Takayama · Central Takayama
Sanmachi Suji
Sanmachi is the merchant quarter of the town that grew up around Takayama Castle: three parallel streets, Kami-ichi-no-machi, Kami-ni-no-machi and Kami-san-no-machi. In 1979 it was designated a national Preservation District for Groups of Traditional Buildings, about 420 meters from north to south and about 150 from east to west. The houses have narrow fronts and run deep, with low roofs and a shop front facing the street.
According to the Takayama tourist office, the quarter has seven sake breweries. You recognize them by the sugidama, a ball of cedar branches that hangs above the entrance. It is hung green when the new sake is ready, and it turns brown over the months as the sake matures.
At some breweries the tasting is free and at others you pay. At Funasaka, of the Miyamagiku brand, there is a free tasting corner and a masu cup from ¥300. At Harada, of the Sansha brand, you buy a tasting cup, taste several kinds and take the cup home. Niki and Hirata, on Kami-ni-no-machi street, also offer tastings.
Good to know
- Tastings at the breweries end at around 16:00, even when the shop itself stays open later. This is the case at Funasaka, Harada and Niki, and at Hirata tastings only start at 10:00.
- The tasting festival, Nonbe Matsuri, takes place in late spring: a booklet for ¥3,000 at the ticket office, with two tastings at each of six breweries. In 2026 it ran from 29 May to 21 June.
- Many of the restaurants in the quarter are open only for lunch, until 14:30 or 15:00. For dinner you need to plan another place in advance.
What is nearby
Approximate walking minutes from the entrance of Sanmachi Suji.
- HereSanmachi Suji
- ~2 min
Kotte Ushi: Hida beef sushi Food
Hida beef nigiri served on a hand-baked rice cracker instead of a plate. Two nigiri ¥800, gunkan ¥900, three kinds ¥1,200. No reservations: you stand in line and eat in the street.
- ~2 min
Kissako Katsute Cafe
A teahouse on Kami-san-no-machi street that appears as a location in the anime series Hyouka. Matcha and Japanese parfait.
- ~2 min
Aibana Coffee Cafe
A cafe in the center of the old town, with old furniture in the style of the Meiji period. The coffee is roasted over charcoal, and there is warabi mochi and pudding.
- ~3 min
Takayama Ramen Sanmachi Food
Takayama ramen, a soy sauce broth with chashu and bamboo shoots. The recipe is based on the packaged ramen sold for years at the local Surugaya supermarket. Lunch only.
- ~3 min
Ippukudokoro Akebonoya Food
A sweets and souvenir shop from 1924 on Kami-ni-no-machi street. Mitarashi dango and gohei mochi on a stick, and a mochi cookie shaped like a traveler in a hat.
- ~4 min
Ohnoya Jozo Shopping
Makers of miso and soy sauce with no sweeteners or food coloring. The business started as a koji maker in the middle of the 18th century. In the shop you can taste miso soup every day.
More in Central Takayama
Appears in: Takayama: the morning markets, the Sanmachi lanes, sake and Hida beef