Our hostel (K’s House Takayama) staff in Hida Takayama has carefully selected souvenirs unique to Hida Takayama.
We have a wide range of recommendations, from popular sweets such as Western and Japanese confections, to standard specialty products, and goods.
They are also ideal as souvenirs from Shirakawa-go, Gero Onsen (Gero Hot Springs), and Okuhida Onsenkyo (Okuhida Hot Springs) in the Hida region.
They are sure to please you and are perfect for your own use.
Sweets such as Japanese and Western sweets.
１．Excellent Warabi Mochi – Iwaki’s “Sawarabi”
The exquisite bracken starch which is made from bracken flour produced in Gifu Prefecture.
The unique texture of the rice cake is said to be created by changing the mixture and steaming time each season, is unique and melt-in-your-mouth.
Unlike other Warabi Mochi, it is recommended to be stored at room temperature to preserve the texture. The three-day expiration date is sufficient for both gift-giving and personal use.
Please enjoy it with a drizzle of molasses, which is carefully prepared by boiling it down slowly at the store!
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２．Exquisite chewy texture is addictive “Kurumimurasaki”.
If you are looking for souvenirs in Takayama, We strongly recommend Green Hotel Hida Bussan Kan, which offers more than 7,000 items of sweets and local specialties.
The most popular original product at this place is the “Kurumimurasaki”. It is a Japanese confectionery made with a perfectly chewy skin and wrapped with Anko (a sweet bean paste) and walnuts cooked in Takayama’s tamari soy sauce.
This exquisite chewy texture is sure to be a hit with both those who like Japanese sweets and those who do not.
It is also nice that there is a choice of the number of pieces: 5 pieces for 756 yen, 8 pieces for 1,166 yen, and 12 pieces for 1,620 yen (tax included).
If you have any doubts, you should definitely buy this one.
３．Cute to look at, delicious to eat. Tohoen’s “Neko Manju”.
Tohoen is a long-established confectionery shop in Hida Takayama, established over 100 years ago.
Tohoen is not only high quality, but also continues to take on new challenges by responding to its customers’ requests while respecting tradition.
Locals also frequent the shop to buy seasonal wagashi, and I have enjoyed their seasonal chestnut ice cream many times.
One of the most popular souvenirs and gifts at Tohoen is the “Nekko Manju.
Inspired by a stray cat that used to live in the alley behind the store, the cute and somewhat funny design is sure to make the recipient happy.
And the skin and the filling and Anko are different for each design so that the recipient can enjoy all of the buns.
It is a confectionary that looks cute and tastes good.
４．Simple is the best: Kotobukiya “Shio Senbei” (salt rice cracker)
The crispy and light texture, the aromatic taste of rice, and the light saltiness make this rice cracker addictive. You will be captivated by the depth of its simplicity and eat it endlessly.
We also recommend the soy sauce-flavored “Tamari senbei”.
You can purchase them at souvenir shops in the city, such as the Hida Bussan Kan mentioned above!
５．”Takayama Ramen taste” Takayama Rusk.
Takayama Rusk” is a special kind of rusk developed from a bucket that goes well with rusk in order to make a delicious rusk.
We recommend local tastes that are ideal as souvenirs.
There are “Mitarashi”, “Gohei-mochi”, and even “Takayama Ramen”!
Aren’t you curious about Takayama Ramen flavored rusks? Please buy some for souvenirs and for yourself!
Sugar and cinnamon are also delicious!
540 yen for 12 pieces.
Specialty and Local Products
６．The best for rice or sake. Urata “Meshidorobozuke”
In the snow country Hida Takayama, pickles have long been eaten as a preserved food.
The local food “pickles steak” is a dish that I often have at Japanese-style pubs.
Hida Takayama is famous for its red turnip pickles. It is popular as an accompaniment to rice or sake due to its deep flavor that is slowly fermented and matured over the long winter.
A representative product of such pickled red turnips is “Meshidorobozuke”.
As the name suggests, the sourness and aroma created by our original manufacturing method will make your rice disappear before you know it.
It is also inexpensive and should be stocked in the refrigerator in large quantities.
The “Meshidorobozuke Fried Rice” recipe is also recommended on the official page. Please give it a try.
７．Locals also love it. Furukawa-ya “Ageduke”
Furukawa-ya’s thick fried tofu “Agezuke” is a hidden local soul food made with a unique process.
