Opening hours and admission for this place have not been checked yet, so none are shown. Check the official site
Our guide
Gokayama, in the city of Nanto, shares UNESCO World Heritage status with Shirakawa-go for its gasshō-zukuri houses, with their steep thatched roofs. The style survived here because the area, on the upper reaches of the Shō River, was so secluded — and for the same reason its way of life stayed traditional long after most of Japan had modernised. Many of the houses are more than 300 years old.
This page is for Ainokura, one of the two gasshō hamlets, in the former village of Taira; the other, Suganuma, is in Kamitaira, and both are National Historic Sites. We have not checked a public-transport route or which houses are open, so check local information before you go.
Written by japan-spots.com (2026-09-22) from the sources credited on this page. Distances are straight lines between map positions.
Photos
Photos from Wikimedia Commons, each under its own licence — see credits
- Ainokura in Gokayama area — minque · Public domain · source · resized
- 五箇山相倉合掌集落02 — Minque at Japanese Wikipedia · Public domain · source · resized
- 五箇山相倉 - panoramio — Kuratch · CC BY-SA 3.0 · source · resized
- Làng cổ Gokayama — Lucnhan3 · CC BY-SA 4.0 · source · resized
- Gokayama ainokura gassho shuraku 20060806 3 — ja:User:Minque · Public domain · source · resized
- Gokayama ainokura gassho shuraku 20050504 4 — ja:User:Minque · Public domain · source · resized
- Gokayama ainokura gassho shuraku 20050504 5 — ja:User:Minque · Public domain · source · resized
- 相倉合掌造り集落20221105-IMG 4688 — くろふね · CC BY 4.0 · source · resized
- 相倉合掌造り集落20221105-IMG 4691 — くろふね · CC BY 4.0 · source · resized
- 相倉合掌造り集落20221105-IMG 4704 — くろふね · CC BY 4.0 · source · resized
What this place is
Gokayama (五箇山) is an area within the city of Nanto in Toyama Prefecture, Japan. It has been inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List due to its traditional gasshō-zukuri houses, alongside nearby Shirakawa-gō in Gifu Prefecture. The survival of this traditional architectural style is attributed to the region's secluded location in the upper reaches of the Shōgawa river. This is also the reason that Gokayama's lifestyle and culture remained very traditional for many years after the majority of the country had modernized. Many of the houses surpass 300 years in age. The Gokayama region includes the former villages of Taira, Kamitaira, and Toga. The gasshō hamlet of Ainokura is located in Taira, while that of Suganuma is in Kamitaira; both are nationally designated Historic Sites.
Background text adapted from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0)
What to expect at this type of place: Mountain
Getting there
We do not have step-by-step transit directions for this spot yet. Open the location on Google Maps for routes from where you are staying.
Traveler reviews
No reviews yet — be the first to share how it went.