Gokayama is one of the best day trips from Toyama if you want to see a quieter side of rural Japan. Hidden in the mountains of Toyama Prefecture, the region is home to two UNESCO-listed villages: Ainokura and: Suganuma. Both preserve traditional: gassho-zukuri farmhouses with enormous steep thatched roofs designed for Gokayama’s heavy winter snow. … Read more
Ainokura or Suganuma? If you’re planning a trip to Gokayama, this is one of the first decisions you’ll face. Both are tiny mountain villages. Both contain traditional: gassho-zukuri houses. Both are UNESCO World Heritage Sites. And both are considerably quieter than: Shirakawa-go. But they aren’t the same. Ainokura is larger, has more traditional houses and … Read more
Getting from Kanazawa to Gokayama looks complicated when you first look at a map. It isn’t. But there is one important thing to understand: there is no train station in Gokayama. For most independent travellers using public transport, the easiest route is: Kanazawa ↓ Hokuriku Shinkansen ↓ Shin-Takaoka ↓ World Heritage Bus ↓ Ainokura + … Read more
Suganuma is tiny. And that’s exactly why you should visit. Located in the mountains of Toyama Prefecture, Suganuma contains just: nine traditional gassho-zukuri houses. Together with Ainokura and Ogimachi in Shirakawa-go, the village forms part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site: Historic Villages of Shirakawa-go and Gokayama. But Suganuma feels completely different from Shirakawa-go. There … Read more
Ainokura is one of the most beautiful traditional villages in Japan. Hidden in the mountains of Toyama Prefecture, this tiny settlement contains around: 20 traditional gassho-zukuri houses. Some of the houses are centuries old. People still live here. And unlike the much busier Shirakawa-go: Ainokura feels remarkably quiet. It’s one of two UNESCO-listed villages in … Read more
If you’re planning a trip through the Japanese Alps, there’s a good chance you’ll come across two names: Shirakawa-go and: Gokayama. Both are famous for traditional gassho-zukuri farmhouses with enormous steeply pitched thatched roofs. Both sit in remote mountain valleys. Both become spectacular under snow. And both form part of the same UNESCO World Heritage … Read more
If you want to see Japan’s famous gassho-zukuri villages without spending your entire day surrounded by tour groups: consider Gokayama. Located in the mountains of Toyama Prefecture, Gokayama contains two extraordinary traditional villages: Ainokura and: Suganuma. Together with Ogimachi in Shirakawa-go, these villages form the UNESCO World Heritage Site: Historic Villages of Shirakawa-go and Gokayama. … Read more
Takayama is one of the best food destinations in Japan’s mountains. Most visitors arrive knowing about: Hida beef. And yes: you should absolutely eat it. But Takayama’s food culture goes much further. This small mountain city has developed distinctive foods around: cold winters + pure mountain water + local cattle + buckwheat + preserved vegetables … Read more
Takayama is one of the best small food cities to include in a Japan itinerary. Hida beef gets most of the attention. And yes: you absolutely should eat Hida beef. But Takayama’s food scene goes much further. This mountain city is also known for: The city is compact enough that most of the restaurants in … Read more
Wondering where to stay in Takayama? For most first-time visitors, the decision is surprisingly easy. Stay either: near Takayama Station or: between Takayama Station and the Old Town. Takayama is compact and extremely walkable. Unlike Tokyo or Osaka, you don’t need to choose your hotel based around train lines or spend 30 minutes travelling to … Read more