飛 騨

The Hida Guide 2012―2013

Hida is the northernmost and largest of the five regions of . 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 , 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 , 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 [email protected]

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: [email protected].

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 , 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.