Top Things to do

• Gokayama Tourist Information Center

  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.

• Gokayama Minzokukan (Gokayama Folklore Museum)

  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.

• Murakamike House

  Toyama Pref. Nantoshi Kaminashi 725

  Murakamike house stands out even in Gokayama which is famous for Gassho style houses. It is a representative building that doesn’t remodel the style of olden days, and it even now conveys the architectural style of yesteryear to people of the present. It has also been designated as an Important Cultural Property of Japan. There are a lot of folklore materials on display in this building which boasts a history dating back 400 years, and at the irori fire pit, you can hear an account by the present head of the house. There are snow camellia named “Gokayama Iris” in the garden, and the best time to come and see them is from late April until early May.

• Gokayama Washi-no-sato (Traditional Paper-making Workshop)

  Toyama Pref. Nantoshi Higashinakae 215

  Gokayama Washi-no-sato (Traditional Paper-making Workshop) is the alternative name for Road Station Taira, a roadside rest area in Gokayama village, Toyama Prefecture. Gokayama Washi-no-sato features a “Washi Paper Craft Hall” that presents the history of traditional Japanese paper-making, which has been an important industry in Gokayama since ancient times, as well as a “Paper-making Experience Hall” where visitors can try making Gokayama-style paper for themselves inside a traditional Gasshozukuri-style farmhouse (experiential activities can be booked on the day of your visit). There is also a retail area selling local specialty products, a restaurant, etc., making this a great place to drop by while driving in the area.

• Thatched-Roof Houses of Ainokura Village

  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.

• Ensho-no-Yakata

  Toyama Pref. Nantoshi Suganuma 134

  The Ensho-no-Yakata (Nitrate Museum) is located adjacent to the Gokayama Folk Museum in Suganuma, Nanto City. The Museum has displays on the manufacturing of nitrate (a key ingredient for making gunpowder), which was a major industry in the Gokayama district in the days when this region was ruled by the Kaga Domain. Dioramas etc. are used to bring to life every stage in the production process, from raw materials extraction through to manufacturing and shipment, enabling visitors to learn about the history of nitrate production.

• Tonami Tulip Park

  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

  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.

• Etchu Ichinomiya Takase-jinja Shrine

  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.