The history of Takayama dates back to
prehistoric ages. In and around 
Takayama, a great numbers of relics and remains
have been found that indicate that this area has been inhabited
since the Stone Age. These informative remains include various
stone tools, pieces of earthenware, ancient tombs, and even the
traces of a prehistoric dugout structure. And right in the middle
of Takayama stands, the Kokubunji Temple, which was first constructed
in the 8th century.
After the Reformation of Taika (645
AD), an imperial governor was sent to this part of the country.
The people of the Hida region were found to be too poor to pay
the governmental taxes, so they received a special taxation classification;
the inhabitants were ordered to go to Nara (the capital of Japan
at that time) to provide compulsory labor in lieu of their taxes.
There, the people of Hida demonstrated their skill in working
with wood, so they were engaged in the building of the grand
imperial palaces, temples, and shrines of the Nara and Kyoto
area. Thus, as time went on, these people came to be known as
"Artisans of Hida" for their great skill in construction
and sculpture.
The birth of modern Takayama is said
to have occurred during the Muromachi period (1504-1520 AD),
when a member of one of the region's families, Geki Takayama,
built a castle on top of Shiroyama Hill and ruled the area around
Takayama.
About
70 years later, a general of Japan's ruler Toyotomi, Nagachika
Kanamori, defeated the powerful Mitsuki family and built a new
castle atop Shiroyama Hill, from where he governed the entire
Hida region. Under the rule of the Kanamori family, whose government
lasted for six generations over 107 years, the foundation of
Takayama was formed by placing the political, economical, and
cultural systems in order, and the city was developed as the
administrative center for the large Hida area.
The Kanamori were a culturally-minded
family who encouraged the local artisans and craftsmen to develop
their skills to their fullest potential. The effects of Kanamori
patronage can still be seen today, as Hida arts and crafts, both
the old and the new, receive acclaim here in Japan and from abroad.
Starting
from the 5th year of the Genroku era (1692), the Tokugawa government
ruled Takayama directly, as Tenryo, in which a representative
of the Edo (Tokyo) government was appointed to oversee the Hida
area. The Edo government realized the importance of Takayama,
due to its abundant forests, underground resources, and strategic
military importance, and therefore chose to have more control
over this district.
With the coming of the Meiji Restoration
(1867), Takayama became a part of Hida Prefecture and then Takayama
Prefecture. In 1871, Takayama was transferred to Chikuma Prefecture;
shortly thereafter, in 1875, the town annexed 1st, 2nd, and 3rd
Street Villages and was reorganized into a new town. In 1876,
Takayama's administration was once again transferred between
prefectures, this time to Gifu Prefecture, in which it remains
today. In 1989, the town was again reorganized.
In 1934, the Takayama National railway
line was completed linking Gifu City in the south, to Toyama
in the north, via the town of Takayama; this greatly opened the
previously isolated mountain region of Takayama, and made access
to and travel from the area much easier. The town of Takayama
was reorganized into a municipality in 1936, and with the annexation
of Daihachiga Village in 1955, Takayama grew to become the prominent,
progressive city that it is today.
A BRIEF
HISTORY OF TAKAYAMA