Hida-Tayakama in Gifu Prefecture is a charming city where you can roam around rows of old buildings that were built during the Edo Period (1603 to 1868), including the historic government building Takayama Jinya, the morning market, museums, and three rows of well-preserved historic merchant houses.
The three rows of old merchant houses, collectively called Sanno-machi district, have become a hot tourist destination. Many of the old merchant houses are turned into shops, restaurants, tea houses, coffee shops and sake breweries, offering a wide variety of things to eat and buy for tourists.
This red Nakabashi bridge is the landmark of Takayama over the Miyagawa River, connecting Takayama Jinya, morning market and the Sanno-machi old town. 這條紅色的中橋可算是高山市的地標，在宮川河上，聯繫高山陣屋、朝市及三町老街。The Takayama morning market opens every day along this Miyagawa River, selling vegetables, fruits, pickles and spices. Shops on the side sells mostly sweets and souvenirs. 著名的高山朝市每天早上就是沿著這條宮川河擺設，有各種蔬菜、水果、醃菜、香草等，旁邊的商店則售賣果子、紀念品比較多。I took a walk early in the morning before the shops are open, it’s nice and quiet. 我在早上商店還沒有開門的時候來到，路上很寧靜。If you come here in the morning, you will notice that many of the shops are just plain old houses without any signage. If there are a few people wearing Kimono, doesn’t it look like Kyoto? 早上沒有開門，你會發現很多店鋪都沒有招牌，只是一間間古老建築，假如有穿和服的人，看起來就像京都。The latticed bay windows are the special feature of the old buildings. 這些格構窗及籬笆是三町老街傳統建築的特色。You will see the merchant shops come to live when they start to prepare for the new business day. 當商鋪開始準備營業，便慢慢看到店鋪的模樣。I like way these old buildings are preserved. All sign boards are only places outside when the shops are open. What a great idea! 這裏保存舊建築的方法真好，連招牌都是開門才掛出來，在沒有開門前走在路上看到的只是舊房子，不會破壞古樸的味道。Sake brewery is famous in Hida-Takayama. It still carries the tradition of the Edo period to hang a ball of cadar leaves (sakabayashi) outside the entrance when the sake of the year has been pressed. 清酒是飛驒高山的特產，江戶時代傳統造酒所門外都掛一個圓圓的草球，叫「杉玉」，以杉木枝編成，綠色代表今年之初搾新酒已經完成。After a few months, the ball will turn brown, meaning that the sake has been aged and ready for drinking. Well, this is another shop. 幾個月之後，草球會變棕色，代表清酒已經夠時候可以喝了。這是另外一家賣清酒咖啡的商店。An inn. 有旅館。There are rickshaw rides around the old districts available for hire. 這裏有人力車可以租，路線是沿三町老街走。
You don’t do it yourself. There are professionals pulling the rickshaws. 不是自己拉的，是有專業車伕的。There are quite a few restaurants offering different types of food. This one is called Hisadaya, offering local food. It only opens till 3pm. 有不少餐廳提供各類飛驒美食。這家是「鄉土料理 久田屋」，每天營業到下午三時。A take-out place for Hida beef skewers and snacks. 外賣飛驒牛串及小吃的店。Many restaurants sell Hida beef. 有不少餐廳都賣飛驒牛。
The beef bun shop’s decoration and poster look interesting. So I gave it a try. 這家賣牛肉包的店外型、樣品和海報都吸引，就買了一個來吃。The hot beef bun costs ¥500 a piece. Nice! 熱烘烘的牛肉包，¥500一個。好吃！The winner of street food in the Sanno-machi district is this Raw Hida-beef Sushi shop. Judging from the queue of local people, it has to be good. 三町老街最佳的路邊小吃是這家門口排滿人的飛驒牛壽司，看排隊的人潮就知道。This shop sells take-out Hida-fugu (tiger puffer fish) sushi and Hida beef sushi only. There are four combinations. The Hida-fugu sushi was sold out. Too bad. 這家店只售兩款外賣壽司：虎河豚壽司和飛驒牛壽司。可惜虎河豚售罄。Got it! Two pieces of Raw Hida Beef Sushi for ¥1,000. It doesn’t taste like beef at all. So delicious! 買到了！兩件飛驒牛壽司，¥1,000。很香，入口即溶，完全沒有牛的味道，十分美味！Otowaya candy shop in Hida-Takayama is a hundred-year old confectionery store that specializes in traditional candies for children which are made from the grace of mountain village such as rice, wheat, walnuts and soybean. I had tried some soy sauce candies in this trip. They just taste like candies. 飛騨駄菓子店「音羽屋」是百年老店，駄菓子是一些造給小朋友吃的菓子，用料比較平民化，包括米、麥、大豆等高山鄉村的食材，現在潮流興復古，我這次行程也試過醬油糖，味道跟其他糖果沒有很大的分別。Shops started to close around 5pm. The merchant district is back to tranquility. 商鋪下午五點鐘後開始打烊，三町老街又回復寧靜。
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