Takayama is a castle town in the northern part of Gifu Prefecture on Honshu island. The town, which features streets of old wooden houses, sits at the foot of Takayama Castle which was built in the 16th century. 

The town is host to the Takayama-matsuri Festival one of the three largest and most beautiful festivals in Japan. The festival takes place in the spring and autumn of year and fills the town with colourful floats.

Local markets in the town, one in front of Jinya and the other along the Miya-gawa River, sell fresh mountain vegetables, as well as homemade miso (Japanese bean paste) and folk-art goods.

Takayama is a great base for trips to Mt. Norikura-dake, the World Heritage Site of Shirakawa-go, and Chubu Mountains National Park as well as visiting one of the many ski resorts nearby.