Takayama with a toddler

During our first trip to Japan, we spent two nights in Takayama with our toddler. It is located in Gifu prefecture, a mountain region in Japan. It has a beautifully preserved old town that allows you to see what Japan once was like. Our stay in Takayama was between Kyoto and Tokyo as part of our 12-day Japan itinerary.

Driving to Takayama

Although there are no direct trains to Takayama from Kyoto or Tokyo, there are from Nagoya or Toyama. There is also a highway bus from Tokyo to Takayama. For this trip we chose to rent a car in Nagoya, driving to Takayama after stopping at Inuyama Castle. The streets in Takayama can be quite narrow so after arriving we simply walked around the city.

Inuyama Castle

Inuyama Castle is one of Japan’s original castles remaining today, as most were destroyed during wars or in natural disasters. It was constructed in 1537 and is a national treasure, a title held by only four other castles in the country. Himeji Castle, Matsue Castle, Hikone Castle and Matsumoto Castle.

We drove to Inuyama Castle on our way to Takayama. It is a small castle on top of a hill. You can enter the main keep and walk around the floors, which have museum displays. A steep staircase leads to the top floor and walking onto the narrow balcony provides a wonderful view. You can walk around the balcony, getting a 360-degree view of the Kiso River, the city and the mountains.

The castle grounds provided a great space for our toddler to roam around and gave us a break while driving to Takayama.

Family Ryokan in Takayama

For our family accommodation in Takayama, we wanted to experience staying in a ryokan. As we were travelling with a toddler, we needed one that was family-friendly. For our two-night stay in Takayama, we chose Hidatakayama Futarishizuka Hakuun. Unfortunately, it seems they no longer accept children, although you could try asking them directly.

We paid extra for a kaiseki course dinner at the Ryokan. It included Hida beef and sashimi. We also ate breakfast at the ryokan which was a traditional Japanese-style set meal.

Hida Takayama Onsen Takayama Green Hotel has family rooms available and you can book breakfast and dinner.

Takayama’s Old Town is an area that has preserved buildings dating back to the Edo period. We walked from our ryokan and wandered down the streets, browsing in the stores. Some were selling typical tourist souvenirs but most of them were lovely and unique.

During our strolling, we came across handmade toys, clothing, jewellery and lots of lovely lacquered wares to admire. One store that we entered had a back section full of gorgeous handmade wooden furniture. We were there when it was getting close to closing time, so didn’t get long enough to browse all the wonderful shops. On our way back through we passed shop owners locking up their stores and heading home.

Day trip from Takayama

Our main reason for renting a car was because we wanted to do a day trip from Takayama. We drove to Shirakawago, explored the village and open-air museum and then drove along a scenic road before returning to Takayama.

Takayama’s morning markets

On our last morning, we had breakfast at the Ryokan and then went strolling around Takayama’s morning markets. We visited two markets.

The first Takayama market we visited was Miyagawa Market, held alongside the Miyagawa River. We found the location by following signs. The market has a long history in Takayama and the stalls were selling fruit, vegetables, pickles, flowers and craft items.

When walking past a stall, the lady held out a plate of apple slices for us to sample. They were so sweet and delicious but cost ¥500 per apple. They were very large though. I planned on getting one on our way back but we ended up walking in a different direction.

Jinya-Mae Market

We walked to the other morning market which is in front of Takayama Jinya. The market sold similar things with lots of produce but there were more crafts and nick-nacks. I purchased a little Sarubobo (monkey baby) doll, the mascot of the Hida region. A charm for good luck in marriage, fertility and childbirth, traditionally made by mothers for their daughters.

Walking in Takayama

In between the markets, we strolled along the Miyagawa River. I loved seeing the old wooden buildings along the river. In one area we watched koi swimming around.

We then found ourselves walking down different streets. As it was early morning, the shops were closed but the streets were still interesting with painted wooden sculptures.

How long to stay in Takayama?

We spent two nights in Takayama. If we had full days it might have been long enough but we felt we didn’t see as much of Takayama as we would have liked. We arrived late in the day, walked through Old Town and the next day we spent away on a day trip. We walked around a lot in the morning before leaving but could have done a lot more in the city. We think you should spend at least one full day in Takayama.

Takayama with a toddler

We had both a stroller and a baby carrier with us for our 1.5-year-old. When walking around the Old Town at night we put our toddler in the carrier because the old streets don’t have footpaths and you need to move out of the way if a car comes along the narrow roads. In the morning while visiting the markets we had our toddler in the stroller. At the Ryokan, we didn’t have an extra bed for him. He slept with us on the futons.

Having dinner at the Ryokan was fantastic because we were able to try lots of different local foods without worrying about having our toddler in a restaurant. It also meant he could try some things while also having backup food we knew he would eat from the convenience store.

The traditional style of the Ryokan with no beds meant there was plenty of space for our toddler to walk around and play. With futons on the floor, it also meant we didn’t have to worry about him falling out of bed.

Getting from Takayama to Tokyo

After checking out of the Ryokan, we returned the rental car in Nagoya and walked to the station. There is no Shinkansen (bullet train) line to Shinjuku so we got in line for one to Tokyo Station. A very kind man ahead of us saved us the front row seats so we had plenty of space for us with our toddler, stroller and suitcase.

Arriving at Tokyo Station after just over an hour and a half on the bullet train, we transferred to the Chuo line to Shinjuku Station. We exited the station and were completely disoriented and didn’t know which direction the hotel was. We figured out it was just across the road. Odakyu Hotel Century Southern Tower was in a fantastic location for our family stay in Tokyo.

Read: Tokyo with a toddler