A step back in time from the moment we walked into our family owned ryokan, Hotel Asunaro.. What a unique city, dating from the Edo period (1603-1868) and not destroyed in WW2 which has been so lovingly preserved and cared for. And so different from the other places we visited on this trip.
The old town goes on for blocks and stretches along a lovely boulder-filled rushing river filled with large koi and ducks and draped with weeping willows and Japanese maple trees which were just beginning to turn color. The old machiya houses located in the core, covered with bamboo sliding doors, slats and shades, now serve as shops, restaurants, sake breweries and miso factories. The historical significance of the buildings reminded me of how I feel in Charleston or Savannah looking at the old plantation style homes. Restored, but genuine and special.
On the streets, one can eat Hida beef served like sushi over rice or grilled on a stick, dango which is a smooth, gummy rice mixture shaped into small balls, brewed in soy sauce with five served on a stick like a lollipop, chewy warm buns filled with sweet bean paste or cooked shredded Hida beef, all sorts of soy and sesame crunchy snacks and unique Japanese desserts which aren't really sweet. The grocery stores are filled with prepackaged unusual pickled vegetables of all kinds, colors and shapes which you can sample. I saw antique and new kimono shops, shops that sell pieces of antique kimono fabric sometimes fashioned into small pouches or purses, and a shoe maker making handmade wooden Japanese sandals worn under kimono. I sampled miso soup, miso soy sauce, sake and a few unidentifiable pickled foods.
Each morning, there are two pop-up street markets selling an assortment of products from spices, to miniature bonsai trees, to fresh fruits and vegetables, yew wood carvings, octopus balls grilled in special metal tins like round mini muffin pans, fresh marshmallows and funky little red dolls with no face which is the region's mascot.
But it's not about the stores and restaurants because you can really enjoy the aged structures despite the tourists and dazzling colors of the food and goods. And as you get away from the core, the pace slows down a bit and the historical machiya buildings continue on as private homes and small artisan shops selling pottery, weaving and handmade paper. Everyone has potted plants outside, even the restored areas are stained in the same black stain colored with soot, and the entire effect is wonderful. Our ryokan had bikes available or you can hire a rickshaw to move you around, but it is totally a walkable city and walk we did for two days. And when you approach the post WW2 areas of town on the other side of the river, it looks like a charming shanty town with homes made of corrugated metal in some places. What would be a slum in the US is a charming Japanese cultural experience! Remember there is no garbage, no graffiti and very little crime, so the evils of a slum don't exist here. It's a simple life where people know their neighbors, use bikes to get around, live and eat clean, don't pollute and express gratitude daily at their shrines and temples.
We enjoyed a sukiyaki dinner of Hida beef and vegetables which we cooked at our table in sweet broth the first night at Maruaki which had a 30 wait due to its popularity, but the second night we ate at our ryokan, enjoying another traditional 10 course meal served in the ddining room with a few other guests. Sukiyaki, sushi, things stewed, grilled and pickled, raw and cooked, just delicious. Breakfast each day was also a multi-course Japanese meal, delicious and different each morning, presented beautifully with hot pots brewing mushrooms, greens and tofu, miso soup and rice, eggs and fresh fish and fruit, plus a salad with soy dressing. A western breakfast was available upon request and dinner was an optional add-on, with advance notice. Just a wonderful eating experience enjoyed in kimono and slippers, after bathing in the ryokan's small onsen. Prepare to splurge at a ryokan. Our bill here was 90,000 yen, just under $900 for 2 nights, 3 wonderful meals, access to the onsen and all the personal treatment we got at a family run in. At this onsen, we had 3 rooms separated by paper screens, including an area with a small fireplace for brewing tea and our bedding was already set up when we arrived. But, if you splurge every once and awhile, it is special and worth it, especially since we were conservative in Kyoto and Kanazawa.
On our last day, we toured a restored merchant's house and folk museum and then while walking back to our ryokan to get our stored luggage, found a beautiful dark stained pagoda with red Japanese maple leaves in front and what a sight. We had hoped to see more change of season on this trip, but the peak season is in November in Japan, not October like in the US, so it was special to come upon the sight in our final moments in Takayama.
We had booked reserved seats for 3 trains back to Narita Airport outside Tokyo. We took a shuttle from the train station to our hotel Nikko Narita which was very comfortable...15 minute wait and 10 minute drive, we enjoyed a surprisingly good final sushi dinner in the hotel and hopped on the morning shuttle back to Narita. Nikko Narita allowed us to use up the last bit of our yen as partial payment of the bill, too. We spent some of our Pasmo card balance in the duty free shops which did not accept credit cards, but did accept yen and US dollars.
And now I'm on the plane, "enjoying" the last hour of my Business class ticket Tokyo to Dallas. Didn't sleep a wink on this flight from 10:40am to 9:00pm Tokyo time although I was very comfortable. Unfortunately, it will be 8am Dallas time and we have a layover and flight to Ft Lauderdale, plus our drive home, so don't know how we will feel in a few hours! Getting home at 5pm Florida time will be 6am Tokyo time and that's a missed night's sleep.
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