Konnichiwa from MACHIYA RESIDENCE INN TAKAYAMA!
When visiting Takayama city, Takayama Old Town is at the top of our list for places to visit during your trip. But as you stroll through, take a break from gazing at the historical wooden architecture and look down. You’ll notice a quiet detail many visitors walk straight past.
Along Sanmachi Suji Street, you’ll find a charming water channel running along. Known as Sanmachi Yosui, it has been fed by water drawn from the Miyagawa River since the Edo period. The waterway has been a part of daily life for Takayama for centuries, used for fire prevention, washing vegetables and fruits, melting snow in the water, and even to sprinkle water on the streets during the summer to bring down the heat, a centuries-old Japanese custom called uchimizu.
The waterway continues to serve the community to this day. The flowing water is a pleasant sight on a warm summer day. If you plan on visiting Takayama Old Town, be sure to make time to see nearby locations like Takayama Jinya. If you time your visit in the morning, you can also visit the Miyagawa Morning Market.
One thing to keep in mind while visiting: please take care not to dispose of any rubbish in the channel, so that it can remain clean and pleasant for everyone.
If you are in an exploratory mood, we suggest following the waterway to see where it leads. Tracing its path adds a quiet sense of discovery to your walk, and may take you down paths in the neighborhood you might not have explored otherwise.
Takayama Old Town and Sanmachi Yosui are approximately 10 minutes on foot from JR Takayama Station. Be sure to ask our guest service team for more suggestions on what to do during your stay with us.
