Hida is the northern region of Gifu Prefecture in the Chubu region of Japan. In the heart of Hida is Takayama, which attracts the most number of tourists each year to explore its old street and the traditional gassho houses. Situated less than a 10 minute drive away from the city bus station, the Hida Folk Village offers you a glimpse of the traditional gassho-style houses. A gassho-style houses is a type of farmhouse, but it is unique because they are rare in Japan. Gassho means to join one’s hands in prayer where the shape of the roof resembles two palms coming together. The thatched roof is designed for heavy snowfall which happened every winter in the Hida region.
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An easy bus trip gets you there
From Takayama bus station, you can take the Sarubobo bus for 210 JPY (~1.85 USD) for each trip in the direction of Hida Village. You will arrive in less than 8 minutes. Alternatively, take a slow walk and you can get there in around 30 minutes as well. If you are visiting multiple attractions in a day, you may consider purchasing a one-day bus pass at 620 JPY (~5.45 USD), which allows you to take the Sarubobo bus and Machinami bus heading in the direction of the old houses.
Once alighted, walk up a gentle slope and you will see a ticket booth. An adult ticket costs 700 JPY (6.20 USD) whereas a child ticket cost 200 JPY (1.80 USD). The village is rather big and you will need at least 1 hour to explore each of the houses. There are public bathrooms available around the attraction.
A nice quiet stroll around the village
Shirakawa-go is a UNESCO World Heritage Site that is situated about an hour from Takayama. You may see more gassho-style houses over in Shirakawa-go but it can also get pretty crowded. On the other hand, in Hida Village, which is located in Takayama itself, you can enjoy a slow quiet stroll around the village since most of the crowd will be away at Shirakawa-go. The houses look exactly the same and you can even explore the interior of some houses without fees. In Shirakawa-go, you would be required to pay a small fee to get into some of the houses, such as the Wada House, that exhibit the traditional homes in these villages. During winter time, you may also find out you are the only visitor in the village. Therefore, visiting in winter is a perfect time to snap plenty of pictures here without getting photo-bombed by other visitors. Hida village is probably the better option if you want to view the gassho-style houses peacefully!
In winter, the gassho-houses stand out beautifully against the white landscape. Its thatched roof is cleverly built to avoid the accumulation of heavy snowfall in the region. You may also come across some ducks on the frozen lake. They may not move so you wouldn’t even think that they are live ducks!
Pick up a handicraft outside Hida Folk Village
Sarubobo means “monkey baby” and it is the mascot of the Hida Region. When you enter Hida Folk Village, you will see 2 big red Sarubobo dolls (a Japanese amulet doll) that you can take pictures with using your own camera. The staff will also take a picture using their camera and you can buy it for 1000 JPY (8.90 USD) as a souvenir if you like it. All souvenir stores in Takayama have these Sarubobo dolls for sale and they come in various colors which represent different wishes such as wealth, health, or love. Instead of buying one off the shelf, you have an opportunity to try making one on your own in the handicraft store opposite the village at the Hida Takayama Crafts Experience Center! The lesson is taught individually by its dedicated staff and will take about 60-90 minutes for a cost of 1500 JPY (13.20 USD). The staff are able to converse in simple English, so bring home your handmade Sarubobo doll as a memory of Hida Folk Village!
Explore the quiet town and visit the Teddy Bear Eco Village
The street along Hida Village is quiet, especially during winter, but it is a great time to explore the town. Along the road, you will come across local houses and the Teddy Bear Eco Village, which is actually a museum located less than 8 minutes down the street. The museum is not big, but totally adorable with a good collection of teddy bears from different generations. Next to the museum is a quirky teddy bear café where you could rest your feet after a long walk around Hida Folkl Village. You could grab a cup of hot coffee and some food in the café, all while seated next to a giant teddy bear. While waiting for your order, sneak into the teddy bear store where you could also find sweet Sarubobo bears and many plushies that you could purchase.
Returning back to the city
The bus stop for the Sarubobo bus back to Takayama City is conveniently across the street from the museum and the last bus is around 4.50 pm. Do not miss the last bus and arrive early at the bus stop, otherwise it will take you about 30 minutes to walk back to the city.
Worth a visit
Hida Folk Village is definitely worth a visit when you are in Takayama, Gifu. I would recommend you to head there first, before visiting the main site in Shirakawa-go, so you could determine which is your favorite.
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