See Remnants of Japan’s History Through Gassho-Zukuri Architecture at the World Heritage Site of Gokayama in Toyama Prefecture

It’s easy to get to Gokayama via a 1-hour high-speed bus from Kanazawa Station, so I recommend visiting Kanazawa together with Gokayama.

Kanazawa Station in the early morning. I’m off to Gokayama!

The bus is run by Hokuriku Rail Road Company. Seats on the bus are reserved.
The route connects Kanazawa Station, Gokayama, Shirakawa-go, and Takayama.
A round-trip from Kanazawa Station to Gokayama-Suganuma is 2780 yen for adults.
From April through November, the bus route only stops at Gokayama-Suganuma.

On the way by bus! The natural landscape is so beautiful.

I’ve arrived at the “Gokayama-Suganuma” bus stop!

The view of the village from the national highway connecting the Gokayama-Suganuma bus station and Suganuma’s observation area is great for taking pictures. The view is perfect for capturing in a photo!
Incidentally, the shortest route to the Suganuma Gassho-zukuri Settlement’s observation area is via a lift, so you don’t have to take the walk along the national highway.

This was just one of the views along the national highway route!

There are nine gassho-zukuri buildings still standing in Suganuma. Ainokura, another settlement that is about a 15-minute drive from Suganuma, still has 23 buildings.
One defining characteristic of the gassho-zukuri construction in Gokayama is that the pitch of the buildings’ roofs is sharper than those in Shirakawa-go. Both Gokayama and Shirakawa-go are areas that receive heavy snowfall. However, while the snow in Shirakawa-go is lighter weight, the snow that falls in Gokayama contains more moisture and is heavier as a result, so the roofs of the gassho-zukuri buildings are further pitched to avoid any snow buildup.

Gassho-zukuri houses are larger than regular homes. Gassho-zukuri homes, which were typically 3-5 stories tall, used to house large families of 30 to 40 people. The vast attic spaces were used to cultivate silkworms.
The ground floors of gassho-zukuri houses were built by local carpenters, while the roofs were built with help and cooperation from all of the villagers.

Agricultural work.

A souvenir shop.

Thanks to the efforts of the local residents to preserve the natural landscape, everywhere you look is a beautiful scene.

I had a light meal at “Miyage – Oyasumidokoro Arai.”

I ordered the Gokayama specialties, walnut-miso gohei mochi and Gokayama tofu.
Gohei mochi is made by skewering mochi (pounded rice), then covering it in a miso sauce and cooking it over fire.
Gokayama tofu is an unusually firm tofu that won’t lose its shape even if you tie a rope around it.

Restored from one of the oldest gassho-zukuri buildings in Suganuma, the Gokayama Minzoku-kan Folk Museum is home to over 300 remnants of tools and materials left by the past inhabitants of the area.

A coffee and cookie set is 500 yen.

The scenery from inside the shop is breathtaking.

Gokayama Gassho no Sato is a food and accommodations facility located about 5 minutes on foot from the Suganuma Gassho-zukuri Settlement.
There are 13 gassho-zukuri homes still standing in this area.
Meals are available by reservation for groups of 10 and up. There are also three gassho-zukuri cottages available as accommodations.

The Suganuma Gassho-zukuri Settlement hosts seasonal illumination events too, so it might be nice to make accommodation reservations for those days!

The gassho-zukuri settlements in Gokayama are smaller than those in Shirakawa-go, so in that sense it isn’t as grand of a tourist location, but it is an undeniable relic of historic Japan. You can take your time and tour the area at your leisure, and it’s a great out-of-the-way sightseeing spot.
It’s said that Gokayama is at its most beautiful in the winter when snow has accumulated. I recommend it for people who want to spend time relaxing and get away from the hustle and bustle of the city.