When we travel to foreign countries, we generally try to stay out of government buildings as much as possible.
But in Takayama, the former feudal-era government headquarters has been transformed into a tourist attraction, so we had to pay it a visit.
Walking through Takayama Jinya provides a firsthand look at how a castle town’s government operated. The building has been preserved to reflect its original state, with a few artistic additions to help illustrate life in that era.
In this guide, I’ll share everything you need to know about visiting Takayama Jinya, including what to expect and our own personal experience exploring this unique piece of history.
Takayama Jinya Complete Guide
Takayama Jinya is a historic government complex that offers a deeper look into Takayama’s past.
The site was once the administrative headquarters for the Hida region during the Edo period. Visiting the building is like stepping back in time to Japan’s feudal era.
The building is crafted from Takayama timber and has floors covered in tatami mats. You’ll need to remove your shoes before entering.
At the heart of Takayama Jinya is a Japanese garden that adds to the peaceful ambiance. Inside, you can explore tatami-floored offices, meeting rooms, and even an interrogation room that was used in the Edo period.
Adjacent to the main building is the largest surviving Edo-period rice storehouse in Japan. It’s now been turned into a museum filled with historical documents and artifacts. If you’re a history enthusiast, you could easily spend a couple of hours exploring everything on display there.
We spent about an hour at Takayama Jinya, but if you love history and traditional architecture you might want to stay even longer!
- Takayama Jinya entrance fee: 440 yen per person
Jinya-mae Morning Market
If you’re visiting Takayama Jinya in the morning, you can also check out the Jinya-mae Morning Market. This small, traditional market is located right outside the entrance of Takayama Jinya and has been around for over 300 years.
Unlike larger markets with street food stalls, Jinya-mae has more of a farmers market feel, where locals sell items like fresh produce, homemade pickles, Hida miso, and handcrafted goods. The Jinya-mae market runs until around noon every day.
How to get to Takayama Jinya
Takayama Jinya is located near Takayama Old Town, right on the other side of the famous red Nakabashi bridge. It’s just a five-minute walk from the popular Sanmachi Old Town Street.
If you’re staying in Takayama town, you can easily walk there as it’s centrally located.
Takayama Jinya: Our Experience
After paying our entrance fee and stepping inside the complex, we arrived at the building’s entrance. It had an official, almost regal presence. A giant purple noren was draped over the doorway. It seemed to mark the transition into a place of importance.
As we approached the building, we found out we couldn’t just walk in. Before entering, we had to remove our shoes. It made sense, but it still caught us off guard. It’s a common practice in Japan, especially in buildings with tatami mat floors. They provided plastic bags for our shoes, which we carried with us as we explored the building in our socks.
The moment we stepped inside the building, I could feel the weight of entering an important area. I don’t know if it was the smell, the architecture, or just the energy, but it felt like a place of serious matters.
The path through the building started off innocently enough, with artwork displayed between various offices and conference rooms. Each room had English signs explaining its purpose, so it was easy to follow along.
As we moved further in through the building, things got more interesting. We passed by a set of open doors and caught a glimpse of the inner garden.
I’m always amazed at how Japanese buildings craft their own little outside worlds, perfectly contained within the confines of the building. It was a peaceful, carefully designed space.
But the serenity of the Japanese garden soon faded as we arrived at the most infamous room in Takayama Jinya: the torture chamber.
Well, it’s not exactly a torture chamber. It’s technically a prisoner room where torture occurred. So yeah, I guess that makes it a torture chamber.
Inside, we found a few items once used to torture prisoners. One of the items was a bamboo basket.
At first glance, the basket looked innocent enough. Until I realized its purpose. Prisoners were crammed inside it.
And when I say crammed, I mean really crammed. The basket was tiny. Either people were much smaller back then, or the cramped space was part of the torture. Probably a bit of both.
Shortly after that unsettling room, we exited the government building and stepped into the rice storehouse, or kura. I wonder if the revolving sushi restaurant Kura Sushi takes its name from these storehouses?
Anyway, the kura in Takayama is the largest surviving Edo-period rice storehouse. And it’s massive. It’s since been converted into a museum showcasing Takayama’s history. Unfortunately, none of the displays had English translations, so I had to rely on my translator app whenever I was curious about an exhibit.
But that didn’t really matter to me, because all I could think about was how much rice could fit in this building. I’m no expert on rice storage, but having a tax-collecting government office right next to the rice storehouse seems incredibly convenient. You know what they say: he who controls the rice controls the tenryo… or something like that.
Where to Stay in Takayama
We stayed at both a traditional Ryokan and a Western-style hotel during our visits to Takayama. Both were exceptionally wonderful, super clean, and comfortable.
Here are the places we stayed at in Takayama and our recommendations:
- Hostel Murasaki – Japanese-style ryokan: Staying in this ryokan gives you that traditional feeling like you’re in old Japan. It is also budget-friendly. The ryokan has a shared kitchen so you can cook your food and a large living room to meet other travelers.
- Hotel Wing – Western-style hotel: This hotel is a new and modern accommodation. The rooms are clean and comfortable, but a bit on the smaller side, which is normal for Japan. The lounge area in the hotel’s lobby opens up in the afternoon, so you’re free to sit and work there and enjoy free drinks.
Our Free Takayana Google Maps Locations
Do you need a handy map with all our Takayama locations? We’ve got a Google Map with all the Takayama locations in this post (plus a LOT more). Sign up in the box below and we’ll deliver it right to your inbox, plus our top tips to help you plan your Takayama adventure.
Are You Following Our Takayama Blog Series?
We’ve been to Takayama three times and found so many awesome things to do there. To help you plan your trip to Takayama, we’ve put together guides to the best places we found. You can check them out by clicking the links below.
- Our Ultimate Guide to Takayama: 14 Awesome Things to Do in Takayama
- How to plan your trip to Takayama: Takayama 2 Day Itinerary
- We attended Takayama Spring Festival and put together a guide to help you navigate the crowds: Takayama Festival: Our Complete Guide
- Our favorite hike in Takayama: Higashiyama Walking Course
I hope you enjoyed our guide to Takayama Jinya. Feel free to leave a comment below if you have any questions 🐸
