

wooded parks on the east side of town.

Hida No Sato is an old-style Japanese village situated in the heart of

Takayama.

For an actual old village, Shirakawa Mura is a UNESCO World Heritage Site,

and accessible by both car and bus.

Every city and town has something to be discovered. So when you’re feeling

restless, just wander. It’s a great way to connect with your community.

Onsen (Hot Spring Baths)

Hida is renowned throughout Japan for its onsen. Gero Onsen is an entire

town built where the hot water flowed, and onsen-tourism is still a major part

of its economy. Onsen etiquette must be followed, so be prepared to go the

Full Monty, shower thoroughly before entering the baths, and under no

circumstances dunk your head beneath the surface of the water (unless

nobody’s looking). Just a few of the onsens to visit are:

Miki no Sato (Maze, Gero) ¥700 (¥500 after 7pm). A huge onsen complex, it

will spoil you for other onsens. A creative variety of pools, jets and saunas,

this is definitely one you have to see. Annual passes are available.

Shimizu no Yu (Hagiwara, Gero) ¥500. This is a small but gorgeous onsen

that was recently remodeled for a visit by the Emperor. It’s located off the

highway on the drive between Gero and Takayama. Annual passes are

available.

Gero Rotemburo (Gero) Free. Located in Gero near the bridge in the river.

This public onsen is open to anyone, anytime. If you don’t want your students

to see you, go late at night.

Green Hotel Onsen (Takayama) ¥1000 (but if you feel you’ll go frequently, a

book of 16 tickets may be purchased for ¥10,000). Small, but elegant, this

onsen is often frequented by Takayama ALTs simply due to its convenient

location. There is also a free foot onsen outside the hotel, which is lovely on a

cold winter night.

Shijuhattachi Onsen (Kokufu, Takayama) ¥500. Located near the base of

the 48 Waterfalls hiking trail in Kokufu, this onsen is popular for its newly

designed baths and whirlpools.

Associa Hotel Onsen (Takayama) Available to the public only in December

(or if you eat a meal in the restaurant), this onsen offers gorgeous views of

Takayama.

Hirayu no Mori (Hirayu, Takayama) ¥500. Quaint onsen with a beautiful

backdrop in the heart of the Hida mountains.

Festivals

Takayama Matsuri

In April and October two of Japan’s biggest and most popular shinto festivals

occur, with lantern-lit floats meandering through the streets of Takayama, food

stalls sizzling, and thousands of Japanese and foreign tourists jamming the

streets.

Gero Dragon Fire Festival (August 1 – 3)

Dragon dancing, fireworks, a music make Gero’s festival one of the most

heavily attended, popular festivals in Hida.

Takayama Tezutsu Hanabi (August 9, 2012)

In August, handheld fireworks are shot out of bamboo cylinders from

platforms on the Miyagawa River in downtown Takayama. Get your viewing

and photographing spot early, because the banks of the river are jam-packed

with people.

Maze Fireworks (August 25, 2012)

In late August, Maze (―Mah-zay‖), a canyon town in Gero City, puts on its

festival with an impressive fireworks display. Get there early in the evening,

because there’s only one way into town, and the roads are clogged for miles.

Doburoku (October 14 – 19)

Shirakawa’s Doburoku festival is an only-in-Japan kind of event. Each of the

four temples in town brews their unique brand of bathtub sake, complete with

chunks of half-fermented rice, and the townsfolk and visitors gather at each

one, on four successive days, where it’s poured freely, and endlessly, into the

cups of anyone who attends, leaving the entire town staggering drunk.

Santeramairi (January 15, 2013)

Santeramairi, in Furukawa, is perhaps the most beautiful of the Hida region’s

festivals. Candles made of snow line the streets, and lanterns are floated

through the town’s canals, while young women in Kimono pray for love.

Asahi Ice Festival (February)

A maze in a forest of ice sculptures. Fireworks too.

Furukawa Festival (April 19-20)

This is the most raucous, and most potentially injurious, of Hida’s festivals.

