Hida Kokubunji (the oldest temple in the region)

The Hida Kokubunji temple is the oldest in the Hida region, founded in the year 746 by Emperor Shomu as part of the network of provincial temples he established throughout Japan. Its Main Hall (Hondo) dates from the 16th century and houses three Buddhist images designated Important National Treasures, including a statue of Yakushi Nyorai from the Heian period. The most imposing feature is the giant ginkgo in the courtyard, more than 1.200 years old and with a trunk nine metres in circumference: in autumn its golden leaves carpet the temple grounds in a hypnotic spectacle. The three-storey pagoda in the precinct, the oldest in the whole of Gifu prefecture, dates from the Muromachi period (1504). Access to the precinct is free; the treasure museum costs 300 ¥. Hours: 9:00-16:00. It is a five-minute walk from Takayama station, in the opposite direction to the historic centre, and can be visited in 30 minutes before catching the train.