Takayama Jinya

Takayama's Jinya is a very interesting example of civilian architecture before the Meiji Period. It offers valuable perspective against the long list of temples, shrines, and a dozen of casltes that survived to the modern day. The building is well kept, sports a sober but pretty garden, with some of the rooms filled with origian furniture. More importantly, it is the sole example of a government office from the Edo Period. Don't miss it when you are in Takayama

The provincial governor dispatched by the Shogunate performed the official duties involved in ruling over Hida (e.g., the administration, policing and judicial functions). Takayama Jinya is the only such site of a provincial governor / magistrate’s office – of around 60 across Japan where the main building still remains today. Popular place with tourists and locals. Easy terrain, lot of easy walking. Wear comfy shoes, take water, mostly under cover. Great place for photography.

Nice building and good to get some history. The joinery and structure of the building is phenomenal, something I really appreciated looking at. Educational on the buildings use and different methods of roofing.

I enjoyed the experience and found the historical building really interesting—it gives you a great glimpse into Japan’s Edo-period government life. However, I do wish there had been more explanations in English. Most of the signs and information were in Japanese, so it was a bit hard to fully understand the context without a guide. Still, a beautiful place worth visiting if you appreciate history and architecture!

Interesting and worth a visit when you are in Takayama. You get to see how people lived and worked in an office from the 17th to the 19th century.

Locals made morning market in front of Jinya every morning from 7-10 am. They sell fruit, vegetables, handcrafted souvenirs with reasonable prices. I bought key chains and other souvenirs from one of the craftsman there.

The explanations in the rooms could be a bit more detailed (there’s just one or two sentences per room), but seeing the beautiful garden during sunset is worth the small price of admission alone.

The exposition at Takayama Jinya was bigger than we expected and offered a really interesting glimpse into traditional Japanese interior and architecture. All visitors are asked to remove their shoes at the entrance, place them in a plastic bag, and carry them throughout the visit — something to keep in mind before entering. There’s no rush inside, and several peaceful spots let you sit on tatami mats and enjoy views of the surrounding nature. A calm and enriching experience overall.

Takayama Jinya / Hida-Takayama -- "Take off your shoes, you barbarian." They don't say that out loud but probably think that if you don't bring your own shoe bag. The website actually requests you bring one, but barbarian that I am, I didn't have one as Jamie W and I came here after sauntering through the Morning Market. Good thing they had shoe bags we could borrow as part of the ¥440 admission. The tatami-floored building is the only surviving example of an Edo-period government office in Japan. It was fortunate we read the placards because otherwise we really couldn't tell this complex was once an administrative office since it has such a serene aesthetic. We followed the designated route to explore the various offices, the living quarters, and the tax rice storehouse (Photo 7). Yep, back in feudal times, people paid taxes with rice. The self-guided tour didn't last more than a half-hour, so the history lesson you receive is not that onerous. Just remember not to keep the shoe bag you borrowed. RELATED - Exploring Central Japan? Here's a collection of places I've visited and reviewed: https://yelp.to/YgeqyjZ4-5

This is one of the top 2 historic sites to visit here. They give you a plastic bag to put your shoes in before you enter the building. There are signs with arrows and descriptions in both Japanese and English. **If you are tall, mind the interior ceiling rafters! BONK! The shingled wooden roof is quite an amazing build. There was male and female toilets in that era! At the end of the self guided 20-30 minute walking tour on the rug and tatami mats, there is a restroom and souvenir shop.

This is one of the top spots to visit in Takayama. It's basically a museum; you go inside the quarters (after removing your shoes at the house entrance) and walk the designated route around the house. Photos are allowed to be taken in most areas. Near the end of the route, there is an exhibition hall with several artifacts. Some of the older paintings and original pieces have a "No Photos" sign in the hall. The entire attraction should take no more than an hour to walk through. If you're into Japanese history, you will enjoy this!

Located a short walk from Sanmachi Suji, Takayama Jinya served as the local administrative offices of the Tokugawa Shogunate that ruled Japan from 1600 to 1868. The compound itself dates back to 1615 and the present buildings date back to 1816. You can tour the rooms and learn about how business was conducted back in the day. Rice was paid as tax during the Tokugawa Period and you'll note the all-important rice granary in the compound.