In the heart of the Hida Mountains lies the beautifully preserved market town of Takayama, a place of narrow streets and shops and teahouses with overhanging roofs and latticed windows.

During the Edo period the town was widely known for its skilled carpenters and artisans who built many of the temples in Kyoto and Nara. This tradition is maintained through the profusion of arts and crafts in ‘little Kyoto', as Takayama is often called.

The town is also famed for its sake (rice wine) breweries and seasonal festivities.