Drunk, half-naked men spin on poles, and mobs of them rush a giant drum,

while hoards of others do whatever it takes to keep them from it. Ever been

pinned against a building by 200 mostly undressed, sweaty old guys from the

neighborhood during a drunken free-for-all through the city streets on an

otherwise nondescript Tuesday? This is your chance!

Nightlife

Nightlife in the Hida area relies heavily on izakayas and karaoke. You’ll find

much of the towns are shut down by ten p.m., and your options narrowed

significantly. If you’re out and about early enough, here are some things to try

in Takayama:

- Pink-light district archery in Takayama (try not to shoot the very elderly

proprietors, who occasionally wander onto the range). Closes at 10 p.m.

- Bowling in Takayama (the manager looks suspiciously like Kim Jong Il)

Closes at 11 p.m. (12 a.m. on Saturday and Sunday nights).

BRAIN IT UP IN HIDA

Educate youself!

Hida offers classes for artists (and those who want to be), potters (and those

who want to be), musicians (and those who want to be), kimono-wearers, tea

ceremony participators, gardeners, cooks, and many other pursuits. A great

place to start is in school; your teachers know what’s going on in town, and

can often direct you to the class that meets your demands.

The entirety of the ALT population of Takayama, and most of the rest of Hida,

take Japanese lessons from Noriko Namazu. She’s contactable via email at

noriko.n.mymail@ezweb.ne.jp

Reading and other nerdly pursuits

A Hida Book club is attempting to come into existence. It meets whenever

people get around to it, and involves cooking and eating, and maybe talking

about the book some people may have read. Contact Tom Wanebo for info:

twanebo@gmail.com.

The Takayama City Library has a small but growing selection of

English-language books, and can special-order books you request. The

books you brought or bought that you don’t want cluttering up your apartment,

or weighing down your suitcase on the trip home are always gladly accepted

as donations.

Book stores in the Hida area don’t have English languages sections, but

Japanese Amazon has a great selection, and can be used in English.

www.amazon.co.jp

TRANSPORTATION IN HIDA Getting around in Hida can be tricky. The winters make driving an adventure,

and, we’re a bit isolated. There are train and bus services, but the limitations

of their schedules and routes can make them impractical for every-day living.

But there are plenty of options for your personal mobility needs.

Bike

If specialty bicycles are your thing, the shops in Hida may not be up to snuff;

you’ll need to head to a larger city for bikes, parts, or service. But if you just

need a basic bike there are several good shops that can help you out.

In Takayama:

Hara Cycle (0577-32-1657)

Kawakami Cycle (0577-32-4056)

Tagashira (0577-32-1153)

Car

Whether it’s the half-hour drive to work, or the snow-buried commute to the

grocery store, for many who live in Hida, a car is a must. Snow tires, an

ice-scraper, and high-powered defroster are indispensable in the winter, and

AC and a booming system are requisite for summer. The vast majority of the

foreign community in Hida buys cars, and has them serviced at, Shimamitsu

Motors in Takayama (0577-32-057). They have a long-standing relationship

with the ALTs and will work payment plans for purchasing cars, servicing them,

and paying shaken (vehicle inspection) around an ALT’s monetary

situation—something very few business will every do.

To get out of Hida, several of Japan’s National Highways intersect in Hida.

Route 41 runs along the ―spine‖ of Hida, traveling north-to-south, along the

same general path as the train. Other highways leading to Matsumoto, Fukui,

and places beyond intersect with 41. The roads aren’t always wide (in the tiny

tunnels on the road to Matsumoto, your life will more than once flash before

your eyes as an oncoming bus occupies half your lane) but the views are

often spectacular. Additionally, the Tokai Hokuriku Expressway connects Hida

to Japan’s very convenient (but expensive) system of toll-highways.

