Ainokura village at Gokayama area in central Japan, is downstream from Shirakawa-go. The Traditional Industry Museum is a “Ggassho-zukuri” building: a large residence featuring a steep thatched roof.
Its information board notes, regarding the
site's designation as a UNESCO World Heritage site, that "recognition was
also given to the efforts of the locals who preserved this beautiful quaint
environment amidst the rapid economic growth of Japan."
Indeed, while many other settlements along
the river have replaced their Gassho-zukuri homes by modern housing, the
preservation here is evidence of the residents' deep attachment to their
landscape, their village, and their homes.
相倉集落は白川郷の下流、富山県・五箇山にあります。伝統産業館は、合掌造りの建物。
案内板には、ユネスコ世界遺産になったことに関し、“経済成長の著しかった日本という国で、その美しい環境を守ってきた住民の努力もまた、評価の対象となりました”と記されています。
確かに、同じ庄川沿いでも合掌造りを現代住宅に建て替えた集落が多いなかで、萱葺きの大型住居を残したのは、住民の皆さんの風景、集落、家への愛着ですね。
Key features of Gassho-zukuri include steeply pitched roofs designed to withstand heavy snowfall, gables that allow light to enter, and under-floor spaces used for producing “en-sho” (the raw material for gunpowder). The term “Gassho” refers to the gesture of pressing one's palms together in prayer.
The photo shows "Shoshichi," the guesthouse where I stayed about 30 years ago; it is still going well.
While Gassho-zukuri structures are now often utilized as tourist facilities, such as inns and restaurants. It is a positive development, I think. After all, they remain active, living buildings rather than preserved ones as cultural assets.
豪雪に耐えるための急傾斜の屋根、明かり取りのための切妻、塩硝（鉄砲火薬の原料）を作るための床下スペースが合掌造りの特徴です。写真は30年ほど前に泊まった民宿の庄七さん。健在でした。
合掌造りは今や観光施設として活用されていると思いますが、それはそれで良いことです。文化財として凍結保存するのではなく、現役ですから。
Houses and fields are densely packed into a narrow flat land in the mountains.
狭い平地に家と畑が密集。
The photo above shows "Saburo," a house where an elderly woman lived until the 1920s. It is a Gassho-zukuri style building consisting only of a roof, with no walls.
While such structures were found in various locations during the Edo period (1603～1868), this is the only one remaining today. It is currently used as a storage shed. Although the old residences of village headmen still exist, it is extremely rare for a house of an ordinary person to remain.
昭和初年までお婆さんが暮らしていた「三郎」。屋根だけの合掌造りの建物です。江戸時代には各所にありましたが、今はこの１棟のみ、物置として利用されています。名主・庄屋クラスでなく、庶民の家が残っているのは、とても珍しいです。
Some houses have been rebuilt with tiled roofs. According to the brochure for Ainokura, there are 24 thatched-roof buildings. I guess that about half of the buildings are thatched.
瓦屋根に建て替えた家も。萱葺きの建物は24棟（相倉のパンフレット）。半分ぐらいが萱葺きだと思います。
The foreign family walked around slowly. It's a peaceful view.
外国人の家族がそぞろ歩き。平和な風景ですね。
Sōnen-ji Temple (Jōdo Shinshū sect) is written in a historical document in 1552. It was the first appearance of the name "Aikura" in historical records and coincided with the period when Jōdo Shinshū sect was spreading around the Gokayama area.
During my visit, a notice (on the board at lower left) announced *Hōon-kō*, a major Jōdo Shinshū event. It was held at the temple in the neighboring district, because there has been no resident priest in the village.
相念寺（旧相倉道場、浄土真宗）は1552年の古文書に名前が出ています。史料への「相倉」の初登場でした。浄土真宗が五箇山に広まってきた時期でもあります。
訪問時には、集落の掲示板に浄土真宗の重要行事・報恩講の案内がありました。集落には僧侶が在住するお寺ないので、開催場所はお隣の中畑地区・本教寺。
Behind the stone monument inscribed with "Namu Amida Butsu" (Buddhist chanting) lies the Saiho Dojo. There is also no resident priest; it served as a place for residents to deepen their faith in Jōdo Shinshū. The small village has three religious facilities (the Dojo above, Jinushi Shrine and Sōnen-ji Temple) —quite surprising.
「南無阿弥陀仏」の石碑の後ろは西方道場。住職は居ませんが、住民が浄土真宗への信仰を深める場所でした。地主神社もあるので、相念寺と合わせて、小さな集落なのに３つの宗教施設があります。驚き。
A Gassho-zukuri farmhouse undergoing roof re-thatching. Nowadays, the work is usually entrusted to professional contractors rather than being carried out through the traditional “yui” (結, community cooperative labor) system. It costs a lot.
The thatch material is grown on the far
side of the mountain, a fifteen-minute drive away
(the photo at the top left shows the steep slope where it is cultivated). On
the other hand, the slopes facing the village itself serve as
"snow-retention forests" to prevent snowslides.
It has been not easy to live here. On the
limited flat land, the villagers cultivated grains, mulberry trees for
sericulture, and kozo for making washi paper.
