Toyama

Winter in Small Village of Toyama

World Heritage Site Gokayama Ainokura Village

Takako Sakamoto Feb 19, 2015 - 1 min read

<p>On a village house trapped in snow, icicles sparkle as they catch the light - nature's artwork!</p>

<p>Thin, flat Udon noodles (left) and Tempura made of local mountain vegetables (right)! Simple and delicious food warmed me up.</p>

<p>When I arrived in Ainokura Village, it was cold with sleeting rain. I could see the mountains covered with snowy clouds only sometimes, which looked like a ink-wash painting.</p>

<p>She must be a tourist! She was walking very carefully so she didn't get trapped in the deep snow.</p>

<p>This small village is surrounded by mountains, and it used to be quite isolated until roads and tunnels were put in place</p>

<p>When you climb for five minutes from the parking lot you'll reach an observation deck which commands the view of 27 houses in the village</p>

<p>The village doesn't have enough land to be used for agricultural purposes!</p>

<p>Sleet is gradually changing into large flakes of snow</p>

On February eighth in 2015, I visited Gokayama Suganuma, a small village designated as a World Heritage Site, then moved to Ainokura, where I stayed for the night.

The weather forecast on this day was snow after rain. As expected, it got cold in the late afternoon and snow started to fall. This village is designated as a World Heritage Site as part of the 'Historic Villages of Shirakawa-go and Gokayama', but unlike famous Shirakawa-go in Gifu Prefecture, it's rather compact and deserted. In this village, people were isolated from civilization for a long time due to the location. The people made a living by producing washi (Japanese traditional paper), gunpowder and silk. I enjoyed a delightful interlude listening to the story of this small but fascinating village.

Ainokura Gassho-zukuri Villages

Takako Sakamoto @takako.sakamoto

I was born in and grew up in Tokushima prefecture, and have lived in many places since then: Nishinomiya, Kyoto, Nara, Mie, Tokyo, Kanagawa, Saitama, Chiba, Fukuoka and Fukui. I am currently living in Yokohama City. All the places I lived, all the places I visited, I have loved dearly. The histor...