Rail

Hida connects to the rest of the world by one JR train line, which runs from

Nagoya and Gifu City up through Gero, Takayama, and Furukawa, and

reaches Toyama to the north. The train’s path generally follows the two main

rivers through the mountains. The Hida Wideview Express runs every other

hour, and makes limited stops, reaching Gifu City in exactly two hours from

Takayama Station. A round-trip on the Hida Wideview is just under ¥6,000

with the Morning Plan Ticket (which must be purchased in advance). Local

trains are less expensive, and stop in many of the smaller villages along the

way. To reach any other part of Japan by train, you must transfer in Gifu or

Nagoya to the south, or in Toyama to the north. If you’re planning to travel by

train, a great place to start is

www.hyperdia.com/en

Bus

Hida has a booming tourist business, so the bus business is booming as well.

Takayama Station sends dozens of highway buses out daily in every direction.

Traveling to Tokyo, Osaka, Kyoto, Gifu, or Nagoya is cheaper by bus than it is

by train, and often just as fast. The bus schedules can be checked in English

at

http://www.nouhibus.co.jp/english/index.html

Tickets can be purchased at the bus station’s ticket counter or online (in

Japanese only) at

www.highwaybus.com

HEALTHY IN HIDA Exercisin’

In addition to the exercise you’ll get climbing up mountains (in the summer)

and hurtling down them (in the winter), Hida offers other chances to get or

stay in shape, many of which involve zero contact with snakes, trees, or

nature in general. There are recreational sports, both Japanese and Western,

offered through Takayama’s Big Arena, and through local clubs. Ask around if

you want to join one.

Big Arena (0577-34-3333) is Takayama’s largest gym. Membership is free

(although it requires you sit through a two-hour, mind-numbing orientation

offered twice a month), and use of the facilities is only 100 yen an hour.

High Mount offers indoor rock-climbing in central Takayama.

Medical Care

Medicine in Japan is a little different than you may be accustomed to. Back

home, if you caught a cold, a doctor would probably say that there’s no cure

for a virus, and tell you to get plenty of rest and drink a lot of fluids. In Japan,

for a common cold, you’re likely to receive a two-meter-long strip of plastic pill

packs, to be taken ten at a time, five times a day for the next week and a half.

If you’re coughing at work, you may be told to ―go to the hospital‖ (which you’ll

discover often simply means a medical clinic).

It is difficult to find a doctor fluent in English, especially in the more rural areas.

However, there are good ones who, while perhaps not fluent, are

communicative enough to overcome language barriers.

Some recommended doctors ALTs have visited in the past are:

Takayama:

Illness:

Hisakane Clinic 0577-35-4788

Centrally located in Takayama, this clinic sees many ALTs for cold, flu,

and other mild maladies. Hours: Monday through Friday 8:30 a.m. –

12:00 p.m. and 4:30 p.m. – 7:30 p.m.

Injuries:

Aratani Clinic 0577-34-9825

Located near the expressway entrance in Takayama. For non-critical

injuries from sprains and bruises to physical therapy, the Aratani clinic

can treat most soccer, skiing, or stupidity-related injuries. Hours:

Monday through Friday 8:30 – 11:30 a.m. and 3:00 – 6:00 p.m.

OB/GYN:

Hiroshima Clinic 0577-33-4135

Located in Downtown Takayama, just off Kokubunji, near the river. The

doctor is an older man, very friendly, and speaks some English. The

nurses are all women who are very friendly and speak no English at all.

Hours: Mon, Tue, Wed, Fri, Sat: 9:00 – 12:00. Tue and Fri 16:30 –

18:00. (closed Thursdays and Sundays) All appointments are walk-in.

Dentist:

Mizuguchi Dental Clinic 0577-35-0648

Located in downtown Takayama, across from the Red Cross Hospital.

Dr. Mizuguchi is a dentist many Takayama ALTs have visited, always

with good results. His English is broken, at best, but he’s always able to

communicate.

Hospital:

Takayama Red Cross Hospital 0577-32-1111

This is the largest hospital in Hida, and handles everything from

emergency-room visits to basic dentistry. If a doctor doesn’t speak

English, there’s often a staff member who does, who can be called in to

translate if need be. The hospital is open 24/7, so this may be your best

bet for late-night dental or medical emergencies.

WHERE’S THE HIDA BEEF?