葺き替え中の民家。今は住民の結（ゆい）が行うのではなく、専門業者さんに依頼することが多いとのこと。お金もかかります。
屋根材の茅は、山の裏側で育てていて、車で15分もかかるそうです（左上は急斜面の茅場）。一方、集落側の斜面は、雪崩防止用の雪持ち林。容易ではない暮らしですね。少ない平地では穀物、養蚕に必要な桑、和紙作りに必要なこうぞを栽培していました。
A Ttengu's footprint left on the rock. It's a piece of folklore.
Tengu (wiki): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tengu
岩に残された天狗の足跡。民話ですね。
Traditional Industry Museum、伝統産業館
The museum is a Gassho-zukuri style building. The staff were re-papering the shoji screens (lower right).
合掌造り。ちょうど障子の張り替え中でした（右下）。
At the entrance, equipment used for making washi paper are displayed. During the Edo period (1603～1868), this paper was presented to the local lord and also used for the payment of annual taxes.
入口では、五箇山和紙の道具が展示されています。江戸時代には献上品や年貢にもなりました。
Although washi paper is a traditional product, the Taira Village Washi Craft Research Center was built in 1982 with the aim of encouraging young people to settle in the area and to work for making the paper. Processed washi products are also being developed.
五箇山和紙は伝統製品ですが、1982年に若者の定着を目標に「平村和紙工芸研究館」が建設されました。和紙の加工品も開発しています。
The irori fire place room is next to the entrance. Items such as lye-boiling vats in the back right were used to produce gunpowder ingredients. Sasara on the zabuton cushion is a musical instrument; you can play it! The movie below shows you its sound and how to use it.
Sasara show
up 3 minute later on the video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tgb-AO0PuwU
玄関を入るとすぐに囲炉裏の間。右奥には塩硝を作るための灰汁煮釜などが展示されています。座布団に置かれているささらは音を鳴らしてOK。（使い方と音は、上の動画の３分過ぎご覧ください）
Gokayama area is famous for the folk song "Kokiriko," which is performed as a ritual offering at Hakusan-gu Shrine in the Kaminashi district every September. Legend has it that the song has been sung as part of dengaku (traditional music and dance during rice planting) for 1,400 years. The “kokiriko” (photo at top left) is an instrument played by striking bamboo sticks together. "Kikiriko" is performed at the video above.
五箇山といえば民謡の「こきりこ」。９月に上梨地区の白山宮に奉納されます。1400年前から田楽として歌われてきたという語り伝えがあるそうです。こきりこ（左上）は竹の棒同士をたたく楽器です。上の動画で「こきりこ」が演じられています。
Mugiya-bushi is another representative folk song of the area. The dance is performed in formal samurai style with swords; it reflects the spirit of ancient warriors.
The Gokayama people are said to be descendants of the Heishi clan (samurai group) who fled into the mountains after being defeated by Kiso Yoshinaka over 800 years ago. Mugiya (barley)-bushi is said to have originated when the escapers, while harvesting barley, sang of their memory for the distant capital (Kyoto) and lamented their own sad state.
Mugiya-bushi performance、麦屋節の歌詞と踊り：
https://www.worldfolksong.com/songbook/japan/minyo/mugiyabushi.htm
こきりこと並ぶ民謡は麦屋節。古武士の気風を残すのが紋付き袴で刀を持った舞い。
800余年前、木曾義仲に敗れて山中に逃れてきた平家の末裔が五箇山人びとだといわれています。町村合併前の五箇山は「平村」でした。麦屋節は、落人が麦を刈りながら、遠い都を偲び、自らの境遇を嘆いたのが始まりだといわれています。
On the 2nd floor, sericulture shelves, old household items, and old documents are displayed.
２階では養蚕の棚、民具、古文書が展示されています。
Old documents are interesting. They include records of transactions for materials such as gunpowder ingredients, requests to convert a local government (han)-managed land into firewood forests, and records regarding exiles. Exiles were detained in this mountain village.
The document in the center is a letter from the feudal lord (Maeda Toshinaga) expressing gratitude for the presentation of *washi* paper at the New Year.
古文書には、塩硝などの取引文書、藩の管理地の薪山への転用願い、流刑人記録などがあり興味深いです。写真は正月に和紙を献上した後に藩主（前田利長）から来た返礼状。
Ainokura in winter. Perhaps the residents are heading out to work together on a communal task.
The number of abandoned villages is rising
in mountainous areas facing harsh natural conditions. Although Ainokura also
faces a severe environment, its people have cherished their Gassho-zukuri
farmhouses and the village landscape, choosing to continue living here. As
a result, the village itself has become a tourism asset; it will endure as a
living (not preserved) community where tourists come and go.
冬の相倉。何かの共同作業へ向かうところでしょうか。
厳しい自然環境にある山間部では廃村になる集落が増えています。相倉も厳しい自然環境ですが、人びとが合掌造りを愛し、集落の風景を愛し、暮らしを続けてきた結果、集落自体が観光資源になりました。観光客が行き交う集落として、これからも残り続けるでしょう。
Visited in October, 2025
Reference website: https://gokayama-info.jp/archives/1726
(in Japanese), accessed in October, 2026
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Spot and also Mountain Village, Shirakawa-go): Ogimachi district in
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