Two springs running, we’ve taken a workation in Japan’s Hida region, tucked in the Northern Alps. Year one brought us to tranquil Hida Furukawa, where we stayed along the Seto canal, lined with white-walled sake breweries and filled with koi (the koi are removed for the winter and returned with spring’s arrival). In Furukawa, passing strangers greet you with a “konnichiwa” — especially the students. Year two: bustling Hida Takayama, packed with tourists, coffee shops, and restaurants, where the atmosphere means no spontaneous hellos.

In these mountains, cherry blossoms arrive weeks behind Tokyo but race through their cycle — bud to bloom to petal storm to pink carpet — in compressed time. It’s been a while since we witnessed sakura’s full arc.
April delivers the Takayama Spring Festival and Hida Furukawa Festival. We caught both (more in a future post).