Walk to the east, cross over the Miya River in Takayama and you will be forgiven if you think that the journey from Kansai has taken you through a time warp. During the day the three venerable streets of Sanmachi District are alive with activity. Filled with museums, restaurants, sake breweries, and traditional shops they throng with happy visitors. Come six in the evening the crowds melt away leaving the streets with an eerie stillness. This is the start of a short trip which is the ideal antidote to the stresses of modern city life.

Unfortunately I don’t seem to have any electronic version of this article.