Ainokura, Gokayama

About this place

Ainokura is a small village in the Gokayama area of Nanto city, Toyama Prefecture, about 19 km from Shirakawa-go in a straight line, known for its traditional steep thatched houses in the gassho-zukuri style. Ainokura was inscribed as a World Heritage Site in 1995, with Suganuma in Gokayama and neighbouring Shirakawa-go. The style survived because of the area's isolation in the upper reaches of the Sho River, which kept its traditional way of life for a long time. The village has 20 houses in this style, most 100 to 200 years old, and the oldest is said to be about 400 years old. Their thatched roofs slope at about 60 degrees, like hands joined in prayer, so the heavy snow slides off. Terraced rice fields and cedar forest surround the houses. It is quieter and smaller than Shirakawa-go, and a nearby hillside gives a view over the houses. There are two small museums and inns in traditional houses. The houses are real homes, so respect residents' privacy.