Gifu

Takayama Jinya is the only surviving government headquarters from the Edo period. Head over in the morning to stroll through the markets held at the plaza in front of the gate there every day.

Endless hours can be spent simply strolling around the old streets and visiting the shops here.

Hida Takayama

Streets filled with Edo-period history and culture; mountains bursting with snow activities

One of the big three morning markets in Japan—Miyagawa Morning Market. Well worth rising early for a visit.

Hida Takayama

In the centre of Takayama city are two bronze statues: Tenaga (long arms) and Ashinaga (long legs). This one here is Ashinaga. The statues are of characters in Japanese folk tales.

Takayama is also famous for its ramen and “Takayama-style” ramen is known across Japan. This particular ramen is from Mametengu, a long-established popular ramen restaurant. This is a must-visit restaurant for ramen lovers.

Honokidaira Ski Resort is located approximately 40-minutes away from Takayama. This undiscovered gem offers the best powder snow experience in all of Gifu owing to its high altitude.

For those looking to enjoy some sightseeing or activities in Hida Takayama, drop by to visit Satoyama Experience (http:// satoyama-experience. com/), a service welltrusted by overseas visitors. This picture was taken during a snowshoe tour.

The night-view of Shirakawa-go from the observation deck.

Shirakawa-go

Scarecrows, modelled on humans, have been used since ancient times to keep birds away from farms and fields.

Thatchedroof houses: a typical building technique in snowy regions Beautiful winter wonderlands in this World Heritage Site

The sight of thatched-roof houses is quintessential to snowy rural areas of Japan. This area is now popular amongst visitors from overseas following its inscription as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.