Gokayama! ♥ 五箇山

Got up bright and early to head-start my day trip to Gokayama, part of a UNESCO World Heritage site of gasshou-zukuri (thatched-roof) farmhouses. Most foreigners visit Shirakawago in Gifu instead of Gokayama in Toyama for gasshou-zukuri houses, as the latter is somewhat remote and inaccessible.

Only 4 buses, run by Kaetsunou, go there each day, and these buses can be taken from Jouhana station, a 1.5h train journey away from Toyama. But trust me, all that travelling is worth it, the houses look like cottages from a fairytale and you’ll be taken in by its charm! ♥

Jouhana Station; average daily ridership: 200.


It's really a quiet little town.


Was totally fooled by the skies...


Bus stop, waiting for the bus to Gokayama


Get a number when you board, pay when you alight.

My first stop was supposed to be Washi-no-sato, to experience making washi, Japanese paper. Apparently, washi can last for over a hundred years! To get there, one must take the Kaetsunou bus to Shimonashi, and then transfer to a village-run bus bound for Soyama. So I got off at Shimonashi, a few kilometers downhill from Ainokura, the bigger gasshou-zukuri village in Gokayama.

But alas! Bus schedules for the Soyama-bound bus aren’t available online and the next bus to Soyama was to come in 3 hours. There were no sights at Shimonashi and the lady I asked said walking to Washi-no-sato would take hours, and there was no guarantee that the return bus would be at a convenient time. There definitely wasn't going to be another Kaetsunou bus for hours, so with no other alternatives, I began the hike back up to Ainokura.

It was a long and winding road, empty and without a soul. It started to rain and I started to panic. All alone in the middle of the mountain with no shelters or structures in sight and no idea how long the hike uphill would be, I had no choice but to continue walking. Then, I looked down the edge of the road and saw these!

Amazed by the view of a stream down in the valley.

Looks better vertical! ♥

I continued trekking uphill and finally reached Ainokura.

As I started to explore the area, my previous scary hike was soon forgotten.

First house by the entrance to the village.

The gasshou-zukuri farmhouses are amazing structures~ ♥

They really look so picturesque against the surrounding green paddy fields, flowers and mountain backdrops ♥

Their steeply-sloped roofs are designed to withstand heavy snowfall.

Built mostly in the 18th century, most of these farmhouses are now museum, restaurants or inns.

Ainokura Folk Museum #2. . These houses provide an insight into rural life centuries ago.

You can learn a lot about the unique history of the houses and the community, like the local instruments known as sasara and kokiriko.

Kokiriko. The museums play videos of traditional performances inside the museums, so you can get a glimpse into the history of them as well.

The second floor is accessible via ladders like these, and you can take a look at how the roof is structured.

Lovely view!

Inside of the roof

Close-up of the pieces used to make the roof

View from the 2nd storey

You can also find out about how the roof is made.

Of course, it's in Japanese^^

In the past, people used to eat dinner around this.

How the houses would look like in winter, when snow blankets the whole roof and the ground becomes a floor of white~ ♥

It was still drizzling, but the scenery was great

This must be my favorite picture, it really looks like a fairy-tale cottage!

This is the main restaurant in the village, called Matsuya. They serve mostly udon and soba dishes, for around 1,000yen. The other half of the store is a souvenir shop, where you can purchase Gokayama traditional crafts, foods, keychains, postcards etc.

Path off Ainokura

I'm ever-adventurous and ready to explore deserted paths!

Cedar tree. They're really valued for their wood.

View from the bus back ♥

The countryside is really pretty ♥

Ticket

Train from Jouhana back to Takaoka, where I'll transfer to another train bound for Toyama.

Back to Toyama after a long day up in the mountains.

I think the houses at Gokayama are amazing pieces of work, and are really under-appreciated by the younger generation. As our world becomes increasingly interconnected and globalized, the significance of places like these tends to be forgotten. Today, I saw quite a few other visitors streaming in and out, but they were 90% senior citizens. Despite the long journey, it really is worth the time to visit ♥

Sorry for the lack of commentary, but scenery is best explained and appreciated with picture rather than words right? (: Next post will be on delicious Toyama food! :D