A living piece of historical Japan
This beautiful village is a rare site where the historic scenery of Gokayama has been preserved, with gassho-zukuri buildings from around 100 to 350 years ago lining the streets.
The village of Ainokura has around 20 gassho-zukuri buildings, and there's a lot to see, including the genshi gassho buildings that were the precursor to gassho-zukuri.
There are still people in the village today, living the traditional lifestyle from all those years ago.
Several of the village's gassho-zukuri buildings house facilities including a folk museum, traditional industry museum, and a washi (Japanese paper) making experience, so visitors can experience village life and the history of the washi industry.
