A day trip to the past

Over three weeks ago now my Japanese family took me for a day trip to Takayama city (高山) and to a village called Shirakawago (白川郷), both in Gifu prefecture (岐阜県). It definitely felt like a day trip to the past, more specifically to Edo period (1608-1868) – were it not for the swarms of tourists, of course.

Takayama was ruled directly by the shogun who usually lived in Tokyo (back then known as Edo), instead of some of the feudal lords (for example, the feudal lords ruling over Kanazawa were from the Maeda clan). House, where the shogun lived when he came to Takayama, has survived from Edo period pretty much intact. The living quarters are exhibited to look as they would in shogun’s times, whereas the storehouses were turned into a tiny museum of Takayama of that period. And other than that a big chunk of the city centre is composed of Edo-period houses, now mainly souvenir shops. If we’d have gone there at any other time but the beginning of Golden Week, where pretty much all of Japan has a holiday and is travelling somewhere, it probably would’ve felt more like stepping into the past – but then we probably would’ve missed the last cherry blossoms, gradually fading away and picturesquely snowing over the river.

Not very clear, but these are sakura petals flowing on the wind.

Entrance to the shogun's house.

This is where the shogun received applicants. And a little further behind the doors is his office.

Garden so that the shogun could rest after work..

As for Shirakawago, this is the second place in Japan famous for thatched roof houses from Edo period. I wrote about the first one, Gokayama, in early December. And Shirakawago is basically the same, both aesthetically and historically, both are UNESCO’s World Heritage Sites, and the only differences are that: a) Shirakawago is bigger; and b) I visited Shirakawago in spring, which looks less sombre and, well, feudal than Goyakama in early winter.