Restaurants

Center 4 Hamburgers 0577-36-4527 (closed Wednesdays)

Widely agreed to be not just the best hamburger found in Japan, but

the best many have ever eaten, A ten-minute walk from Takayama

Station, it’s a rare occasion that you won’t find at least one of

Takayama’s foreign residents at C4.

弱尊カレー Jakson Curry 0577-39-1810 (closed Thursdays)

The best Japanese curry you’ll find in Takayama, Jakson is a small

restaurant near the station with great atmosphere and fantastic food.

お好み焼き清水 Shimizu Okonomiyaki (0577-34-3700)

For okonomiyaki, there’s no competition: Shimizu is the best. The

restaurant is very small, so make a reservation.

Café Ichii (closed Wednesdays)

This mountaintop café is a great place to spend a rainy afternoon,

studying Japanese, hanging with friends, or chatting with Ichii Mama.

チャパラ Chapala

If you’re looking for great Mexican food, go to Mexico. If you’re looking

for good Tex-Mex food, go to El Paso in Gifu City (near the station). If

you’re looking for marginal Mexican food, a Corona, great atmosphere

and a back room that can fit fifteen of your friends, this is your place. 5

minutes from the station.

Kanki (―Caesar Salad‖)

The best Caesar salads around give this restaurant its nickname, and

the only name most people know it by. (say ―Kanki‖ here, many won’t

know what you’re talking about).

Mahal 0577-32-7055

Indian/Nepalese Curry, with enormous and delicious naan, served by

friendly Nepalese dudes, all to the accompaniment of the one CD they

own.

Seigfrieda in Hagiwara, Gero City (0576-53-3020)

A delicious, classy specialty cake shop.

Midori no Yakata A coffee shop in Hida-Hagiwara decorated wall-to-wall with

antique Clocks. The friendly owner always has jazz playing. Try the

―ring toast.‖

Izakayas

扇屋 焼き鳥 Ogiya

Known to many simply as ―Stick Meat‖, Ogiya offers yakitori like no

other, and a nicely-priced nomihoudi (a two-hour all-you-can-drink). A

twelve-minute walk from the station. Open until 2:00.

Bols

A faux Irish pub, Bols offers Guiness, decidedly mediocre food, and

(almost always) an empty establishment in which to bring 10 of your

friends

Murasaki (―Spiderman‖)

Big beers.

Groceries

Most towns have one or several supermarkets, all of which close at or before

9 p.m. They’ll meet your basic needs, although you may not be able to find

much in the way of specialty or imported foods. Below is a list of some of the

specialty food stores in the Hida area:

Trainbleu (0577-33-3989) is a very good bakery in just off of Route 41

in Takayama.

There are no stores in the Hida area that are specifically imported-food stores.

If you’re looking for such a place, you’ll need to make the trip to Gifu City,

Nagoya, or Toyama. Foreign foods can be found online. Some good places to

check are:

The Flying Pig www.theflyingpig.com

An independent wholesaler of Costo merchandise. Delivery is very fast,

and refrigerated goods come will arrive cold.

The Meat Guy www.themeatguy.jp

High quality meat products, including many not available in the local

stores (from Italian sausage to kangaroo loin) delivered fast and

refrigerated, to your door.

Foreign Buyers Club www.fbcusa.com

Foreign foods, as well as a scattered variety of foreign (mostly

American) products.

HIDA’S MUNICIPALITIES

The four municipalities that comprise Hida are unique places, each with its

own history, culture, and geography.

下呂市 GERO The best way to describe Gero is a farming city built around a hot spring

resort town; big houses among rice fields that sweep up the foot of the

mountains. Ten thousand people call it home, but it doesn’t seem that busy.

It’s a peaceful, pleasant town. Main street is impossible to miss: it’s where the

rivers meet. There you’ll find a number of shops, restaurants, and amenities,

and except for the coldest of winter months, you’ll see many a Japanese

tourist strolling around in yukata.

