After a comfy night’s sleep, the day kicked off with a Japanese breakfast. It was rainy today, making it the perfect chance to visit a museum.

A bit out of the way, but easy enough to walk to, is the Hida no Sato open-air museum. It features old houses from the Hida region that give you a glimpse into what life was like during the Edo period. A typical feature is the design with a fire pit in the middle of the room and an open ceiling. There’s no chimney. The smoke drifts up through the roof structure, keeping pests away as it goes. The loft spaces weren’t lived in; instead, they were used for breeding silkworms and producing silk. In some of the houses, museum staff sat around in period costumes showing off traditional crafts.

When a sudden downpour caught us off guard, we dashed into a little, secluded hut. A fire was glowing inside, and we sat on the warm tatami mat waiting for the rain to stop. It was so cosy!

To wrap up the trip, we treated ourselves to some Hida beef at a yakiniku restaurant. They serve up various little bits of meat and veg that you cook yourself on a tabletop grill. The wagyu beef is marbled with fine fat, super tender, and incredibly flavourful. Thanks to the high fat content, though, it fills you up pretty quick.