Photos

Having just stepped off of the plane from Tokyo, warming my bones again, wanted to share this first shot of Takayama, in the Japanese aalps. Much snow and -11 degrees, but a lovely old town. The region is agricultural, and every day vegetables and fruit are brought by local farmers to the morning market. The surrounding forests provide fine timber for building traditional houses and for the simple utensils and lacquer ware that have been made in Takayama for hundreds of years.
The history of the town begins with its carpenters. The skillful carpenters of Hida (as this region is called) are said to have built the Imperial Palace in Kyoto and many temples in that city, as well as in Nara. At the end of the 16th century, Takayama Castle was established by the Kanamori clan and this was the origin of the present town and its culture.
During the three hundred years when Takayama was governed by a samurai family, many unique traditions evolved here. And due to the town's location, a remarkable number of old traditions have been preserved.