As we approach Takayama from Matsumoto it starts to rain steadily and heavy which makes it a bit difficult for us to enter the hotel as the parking area is a bit farther away from the hotel. However the doorman is offering us a large umbrella that we use to bring our belongings safely inside. And soon we make our way to the room after all the check in formalities.
The hotel is more high end than the previous ones that we stayed in with the room actually being split in two with an European part with beds, tables and the normal amenities and a Japanese one with all the traditional amenities.
Besides the usual onsen (hot spring bath) it also has a huge souvenir shop and traditional handicraft stand but we are interested in finding a restaurant first. There are seven to choose from and we choose one which is at the top of the hotel with great views, if it wouldn’t rain, of the area.
It is a Chinese restaurant with interesting options like birdnest soup and sharkfin soup but we go with octopi and Hida beef which is the traditional beef of the area. The food is very tasty and satiated we go back to our room to recuperate for the next day.
We start relatively early this morning but before checking out we enjoy the great views from the hotel windows that we couldn’t see the day before due to rain and the fact that it was dark when we arrived at the hotel. There is a huge temple in the distance that we identify as the Main World Shrine the headquarters of the Sukyo Mhikari sect founded in 1959 by a Japanese businessman. Supposedly it is impressive also inside but we don’t have time to visit it this time. After checking out we leave our luggage in the car and walk towards the old town of Takayama which is relatively nearby.