Locals eat it by toasting it in a toaster and dipping it in soy sauce. Just imagining it makes you drool, doesn’t it?
I recommend it for your family or yourself.
Please buy it at directly-managed stores or local supermarkets such as Sato.
８．You can choose by tasting at the sake brewery. Hida Takayama’s local sake.
In Japan, there is usually good sake in snow country, and Takayama is no exception.
Takayama is one of the best sake breweries, with six breweries within a five-minute walk of the old town area.
When drinking with the locals, almost all of them, including the women, are very fond of sake, which makes me feel that Hida Takayama has been a drinking area for a long time, so much so that it has become part of our DNA.
Of course, Hida Takayama’s local sake is recommended as a souvenir.
Each sake brewery has its own unique taste, so we encourage you to visit them and taste the sake while making your selection.
My personal favorites are “Kusudama Josen” (Hirase Shuzo), a standard sake for everyday drinking, and “Daiginjo Himuro Nama Shu” (Niki Shuzo), which is recommended as a gift.
Local Cuisine and Local Foods
９．Local ramen as a souvenir! Takayama Ramen
Tourists often order it for lunch, but locals often eat it to finish off after drinking.
Takayama Ramen, such a memorable taste of travel, is also recommended as a souvenir.
Products that reproduce the taste of famous stores such as “Jingoro” and “Mame-Tengu” are sold at souvenir shops and local supermarkets.
All are delicious, but I personally recommend the “Jingoro Ramen. It comes with green onions, so you can recreate the taste of the restaurant at home without any hassle.
１０．Best souvenir for family or yourself “Hida beef” bought at butcher shop
Hida beef is a brand beef from Hida Takayama, Gifu Prefecture.
I personally think that Hida beef is the best brand beef in terms of taste and the most cost-effective brand beef at a reasonable price!
When sightseeing in Takayama, Hida beef skewers and Hida beef nigiri are popular for eating and walking around.
Why don’t you buy Hida beef for your family or yourself at a butcher shop?
There are several butcher shops in the city that sell Hida beef, and you can buy a cool bag to take home unless you are very far from the city.
My personal recommendation is “Takumiya, Yasukawa branch”, which is a butcher shop on the first floor and a yakiniku restaurant on the second floor, so you can have a yakiniku lunch on the last day and buy Hida beef as a souvenir for your family.
１１．Hagiya Keichan” and “Hatoya no Horumon”, soul food of the Hida region
We recommend these two products to someone who wants to buy something that is truly eaten at home in Hida.
Hagiya Keichan” is one of the representative products of Keichan, a local dish of Okumino-Hida in Gifu Prefecture.
Chicken cut into bite-size pieces is marinated in a sauce made of miso, soy sauce, and spices.
At home, you can easily prepare delicious Keichan by stir-frying it with cabbage and other vegetables.
You can choose from a variety of flavors.
Hatoya’s Horumon” is also called “Tonchan” locally, and as the name suggests, it is made of beef and pork hormone marinated in sauce.
It is a simple and tasty product that can be served immediately after stir-frying with vegetables as well.
Both are standard menu items in Hida households. You can always find them at local supermarkets. They are sold frozen, so you can take them home in a cool bag.
12．”Hida apples and Hida momos” bought at the morning market
It is not well known because it is consumed locally and is rarely sold outside of the Hida area, but Hida is a production area of apples and peaches.
The apples and peaches taste very good because of the good climate.
When apples are in season, they are sold at the Miyagawa morning market and the Jinya-mae morning market, which are popular among tourists.
Fruits bought directly from Elderly woman at the morning markets will make you feel special whether you eat them yourself or give them as a gift.
Promotional items
13．”Sarubobo” is the mascot of Hida
Red dolls can be seen everywhere when sightseeing in Takayama. They are called “Sarubobo,” which means “baby monkey” in the Hida dialect, because they look like baby monkeys.
Originally, the dolls were given as gifts to pray for easy delivery and good health of children, so they are recommended as souvenirs for expectant mothers and children.
In this article, we introduced our recommendations for souvenirs from Hida Takayama, Please refer to this article to get a good souvenir!
※The information in this article, including hours of operation and prices, is current as of April 2022. Please check the official page of each restaurant for the latest information.
