We only managed to stay in Takayama for one night. There are two morning markets, “asaichi” in Takayama. We managed to arrive early at Miya- gawa morning market set beside the Miya-gawa River under cheery trees next to the red Kappabashi Bridge. Although small, it was atmospheric.

The order of the day was to get some breakfast. Somewhere in the middle, I spotted a poster advertising toast bread with coffee and a fruit salad with yogurt. A change from rice and noodles we have had every day. I just enquired to one of the two ladies in the restaurant and waited to find out more before ordering. We waited for quite a while before the lady re- appeared. She vanished again. Soon we found three plates of the breakfast set were laid on the table. Well, she assumed, being foreigners, that’s what we wanted. We just eat without complaint. Then we strolled on the single street in the cool morning air. The sun was already up and the sky blue. This market is basically an artisan market where local producers sold their wares directly to consumers. Some of the produce included fresh vegetables and fruits, handmade crunchy and nutty sweets, a colourful array of cut foliage and flowers, and a variety of handicrafts. My favourite was the assortment of mouth- watering vegetable pickles – made from cucumber, daikon, eggplant, cabbage, carrots and many more.

“A wonderful smell wafted through the air and it turned out to be someone selling Japanese marshmallows. We decided to try them and they tasted very nice and sweet” – Navindd

I loved the small bowls of pickles that accompanied many of our meals. The sweet, sour, vinegary, tangy and salty tastes created a wonderful explosion of flavours and intensity. As we walked around, samples are handed out – try before you buy. It’s a real pick- me up this early in the morning.

Several stalls offered cooked food. A lovely lady busily prepared the Japanese biscuits – “sanbei”, a cracker toasted with “teriyaki sauce”. A little salty and blend for me. We found these every wherein Japan. We bought some very sweet and crunchy biscuit – like a peanut brittle. The sugar content was enough to get us through the day. The day was turning out to be hot and sunny with blue skies.

There was a small commotion outside a stall. The operator, a small but congenial man had charisma and charm judging by the number of people waiting to buy his steaming yellow puffs. It looked like tofu but tasted like marshmallow. On the stall wall, these words were written –“Owara Tamaten – I pass when it beats an egg white and enter and cut the honey which came to the boil of sugar and agar to a pip after cooling it and soak it in the liquid which added sweet sake to and egg yolk, and it is the Japanese sweet that it is unusual which baked 6”.

An elderly man, like most local people here, did not speak English. He was a tailor. Typical Japanese clothing of all sizes hung above him as he sat on a low stool on one corner of this small stall. Undisturbed, he continued to sew one of the dresses. We eventually got his attention and purchased a toddler ”Jinbei”, a loose fitting outfit used typically in summer by males. Although the market is small, the atmosphere this morning was relaxed. Browsing from one shop to another was interesting. We tried some custard at a stall. It was delicious. Below, in the clear Miya-gawa River, fishes swam freely as a bird kept a keen eye on the surroundings. Takayama is a perfect place to unwind and soak in some old world charm. It was time for us to head back to the train station for our onward journey to Kiso Valley in Gifu Prefecture.

Takayama’s preserved old town, “shitamachi” dates back from the Edo Period [1600 – 1860]. Here, in its crowning days, many wealthy merchants lived here. Some of these homes are now opened to public. The most popular streets are in the south – Sannomachi, Ninomachi, Ichinomachi and Sanmachi. Takayama is also renowned for its high quality sake. Several breweries can be found around this old town. They are easily identified with barrels outside their premises and with a huge cedar ball hung above the door. The smell is also a good give-away. At one, I sampled a few. Traditionally, each serving comes in a small wooden box. Now, glasses are used. I loved the sweet plum sake.

Throngs of people walked in these streets looking through museums, cafes, heritage homes, art and craft shops, and sake breweries amongst others. It is lovely to see ‘old’ Japan as most images of Japan are urbanised areas like neon lit Tokyo and Osaka. During the Edo Period, Takayama was the centre of high quality timber production. This preserved old town is fully made from timber. It has appeal and good feeling as we walked down the streets. Although crowded, it was easy to navigate through. Running water gushed through stone canals that ran parallel to the street and along the houses. Potted plants and climbing purple wisteria flowers add further appeal to this charming place.

Although touristy, there are places where we could chill out, get some respite from the crowds like today. One such street is off the red Nakabashi Bridge. This street is planted with lovely cherry and willow trees that overlooked the slow flowing Miyagawa River. Small eateries and local handicraft shops are tucked away in this narrow leafy street. There were hardly any tourists here. Wandering these back streets is best done by walking which allowed an intimate experience with the old town. However, another mode of transport popular here is by using a rickshaw. Men and women dressed in black and wide hats hand pulled rickshaws through the historic streets. However, we did not try them.

