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FURUKAWA |
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With an area of old storehouses by a canal, some charming temples
and several good museums, FURUKAWA is like a compact version of Takayama,
15km north, and all the more delightful because of that. This little
riverside town, surrounded by mountains, is generally free of the crowds
and giftshops; the only time it's busy is during the Furukawa Matsuri (April
19 & 20), which celebrates the coming of spring with a grand parade of
wonderfully decorated floats. The highlight is the midnight procession,
Okoshi Daiko, where hundreds of men, clad only in baggy white underpants
and belly bands, compete to place small drums, tied to long logs, on top
of a portable stage bearing the huge main drum, which all the while is
being solemnly thumped. The men also balance atop tall poles and spin
around on their stomachs.
It shouldn't take you more than three hours to cover the town's main
sights, which are all within easy walking distance of Furukawa Station.
West of the station is the Shirakabe-dozo district, where a row of white
earthen storehouses have been preserved beside a narrow, gently flowing
canal, packed with carp. Follow the canal for five minutes to your left
until you reach the main road leading to the river. Beside the bridge
you'll see Honko-ji , an attractive temple decorated with the intricate
carving and carpentry for which the town is famous. If you arrive around
lunchtime you're likely to find a service in full swing.
From the temple walk back towards the centre of town along
Ichino-machi-dori, where the two-hundred-year-old candle shop Mishimaya
stands; demonstrations by a candlemaker take place in the front of the
shop. Further along, look up for the cedar leaf balls hanging outside
the sake breweries. On the corner of the street, in front of the town's
central square, you'll see a shop where paper lanterns are made.
It's worth buying the 1000 joint ticket to visit both museums in the
square. The Hida Craftsman Culture Hall (daily 9am-5pm) has displays
highlighting local carpenters' art and skills. Here you can see how
buildings are made from jointed wooden beams so that no nails are
necessary. In the Furukawa Festival Hall (daily 9am-5pm), apart from
being able to get up close to two of the nine yatai used in the matsuri
parade, you can watch a three-dimensional film of the festival, see a
computer-controlled performance by one of the puppets on the floats and
check out local craftsmen at work. Look out for the convincing crushed
beer cans and bowls of peanuts carved from wood in the display cabinets.
The drums used in the festival are in an open hall on the square, and on
the second Sunday in October all the yatai are displayed in the square,
too.
If you've time to spare, head for the Hida Forestry Museum (9am-5pm;
¥300), a couple of minutes' walk east of the station, which has displays
of more local crafts and industries, including sculptures woven from
straw. There's also a slide show of local beauty spots. The best time to
visit is at the weekends, when there are demonstrations of rice-straw
sculpture and traditional weaving.
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