Gokayama

Top Things to do

• Thatched-Roof Houses of Ainokura Village

  4.5

  287 Reviews

  Toyama Pref. Nantoshi Ainokura

  There are more than 20 houses, characterized by their heavily slanted thatched roofs, in this village located on a long, narrow plateau of land in Nanto City, Toyama Prefecture. Here visitors can get a feel for the old traditional Japanese way of life and beautiful countryside nestled in the mountains with fields of rice and other crops surrounding the houses. Ainokura Village offers an inn, souvenir shop, tea house, and folk museum all in the thatched-roof style. The village light up event held every season is also a must-see. Together with the village of Suganuma, the Ainokura Village is registered as a UNESCO World Heritage site.

• Tonami Tulip Park

  4.0

  96 Reviews

  Toyama Pref. Tonamishi Hanazonomachi 1-32

  Tonami Tulip Park is a park located on National Route 359 in Hanazono Town, Tonami City. Around three million tulips of 700 different varieties are grown here each year; the Tonami Tulip Fair, which is held in spring each year, is a major attraction. Interesting sights inside the Park include the Tulip Tower, which has become a symbol of the Park, the Tulip Gallery, where visitors can view displays about tulips, etc., and the Waterwheel Garden, which features the five largest waterwheels in Japan.

• Etchu Gokayama Ainokura Gassho-style Village

  4.0

  53 Reviews

  Toyama Pref. Nantoshi Ainokura 611

  A designated National Historic Site and also a UNESCO World Heritage Site, the Etchu Gokayama Ainokura Gassho-style Village is also a place where local people continue to live as they have always done. The unique farmhouses with their thatched roofs embody the self-sufficient lifestyle of days gone by, and accumulated human wisdom. Recently, the Village has been illuminated in the evenings four or five times a month in alternate months.

• Ainokura Folklore Museum

  4.0

  29 Reviews

  Toyama Pref. Nantoshi Ainokura 352

  This folk history museum sits in a corner of the Ainokura Gassho-zukuri Village, a World Heritage site located in the mountains east from Tokai-Hokuriku Expressway's Gokayama Interchange via the Hietsukyo Gassho Scenic Route. It is notable for its two gassho-zukuri style buildings with straw-thatched roofs which were once a residence of the old Ozaki Family. The museum exhibits articles once used by villagers, as well as historical materials that convey the village's tradition of mutual aid. On the second floor, guests can get a close look at the unique framework and internal construction of gassho-zukuri buildings. The museum's second building, the Ainokura Traditional Industry Museum, contains historical materials about washi (Japanese paper) and saltpeter, two of Gokayama's traditional industries. Visitors at the museum can learn about the history of Japan through the wisdom and hardships of ancestors.

• Gokayama Tourist Information Center

  4.0

  19 Reviews

  Toyama Pref. Nantoshi Kaminashi 754

  Gokayama Tourist Information Center is located in the village of Minami-gokayama (a UNESCO World Heritage Site) in Toyama Prefecture. Besides providing information about tourist attractions, accommodation etc. in the area, the Center can also provide information regarding transportation services. In addition, the Center disseminates up-to-date information via Facebook, Twitter and other social networking services. The Murakami House, a traditional Gasshozukuri-style farmhouse which has been designated as a National Important Cultural Property, is nearby.

• Inami Betsuin Zuizenji Temple

  4.5

  47 Reviews

  Toyama Pref. Nantoshi Inami 3050

  This temple of the Ohtani sect of Shinshu is a branch of Kyoto's Higashi Honganji Temple. During the Warring States Period, it served as a base for the Jodo Shinshu Buddhist uprising. It is notable for the stout stone walls surrounding the temple buildings. Located in a residential area a 15-minute drive from Hokuriku Expressway's Tonami Interchange on Route 156, the temple's biggest attraction is the carvings located all over its buildings. All of the decorative carvings were created by craftspeople from the wood carving district in Inami, part of present-day Nanto City. Visitors can bear witness to the superior skills of the expert carpenters and wood carvers who built the temple.

• Gokayama Minzokukan (Gokayama Folklore Museum)

  3.5

  24 Reviews

  Toyama Pref. Nantoshi Suganuma 436

  Gokayama Minzokukan (Gokayama Folk Museum) is situated in Sugunuma, a village of traditional Gasshozukuri-style farmhouses in Gokayama village, Toyama Prefecture. The Museum is located in the oldest Gasshozukuri-style house in the village, which was specially renovated for the purpose. On display inside the Museum are around 200 living utensils etc. that embody the wisdom of past generations. The adjacent “Potassium Nitrate Hall,” focused on the production of potassium nitrate (which was formerly an important industry in the Gokayama district), uses models and shadow-pictures to show how the raw material was collected, the process by which the potassium nitrate was made, and how the finished product was transported for sale.

• Etchu Ichinomiya Takase-jinja Shrine

  4.0

  24 Reviews

  Toyama Pref. Nantoshi Takase 291

  The Etchu Ichinomiya Takase-jinja Shrine has a long history, even recorded in documents from the year 680. The god worshipped there, Okuninushi-no-Mikoto (Ohonamuchi), is a god of prosperity and relationships, and is adored by many. There is a lot to see, including treasure displays, the water purification fountain, tea brushes, and the Koreiden Mausoleum designated as a Cultural Property. Approximately 15 minutes by car via Tonami Interchange on the Hokuriku Expressway.

• Shogawa Gorge Cruise

  4.0

  22 Reviews

  Toyama Pref. Tonamishi Shougawamachiomaki 73-5

  This sightseeing boat operates on the Shogawa Gorge between Komaki Dam and Omaki Onsen. The Shogawa River boat dock is a 20-minute drive from Tonami Interchange. Passengers can enjoy the beautiful natural surroundings to their hearts content while also taking in the seasonal scenery. Two courses are available; the Omaki Onsen Course, a relaxed one-hour long round trip, and the shorter Nagasaki Bridge Tour Course. The company also offers a number of special seasonal cruises and is seeing increasing numbers of travelers from abroad.