Our stomach was rumbling. On a corner of a busy street, an elderly unassuming woman sold “mitarashii mochi dago”, rice ball on a stick spread with soy sauce. It just fills your stomach. One of the rewards of walking is trying out various foods along the way. There is always something to discover. Ramen was the order for lunch. I passed. The heat escalated and temperatures increased. It was time to retire for the afternoon. Not for me though. Sweet “mochi” waits.

“we were all tired after a huge day……slept soundly on our futon beds on the tatami floors” – Navindd

After a long day’s walk in this hot and humid weather, it was nice to just to sit in a modern art – deco restaurant for dinner. There are many along the main roads. Nearly all specialized in Hida Beef (wagyu) dishes – the signature dish of Takayama. We sipped “macha” tea to drown these lovely dishes. Takayama is certainly not vegetarian friendly although available.

The Japanese have refined social order – even on escalators, the queued on the left to enable other to pass on the right. Finally our “shinkansen” – the Hikari, a white body with a blue strip arrived. The seats were comfortable and when it took off, it sounded like an aeroplane. From inside, although the speed at over 280km/hr, we did not feel it. The exterior however, everything nearby was blurry. Along the journey, near the town of Fuji, we could see the full glory of Mt Fuji – clear from its wide base to the barren reddish summit. It was quite a sight. On the opposite side was the deep blue of the Pacific. Food and drinks are available on board the train. In no time we arrived at the busy and huge Nagoya Station. Although it was a short ride, the experience was fantastic.

“But this one was not any train, it was a Shinkansen or bullet train…..” “…..the world zoomed past us without a sound…”….” the majestic Mt Fuji emerged. Its presence was overwhelming…….but within two minutes, the whole mountain had disappeared………” – Navindd

It was early in the morning. We hauled our bags uphill to Tonosawa Station where we caught a train to Hakone- Yumoto. We continued by another train to Odawara Station. This station is the main rail gateway to the Hakone region. We had breakfast at one of the many stalls inside the extensive station. Today with our Japan Rail Pass, we caught the Shinkansen or bullet train to Nagoya. Navindd and I were excited. The attendants at the station checked and double checked all the signals, lights and passengers. One went past us without stopping at the station. It was sleek and very fast. I was warned as I had stepped over the yellow line at the barrier. Even at this distance, I felt the turbulent wind force.We had a reserved seat. Like everyone else at all the train stations, we queued at the designated area. This is definitely a wonderful Japanese fixation.

At Hakone-Yumoto Station, we collected our luggage that had been transferred from our hotel in Tōgendai for small fee.

“We were now weighed down with our large baggage, so we wanted to take the train to Tonosawa (where our next hotel was booked) as quickly as possible” – Navindd

Tonosawa train station was hidden in a lush forest and a long and windy pathway brought us downhill into the town. We walked on the side of a busy road that literally hugged the buildings. Our hotel is a multi-storeyed and slightly dilapidated building, but with a great location. It looked musty but the room tidy.

“Tonosawa is a small and quiet town, with the ragging Haya-kawa River right below us. From our hotel, the view outside was fantastic – a gushing Haya- kawa River and dark green trees. We took a little rest and listened to the sound of the flowing river while lying on our beds with our eyes closed” – Navindd

The best part of the room was its location and soothing views – sounds of fast flowing water over smoothed stones, a suspension bridge and leaves from evergreen trees rustling in the gentle breeze – an idyllic setting. The town itself is compact with the main road passing through. This town is certainly rustic Japan, an old world charm. Many hot springs are available here as in our hotel with some over centuries old following old traditions.

Hakone Yumoto

Dinner options in Tonosawa are limited to the hotels. We headed off to Hakone Yumoto by a five minutes bus ride. The bus station and train station are conveniently located together. Hakone – Yumoto is a popular riverside resort town for its “onsen”. We crossed the red bridge across Haya-kawa River at dusk to view the town.

On the main streets, dishes made from plastic were on display, salted and pickled vegetables and many more ingredients. The retail shops were also still open and people traffic was still good. In these parts, most shops close early. We were told in Tonosawa, shops close after sunset. We found a restaurant of decent size which specialized in local mushrooms. We decide on ramen and tempura today with a variety of mushrooms.

Fortunately, the bus service runs till late and we headed back to tranquil Tonosawa. The sound of the river below our room was soothing. We slept early as we had an early train to catch tomorrow to the mountainous Hida Region in Gifu Prefecture, Takayama.