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Later, we meet Hitoshi, a third-generation artisan whose atelier specialises in the art of k>}> Þŷâin – dyeing silk to make kimonos. Renowned as one of the best in the region, Hitoshi produces just 20 to 30 kimonos each year, with each hand-painted garment taking up to two months to create following a painstaking, 15-step process using natural pigment and 400-year-old dyeing techniques. Traditional craftsmanship follows us through the


SIMON RICHARDS


*," 1 / Ƃ Ƃ ,] - /,Ƃ6


,"1* The specialist operator is well


placed to help travellers explore the destination’s lesser-known regions


“InsideJapan has been designing self-guided adventures and


small-group tours to this fascinating rural region for well over 20 years, and we know it inside out. Matsumoto has one of the best original samurai castles in the country. Shirakawa-go and Gokayama are small, beautiful traditional villages, with aspects unique to the region. The old craft town of Takayama is known for its


traditional streets and sake, whereas Kanazawa has one of Japan’s most beautiful gardens as well as samurai districts – and both offer bags of


EWNVWTG 9KVJ ,CRCP ƂTON[ GUVCDNKUJGF on travel wish lists, the region is


perfectly placed for discovery beyond Tokyo and Kyoto and has so much to offer. There’s sure to be more tourism to this area as visitor numbers to the country continue to increase.”


v>Àmin} wil`Ã Ìo n>mi] > ÀÕÀ>l ÌoÜn in >nÌo iÌÞ in the Toyama prefecture. The former merchant town is famous for its wood carving: 11 studios line the main drag and 200 of the 8,000 residents are experts in the trade. The artisans here harness Japanese Keyaki wood and shun sandpaper, simply using a chisel to craft their wares. The end results range from a charming collection of miniature toy cats dotted across bus stops and signposts to the mighty Betsuin Zuisen-ji Temple, the fourth-largest wooden building in Japan, whose gate features an intricately designed dragon carved by local carpenters in the 18th century.


Cuisine and culture Food experiences on the trail are bold and varied. We sample hida beef in its birthplace, Takayama city in the Gifu prefecture, in a variety of forms – sliced as sashimi, served warm in croquettes and cooked 9-ÃÌÞli in > ÃÌi>min} hoÌ «oÌ° 7i `iÃVoÛiÀ Ìhi ÃViinVi Lihin` m>kin} miÃo >Ì Ìhi Ãhii iÃo ÀiÜiÀÞ in >ÌÃÕmoÌo] >n` li>Àn Ìhi `ivviÀinVi LiÌÜiin ÀoVk >n` ÃnoÜ ÌovÕ >Ì iÞ>m> /ovÕ in


ok>Þ>m>½Ã


neighbouring mountain village, Shirakawa-go. Ûin >«>n½Ã ÛiÀÃion ov > «ÕL in >n>â>Ü> ià >n elevated experience: Bistro Escaliers is home to just seven covers, with one chef turning out a seven-course tasting menu while also playing bartender and pot- washer. The menu is a knock-out – crab croquettes ÜiÌh ÃÜiiÌ ÃhÀim« >n` V>ÕliyoÜiÀ «ÕÀiiÆ Ào>ÃÌ `ÕVkÆ Ãi>voo` ë>}hiÌÌiÆ >n` VÀiëÞ-Ãkinni` wÃh on > Li` ov risotto. Sake, of course, comes steadily by the glass. Elsewhere, the Three Star Road shines bright ÜiÌh > VlÕÌVh ov >«>n½Ã moÃÌ ÌÀi>ÃÕÀi` ÃiÌið n


68 ASPIRE JUNE 2023


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