Takayama Jinya (former Edo-era government house)

The Takayama Jinya is the only local government building of the Edo period (jinya) preserved in all of Japan, which makes it a unique and irreplaceable testimony of feudal administration. Built in 1615 as the seat of the magistrate sent by the Tokugawa shogunate to control the valuable timber of the Japanese Alps, the building kept its governmental functions for 176 years until 1969, when it became a museum. The tour includes the audience halls with anti-intruder systems in the floors, the large-scale kitchens that fed the officials, the rice storehouses (onkura) and the interrogation and custody rooms. In winter the interior is heated with charcoal braziers and the atmosphere is especially evocative. Admission costs 440 ¥ for adults (free for under-15s and over-70s). Hours: 8:45-17:00 (until 16:30 in winter). Next to the jinya is the Jinya-mae Asaichi morning market. It is a 15-minute walk from Takayama station.