Day 4: Takayama.

We both tried out the onsens today, and liked the Japanese bathing tradition.  You feel clean and very relaxed after.  In fact, for all his trepidation, Bob enjoyed it more than I did!  I found the bath water too hot too enter, but he said his gave him a lovely, floaty, relaxed feeling.

We wandered down to the Miyagawa morning market, pausing to gaze at the koi carp swimming amongst pink lipped ducks in the local river.  The market is a mixture of  farm produce,

local crafts

 

 and plants.




 We had a ball tasting the local pickles and ended up buying pickled mushrooms with horseradish and an unknown pickle, though we could have bought a lot more! Loved the dried persimmons!

Then we stopped for breakfast, much to the surprise of the lady  and the local Japanese in the shop, who thought we were lost, or after coffee and cake, like prope westerners

 We impressed ourselves by being able to sit cross-legged  at the traditional tables, and were very amused with the magazine with its hints for whitening your skin and improving your breasts.  Too late, I fear!

 I think I need to confess here that I have not been dressing like the dainty, feminine Japanese, with their sober colours, tunic-like tops and sensible shoes if they are older; and pink, feminine clothes, sheer, flesh coloured stockings and shiny court shoes if they are office workers; or their floaty little outfits, and over-the-knee black socks if they are young.  I was dressed, in my usual fashion, as a street light colour - orange today- which blended well with the begonias, but not with the local populace.  Still, everyone had the manners not to look affronted.  And I doubt I would fit in anyway.

Anyway, then it was off for another explore of the old town. There are some amazing old and new buildings here, and I ached to get inside to check them out.  When we peeked in one, the bedroom was very austere by western standards - just 2 raised bases with futons on top.  But,  noticed that their workshops are pretty crowded.

 

There are a lot of pretty little gardens dotted here and there.  And even if people do not have room for a garden, they have some pots, or trail morning glory up a wall, or cultivate a section in front of their shop.  Our host has some pots in his bike lot, with a chestnut, a flowering cherry, figs, a raspberry, a grapevine, a nashi, a dogwood, a maple, amongst others, all in pots!

I found , among all the old homes, a man who sold offcuts from kimonos, and a sashiko shop selling work made from vegetable dyed fabrics and intricately quilted and sashikoed coats.  I am in love with with Hida Sashiko!  The wares are not cheap but the workmanship is amazing!

I am also in love with the woodwork this region is famous for.  As usual, I have expensive tastes, but watching is free.

Then I found some little kids watching the fish in the river and had a chat with their mother.  Aren't they cute?

Just as I had said goodbye to them, I caught sight of some creche kids out for an excursion.  It made my day!

And we came across the Jinya-mae Morning Market.  Some lovely, colourful displays here:
bunches of peppers

 

black rice, which I have never seen fresh before

 

and these huge, sweet, crisp and branded, apples which seem to be a local speciality.

 

The market is outside the old Jinja, local governemnt office, which was used to administer the Hida region from 1692 until 1969.



We were getting hungry so set off through the crowds of local tourists and schoolkids which had sudenly appeared, trying to find a restaurant which we did not have to queue to get into.  This time we had soup.  Mine was with wild vegetables: