One of the most recommended trips to do when visiting the Takayama area is go over to Hide Folk Village which is a famous spot of the area. It is described as an open air museum as consists of a small village type setting containing thirty traditional houses from area.
We took a bus over to the Folk Village from the bus station located within the Takayama city area. It was a pleasant journey up to the village and it didn’t take very long to reach the village. On the way we got to see more of the area which was gorgeous to see as the whole city is surrounded by mountains. When we reached the entrance to the village there was a spectacular view of the surrounding areas. We were actually very fortunate when visiting this village as it was a sunny day as the rest of the time we spent in Takayama ended up being quite grey and rainy.
I loved visiting this village as i was excited to see the more traditional side of Japan. The village area has a large pond with fish in which you could feed and the houses then surround this area along with a shrine and surrounding forests. One of the really fun things about the village is that they had traditional games which we played near the entrance. It was fun to try (and fail) with playing the games and toys that were on offer. They had these wooden stilts which were impossible to try and walk in so it was pretty hilarious trying not to fall over using them.
The houses were open so we were free to roam the area for as long as we wanted. It was amazing to see how large the structures of the houses were and how dark they were inside. I love sites like this as I always imagine what it must have been like for the people who lived there. The houses also displayed items used within the home and what types of business were practiced in the area. They even had a silk worm display area which went through the process of creating silk from start to finish. Traditional craftsmen and women also worked in some of the houses. I remember one of the men worked in a house making traditional shoes and there was a small old style fire going inside which was cozy and we could watch him work. There was another craftsman creating art and small sculptures out of wood. The whole experience was very lovely and tranquil.
Up in the corner of the area was a small shrine and also a tori gate and I took one of my all time favourite photos from the trip which was of the small shrine and the steps leading up to it.
I found a sweet little lizard in the dirt up near the shrine and me being from England I got extremely excited as we don’t see animals like lizards roaming the countryside in the U.K. I’m a big lover of reptiles.
Hide Folk Village was incredible and I think it’s a must see when visiting Takayama. It’s a beautiful and peaceful area with spectacular views and as a history buff it’s like taking a trip back in time.
Until next time thanks for reading and I hope you’re having a great day!
Keep up to date with me on:
All images are taken by myself
A Nerdy Perspective 
Hide Folk Village looks very relaxing. 😀
LikeLiked by 2 people
It is! It’s a very relaxing place to visit! So chilled compared to the hustle and bustle of Tokyo haha 😄
LikeLiked by 3 people
That’s so true!!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Oh dang! That looks so cool and so fascinating.
LikeLiked by 1 person
It was! It’s interesting to see the more traditional side of Japan! 😊
LikeLiked by 1 person
Really enjoyed seeing this! I like looking at places people travel, especially interesting ones like this!
LikeLiked by 1 person
I’m glad you enjoyed this post! 😄 I’m the exact same as I find it really fascinating to see where people have been and thanks I’m glad you found it to be interesting! 😊
LikeLiked by 1 person
Of course! 🙂 I hope you do more of these and that I catch them too. I’ve been pretty busy lately and not reading enough >.<
LikeLiked by 1 person
I’m hoping to do some more from the other areas I visited! And I understand! Just read what you can when you can! We all know how life can get hectic and takes priority! 😊
LikeLiked by 1 person
Neat! Reminds me of the village Hinamizawa from Higurashi. Thanks for sharing!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks and yes I see what you mean! 😄 Thanks for reading!
LikeLiked by 1 person
I’m glad you visited this area! It’s such a wonderful museum, I wish in high school I had taken even MORE photos. I hope I can go back there one day. But I’m glad you found the shrine!! It’s my favorite spot in the village.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I’m glad too! It it! I really enjoyed my time there and it’s so cool that you went in high school! I hope you get back there again soon 😊 and I loved the shrine as it was placed in such a beautiful area of the village!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Absolutely amazing!! 🙂
I have it on my list to visit next near April!!! Thanks so much for sharing your visit!!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks! It was a beautiful area! 😄 it’s amazing that you’re going back in April! I bet it’s lovely during the spring! I think it’s a must see if you get chance!
Thanks for reading! 😄
LikeLiked by 1 person
I love reproduction villages like this… In my hometown, there’s the restored Federal era town of Old Salem (http://www.oldsalem.org/) and even though I’ve been there a hundred times I still visit it when I’m home.
And I assure you that getting sugar cake (a local delicacy/specialty) baked in a restored 200+ year old oven has absolutely *nothing* to do with my repeated visits. It’s never more than my second or third stop while wandering about town.
LikeLiked by 1 person
They are so cool aren’t they! Oh wow that’s so cool! I’ll have to check it out and maybe add it to my bucket list!
And sugar cake sounds delicious and no I’m sure the delicious cake has nothing to do with the frequent visits 😉😂
LikeLiked by 1 person
Oh wow it looks amazing! Very pretty and very interesting! 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
It was! I really loved it there! And thank you 😄
LikeLiked by 1 person