The rains have passed and it is a gorgeous day. Shirakawa-go, a rural village with thatched houses was on my list of places to go but I couldn’t figure out how to get there when I was planning this trip. In Takayama, I saw a local bus schedule but all the buses for today were sold out. I found a sightseeing bus and booked seats on that. We never travel on tours and this was about as close to a bus tour as we have ever been. It included a visit to a smaller village Ainokura Gassho-zukuri as well. We boarded the bus early in the morning and met a couple from Seattle; naturally conversation led to the election. We were all glad to be out of the country on Nov. 5!
The ride took 80 min. and almost all of the trip was through tunnels, one of which was 7 mi. long. It ran along a jade colored river and many farm fields, ending in the forest, full of autumn color.
The small village has 20 gassho style houses which are still inhabited.. The exterior is built to withstand heavy snow and the inside is plain with tatami floors. The second floor typically housed family “factory businesses” such as silk or paper making. Farming alone did not provide enough income for families.
Shirakawa-go was another hour away, and we ran into a huge traffic jam as cars were waiting to enter. Here I thought visiting this village would be like going to Montana where very few people go! The power of the internet, making this little village a big tourist destination. It is also a beautiful Sunday and being out in nature must be a huge draw for lcity residents.
The old village is on the outskirts of the newer Shirakawa and across the river on the other end of a long suspension bridge. Several paths lead away from the Main Street and off to the end is a 15 min uphill climb to the observation platform. Many people opt for the walk versus waiting for the shuttle bus. The setting is beautiful- along the river, in a valley surrounded by mountains, crimson with fall colors. The preserved historic homes are called omigachi with currently house around 500 inhabitants . The newer section of town has around 1000 residents. The omigachi are interspersed with more modern houses and appears to be a bit overbuilt. I imagine at one time, it being green fields with widely spaced thatched houses and local people at work and daily living. What is it like now to live in a place overrun by tourists and cars all day every day? Strangers on your rural paths surrounding your home. Other than laundry hanging outside and vegetable gardens, we saw no evidence of daily life.
The open air cultural heritage center has a large display of buildings and is a very pretty setting.
Wada house is open for viewing. The ground floor has screens and tatamis. Up a very steep staircase is an area for a small business. The ceiling is made of large wood beams tied together with rope. The view from the open windows overlooks rice fields and gardens.
Persimmons trees are heavy with ripe fruit and I spot a house with hoshigaki-persimmons hanging to dry just like I make. Mine look just like theirs!
We wander the streets and photograph roof after roof. The houses are certainly unique.
It was a wonderful day in a beautiful place. The bus tour worked out well since in this case it only provided transportation and brief explanations and was not a guided tour. We still prefer the freedom of traveling on our own when possible and being able to wander without time constraints.
We went back to Suzuka for dinner. It seemed much quieter there today. We met a friendly Japanese family from Seattle while standing in line. They told us about their long wait until 9pm for a train from Tokyo to Kanazawa as all seats were sold out. I think we should reserve our seats for the trip to Tokyo!