Hida Furukawa is called a back room, as it were, to Hida Takayama 高山. As its name suggests, it is located about 15 kilometers from Takayama, a famous tourist destination, and a 15-minute train ride away. Originally developed as a castle town of a feudal lord named Kanamori, it later became a territory directly under the Tokugawa shogunate.

One of the places you should stop by when you come to Furukawa is the Matsuri Kaikan 祭り会館 (Festival Hall).

Furukawa has a big festival on April 19 and 20. The main event is the main festival, in which various parts of the town pull magnificent, ornate yatai floats with karakuri (mechanical) dolls on them, but the event called ”Ｏkoshi-taiko” (drumming to wake the town up) held the day before the main festival is particularly famous. In this, a huge drum is on a large raft-like platform, and two people take turns beating it. Then each town group carries a smaller drum and tries to get closer to the main drum. People consider an honor to get as close as possible to the main drum, and the groups thrashes each other violently. Thus the heavy bass of the taiko drums cruises through the town of Furukawa until midnight, signaling the start of the festival.

At the Matsuri Kaikan, visitors can not only see the actual floats and karakuri dolls, but also watch the festival on a powerful screen in the theater.

You can see the most highlight, Shirakabe Dozo 白壁土蔵 (white wall storehouse) Street, from the side of the temple in front of the festival hall.

There are 1,000 carp swimming in the Setogawa River and you can feed them, but you have to feed them from a feed box fixed to them. It is because the amount of feed given per day is fixed. In winter, dozens of people move carp to different locations to avoid the freezing cold, a unique challenge in mountainous areas.

There is a word “Hida no Takumi” (artisans of Hida) to describe Hida craftsmen. This is proof that people all over the country trusted Hida craftsmen. A part of it we can now see in each of the houses. It is called “Kumogata hijiki 雲形肘木 (a cloud-shaped ancon)”. We usually see this in temples and shrines, but here you can see it in private houses. This is a remnant of the excellent woodworking skills of the Hida carpenters, who were active in many parts of the country.

Each carpenter changes the pattern on it. Therefore, you can tell which carpenter did the work by looking at the pattern. We can see the pride of the craftsmen in this work. It is also famous for its wood carvings.

There are simple ramen noodles with a nostalgic flavor, handmade soba noodles, and cafes in old private homes. There is also a famous sake brewery that won the Grand Prix. In recent years, the area has become well known as the setting for the animated film “Kimi no na wa” (“your name” directed by Shinkai Makoto 新海誠 ). However, since it is not as famous as Takayama, there are fewer tourists and you can enjoy a relaxing stroll.

To a town with a sense of nostalgia

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There is a term “Hida no Takumi” (artisans of Hida). Hida 飛騨 is a mountainous area. There is little flat land suitable for agriculture, and people had no choice but to make a living from wood. From there, the people of Hida developed their woodworking skills. Eventually, the technique became known throughout the country, and Hida wood was used for various types of construction, and carpenters and other technicians went to various places in response to the demand.

The Hida region is part of present-day Gifu Prefecture. In the past, they were divided more finely than the current administrative division. Therefore, the southern part of Gifu Prefecture was called Mino and the northern part was called Hida. Mino has many plains, and commerce developed in close cooperation with the neighboring Owari region (western Aichi Prefecture). Even now, it takes nearly two hours from Takayama to Gifu by express train. Therefore, Hida developed itself. Takayama is the center of Hida, so the station is much bigger than the surrounding area.

Eventually you will see the river and cross an impressive bridge, which marks the beginning of the old town.

This town seems to be famous even abroad and is always full of tourists. Sometimes groups of visitors occupy the road and take pictures. The streets are narrow because of the old townscape, so it is unavoidable that the streets fill up quickly.

However, after 5:30 in the evening, people suddenly disappear. Probably because the group guests have gone home. Most of the restaurants also close at 6:00 p.m. This means that if you are planning to eat or buy souvenirs, you need to get there early. (If you go to the street in front of the station, the big souvenir stores are open.)

By the time the lights are turned on, the town is once again quiet and regains its original appearance.

https://www.hida.jp/english/