Ainokura Village in Gokayama (Nanto-shi, Toyama Prefecture)
While lesser known than it’s ultra famous neighbor Shirakawago in Gifu Prefecture, Gokayama offers a bit more of a relaxed atmosphere with arguably just as beautiful scenery. Like Shirakawago, Gokayama was also certified as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1995 for it’s well-maintained gassho zukuri houses. Gokayama has two villages of gassho zukuri houses, the larger being Ainokura and the smaller Suganuma.
I found out about Gokayama through an advertisement on a train in Tokyo (in Japanese). Since I had known about Shirakawago for a while, I was intrigued as to why Gokayama wasn’t as popular. While still somewhat of a tourist destination, Gokayama has received less media exposure and tourism resources geared to foreign travelers are still more limited compared to Shirakawago. After some research I found that this is mostly due to the fact the gassho zukuri villages of Gokayama are significantly smaller than Ogimachi, the village in Shirakawago popular with tourists. Gokayama also offers less in terms of accomodation, restaurants, and things to do in general.
Despite its smaller size compared to Shirakawago, I prefer the atmosphere of the Ainokura village in Gokayama. Don’t get me wrong. Shirakawago is breathtaking and I would argue the panoramic view of Ogimachi is far more superb than the one in Ainokura. However, Shirakawago can get congested with tourists taking photos which can take away from the natural atmosphere. If you have more than a day to spend in the area, I would recommend visiting both because the villages of Ogimachi in Shirakawago and Ainokura in Gokayama are within an hour’s bus ride. Thankfully my fiance and I had a weekend to spend and we got to enjoy both areas in all their beauty.
Let me know if you have been or are planning to go to either Shirakawago or Gokayama and what you think!
For more info and pictures of Shirakawago check out my Shirakawago post.
Deemed a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1995, Shirakawago is a village of very old houses (some hundreds of years old) with high-thatched roofs designed to prevent heavy snow from piling up. This style of architecture is called gassho zukuri (合掌造り), due to the high arch’s resemblance to gassho or hands folded in prayer (zukuri means built). The houses have all been well-maintained and are protected as historical and cultural landmarks of Japan.
Shirakawago has been at the top of my bucket list for a long time now and I finally had the opportunity to travel there this past December. It was just as wonderful, if not more so, than I had hoped. I took so many photos which only capture a fraction of the actual beauty and charm of the place. I definitely recommend visiting here if you have the time as it is really a magical village.
In addition to Shirakawago, my fiancé and I visited another village of gassho zukuri houses in Gokayama, Toyama Prefecture. After sorting through and picking the best ones I will be sharing those photos with you soon :)
EDIT: My photos ofgassho zukuri houses in Gokayama are now available for your viewing pleasure :) Go check ‘em out and let me know what you think!