高山市 TAKAYAMA

Takayama is the largest city in Hida. Many smaller towns and villages, some

very isolated, are a part of Takayama, along with five ski areas, numerous

rivers, waterfalls, and vast mountain forests. Takayama sits in the center of

Hida, both geographically and socially; it is the center-of-gravity for many of

the foreigners living and working in the Hida region.

Takayama has dozens of temples and shrines, some of them hundreds of

years old. The beautiful old streets feature sake breweries, quaint restaurants,

and overpriced souvenir shops. There are enough stores to tide you over

between the shopping trips to the larger cities.

Takayama is the largest municipality, by land area, in all of Japan, covering

2177 square kilometers (Osaka, by comparison, is only 222 square

kilometers). Its reach extends between the peaks of the two mountain ranges

that make up The Hida Alps. Moving from east to west, one could drive more

than two and a half hours at 60 kph and still be within the Takayama city limits.

Takayama is comprised of Takayama Shi (the city center) and nine

surrounding villages and towns, formerly independent cities which merged

with Takayama in 2004 to streamline the areas overlapping and redundant

government.

(The structure of Japanese municipalities differs from that of many foreign

countries. The three levels of government in Japan are national, prefectural,

and municipal. Machi (町) translated as ―towns‖ or ―neighborhoods‖ are

geographical subdivisions of municipalities, but do not have their own

governments, although they often have their own cultural identity. Unlike

many foreign countries, it is entirely possible to be in Town A and City B at the

same time. A mura (村) or ―village‖ can be a part of a city, similar to a town or

neighborhood, or it can be an independent municipality, with its own towns

and neighborhoods. Confused yet? Good. So is everyone else.)

The towns and villages that comprise Takayama City:

Asahi is southeast of Takayama city center.

Kamitakara is the Northern most part of Takayama city blessed with plenty of

onsens, nature, monkeys, and kind people. Kamitakara is comprised of three

villages: Hongo, Tochio, and Hirayu Onsen-go. Kamitakara is blessed with

beautiful nature including many waterfalls, and is an excellent place to go

firefly watching in the summer.

Kiyomi is a farming town, where the cows bred for Hida beef greatly

outnumber the human citizens. Gardens that bloom beautiful lavender in May,

autumn foliage that explodes with color along the river in October, along with

autumn and winter festivals draw photographers, hikers, and tourists.

Additionally Kiyomi has a large craft center that sells local handicrafts, jewelry,

and furniture.

Kokufu is one of the oldest towns in the Hida area, and was once the center

of commerce and government for the region. Kokufu is home to Ankokuji

Temple, designated a National Treasure of Japan, and to numerous places to

hike, most famously the 48 Waterfalls. Apita, the largest department store in

Takayama, is in Kokufu, about 20 minutes from downtown Takayama.

Kuguno lies south of Takayama.

Miya is the smallest of Takayama’s townships.

Nyukawa is east of Takayama, and is famous for its tomatoes and its nabe

(hot pot) festival. Several years ago, the town built a giant nabe pot, but it

broke. So now, there’s no nabe pot.

A legend tells of the last remaining allies of the defeated House of Taira

whose exile grew into Shoukawa on the western edge of Takayama City. The

long history is evident in the town’s five-centuries-old sakura trees, named

Shorenji and Korinji, which were facing destruction from the building of a dam

in the aftermath of World War II, but were saved by transplantation.

Shoukawa is one of the last places in Japan to produce Soba from seed to

finished product. Soba restaurants are still very popular, as is the harvest

festival in early September, where villagers continue to thank the gods for the

harvest. Despite the coldest winters on the island of Honshu, the villagers’

warmth ensures a comfortable winter holiday.

Takane is a town nobody had heard of until making this guide. There are no

ALTs there, and no schools there, and so far as anyone knows, no reason to

go there.

飛騨市 HIDA CITY Hida City is the northernmost part of Gifu Prefecture. It has a tremendous

amount of nature to explore in both summer and winter.

白川村 SHIRAKAWA VILLAGE

Shirakawa Village is a small village surrounded by mountains. It boasts

a world heritage sight: the famous thatched-roof houses. It is

accessable from the rest of Hida by bus, and via the expressway.