Toyama Shore Excursion

Gassho-zukuri refers to a special form of residential houses in Japan. It is characterized by a thatched roof. Gasshang is a wooden building. No nails are used in the construction process, but it is still very strong. The roof of the gassho-built building is very steep, which is designed to prevent the roof from being crushed by heavy snow in winter and allow the snow to slide down automatically (similar to European buildings). Gassho-zuo must replace the decaying roof thatch every 30 to 40 years. Replacing thatch requires a lot of manpower, so every time a house needs to be renovated, the whole village will work together to complete it.

This is what Toyama is waiting for you to discover. So, book our Toyama private shore excursion today. We are taking you to the World Heritage you have seen in the media. 

Our Japan shore excursions are designed by Western destination experts who live in Japan along with local Japanese tour specialists to showcase all the best attractions in Japan and provide a unique understanding of Japan from a Western perspective. In particular, we know where to find cherry blossoms and autumn leaves in Kochi that most cruise lines do not emphasize in their shore excursion programs.  

"Ainokura Village" is located in Saito City in the southwestern part of Toyama Prefecture. It is a scenic spot made up of 23 gassho-style houses. These gassho-zukuri buildings were built from the late Edo period to the Meiji period, and they are still the residences of the residents and live here.

Aigura is located in the snowy area where 2 meters of snow falls in winter. Gassho-zukuri houses are characterized by thatched roofs that allow snow to fall. The representative buildings of the culture of this land, Suganuma Village in the urban area and Shirakawa Township in Gifu Prefecture are collectively called "Gassho Village of Gokayama" and registered as a World Heritage Site.

Wukashan "Aigura Gassho Village" is also a super dreamy gassho village settlement, almost a must-see attraction for independent travellers! Because the traffic here is relatively inconvenient, and there are fewer group tourists from outside, this place is a little more secluded than Gasshang Village in Baichuan Township.

When you arrive at Xiangcang Gasshang Village, don’t rush into the village. If you want to overlook the whole Xiangcang Gasshang Village, you have to move to the human-shaped mountain on the right. Walk along the sign and you will pass a short mountain road. Along the way, you can overlook the thatched cottages from different perspectives. The scenery is not bad.

It is recommended to take a walk here, especially the scenery on the top of the mountain is really beautiful!

From the entrance to the Ningxingshan Observatory, you will pass through a section of woods, and the whole journey takes about ten minutes.

Since the whole section of the road is uphill, it is recommended to walk slowly, otherwise it will be really breathless!

After passing through the dense forest, you will arrive at the Ningxingshan Observatory. From here, you can have a panoramic view of the Aigakura Gassho Village. Looking down from a height, the whole village seems to be a beautiful landscape painting, giving you the illusion of being in a fairy tale.

Compared with the small settlement of Guanzhang Gasshang Village, the settlement of Aigakura Gasshang Village is like a small kingdom hidden in the mountains! Aigakura Gassho is a settlement, which is very suitable for strolling in the village at a leisurely pace. In addition to providing meals, there are also souvenirs to buy in the Gassho Tea House of Ainokura.

Most of the tourists who come here will eat here. Wukashan firm tofu ~ is a must-eat dish when you come here. The tofu looks very hard, but the taste is quite delicate, and it has a strong aroma of tofu.

The settlement of Aigura Gasshang Village in summer is accompanied by lush green rice fields, which is different from the beauty in autumn and winter. The scenery in the village is even more beautiful like a fairyland in fairy tales.