Takayama

The old merchant quarter of Sanmachi is a grid of dark timber houses on the east bank of the Miyagawa River, about 15 minutes' walk from the station. The Miyagawa morning market sets up along the river every day of the year, from 7:00 to noon between April and November and from 8:00 in winter. The city's English guide explains the local ramen, where the soy base boils in the pot with the broth, and the mitarashi dango, which Takayama grills with soy sauce and no sugar. On a cold night order hoba miso, where miso, leeks and mushrooms grill on a dried magnolia leaf over a small stove at your table.

The limited express Hida runs from Nagoya in about 2 hours 15 minutes, and a reserved seat cost ¥6,140 for a November 2026 trip. Nohi Bus leaves the bus centre beside the station for Shirakawa-go in about 50 minutes and for Hirayu Onsen and the Shin-Hotaka Ropeway about once an hour. The Shirakawa-go fare goes up from ¥2,800 to ¥2,900 on 1 December 2026, and some departures take reservations only.

A landslide on 25 February 2026 closed 2.4 km of Route 158 in Nyukawa, on the road to Okuhida, and a second slip at the same spot in April pushed the repair further out. Cars and the Nohi buses detour along a city road that adds about 10 minutes, and no reopening date has been set. Since 1 October 2025 the city has also charged an accommodation tax of ¥100 to ¥300 a person a night, and the rate rises with the room price.