Day 9: Kanazawa to Takayama
Day 9 started with breakfast in our hotel lobby. Feeling discontented that we didn’t get to try Kanazawa Curry, we decided to opt to have it at the hotel. Turns out, they actually gave us a pretty good sense of what it tastes like: thicker with more spices (not necessarily spicier though!).
Our train journey today would be the 10:51 Kagayaki to Toyama and then switching over to the local Hida Limited Express from Toyama to Takayama. This journey will see us have about an hour’s break in Toyama.
When we arrived at Kanazawa station, we headed straight to the waiting room to stay warm. Here, we met a fellow (albeit distressed) traveller. Gabriel who was visiting from Vancouver was stranded. He had stepped out of his Shinkansen for some fresh air and the train had left with his wife and children onboard, along with all of his belongings! We managed to help him figure out that he too was heading towards Toyoma and helped make sure he boarded the next train which luckily had unreserved carriages. Using WhatsApp, we were able to contact his wife Megumi who was very relieved to hear he was fine.
Our train was arriving later so by the time we boarded, we received a lovely video of Gabriel alighting at Toyama along with an invitation to visit them in Vancouver if we were ever on that side of the world. Phew.
The Kagayaki took about 20 minutes to arrive in Toyama, not too long. Toyama had some interesting displays around the train station and all around felt like a much larger city than Kanazawa; complete with trams. The hour went by really quickly because we found a gachapon store nearby along with an entire level of outlet anime goods! We literally and figuratively went to town in Toyama.
It took awhile to find the platform for the Hida “Wide View” Limited Express. It shared a platform with the local trains but was situated on the other end of it. The Hida is actually Japan’s first regenerative braking hybrid train. It was designed with wide windows that offer a panoramic view out into the valleys, rivers and mountains it would travel through.
The journey would take about 2 hours but we could not keep our eyes off the scenic views. Great recommendation by Richard to catch the train rather than drive this leg!
On arrival to Takayama station, there was a large crowd waiting to board the Hida and travel onwards to Nagoya. Interestingly, the Hida departed Toyama with 6 cars but an additional 3 carriages were attached at the station in Takayama. We stayed for a bit to watch the professionals connect the train and left before we got in the way of the eager passengers waiting to board.
Our stay in Takayama was at the Takayama Ouan, a 10 minute walk from the station. It features 11 storeys of accomodation and offers large public onsens as well as three private ones. Upon arriving, there was a large crowd waiting to check in so we opted to leave our luggages and check in later in the evening.
The first stop was to fill our hungry stomachs. Given that it was mid afternoon, we were hoping to avoid the lunch crowds. Opting to visit Maruaki, a farm to table yakiniku specialising in Hida beef, recommended by our friends Rory and Xais. No luck. A large crowd was in the waiting area and we were the 20th group to be on the list…!
Given its recommendation, we decided to explore around and return to see if there was any movement in the queue.
A 5 minute walk away. we headed towards Hida Kokubun-ji, a Buddhist temple that has survived since the Nara period. Its three storey pagoda still stands tall over centuries with some colourful decorations. We got our goshuins which would end up being our first handwritten one this trip. The lovely staff spoke to us patiently in English and we had a conversation about where we have travelled in Japan so far and what goshuins were in our books.
Note: It is not usually okay to film or photograph someone in the process of writing a goshuin… we asked for permission :)
As the temple wasn’t too far from Maruaki, we popped our heads back in to find that the list has barely made any progress. Off to explore more.
We found No Name coffee on one of the main streets and stopped to have a cuppa. Cherry had an Americano and I opted for a Peach juice. Both of us shared a matcha cheesecake as well as a Victorian sponge cake.
After an hour of resting over cake and coffee, we headed back to Maruaki. Still very little progress. Goodness. We decided to abandon the idea and find another yakiniku restaurant. Luckily Yakiniku Gyu-Suke across from the train station was reservations only and we managed to secure a reservation online for 5pm. Gyu-Suke was a bit different from the typical yakiniku store and specialises in aged Hida beef.
To be honest, we enjoy beef cuts with an excessive amount of marbling but at Gyu-Suke, we found the most delicious cuts to be the leaner ones. Juicy, flavourful without being overly gamey. A great start to our time in Takayama! The total meal came up to 20,300yen (roughly $210 AUD).
A bit pricey but their unique selling point is the aged meats I guess. Reservations are a must and they accept it through their Google listing.
Aged Hida Beef Yakiniku Gyu-Suke
5 Chome-20-3 Hanasatomachi, Takayama, Gifu 506-0026, Japan
From here, we headed back to the hotel and checked in. To my delight, the hotel offered skin stickers that would cover my tattoos so I could use the public onsen bath without causing discomfort. When we were on the 13th floor where the baths were, there were already at least eight groups waiting for the 3 private onsen rooms. No chance I’ll be waiting
We picked up some free sake and oranges that were complimentary to guests and headed off to soak our weary feet in the public bath…
Tomorrow, we head off to explore the Higashiyama Walking Trail which would take us on a four hour walk around the quieter parts of Takayama.
