Suganuma Gassho-style Village

Suganuma Gassho Village is a small settlement in the former Kamihira village in Nanto City, Toyama Prefecture. Compared to the world-famous Shirakawa-go as a tourist destination, it gives a small impression, but you can still feel the real breath of the people who actually live there, giving you a sense of time travel. It gives the impression of not being as touristy as other villages, but there are plenty of attractions such as restaurants, souvenir shops, and museums.

The Gokayama Ethnographic Museum, located in the Suganuma Gassho-style village in Gokayama, is a museum where you can learn about the history of life in the village that is still being passed down today. There are over 200 "actual household items used in daily life" on display, giving a realistic sense of what life was like at the time. In addition to the exhibits, climb the stairs of the houses and visit the attics to feel the history of several hundred years with your own skin.

At the "Enjo no Yakata" (Smoke Powder Museum), tools and production processes for salt peter, a raw material for gunpowder and a major industry in the Gokayama area, are on display. On either side of the hearth in the main house, which is built in the gassho-zukuri style, grooves are dug to allow for the accumulation of materials such as soil mixed with silkworm droppings, mugwort, and human urine, which are used to make smoke powder. You can learn about the production process and history, and there are also some slightly surreal exhibits, such as the opportunity to try shooting a matchlock gun.

The "Kago no Watashi" was used as a means of transportation by the Kaga clan during the Edo period, when they ruled over Gokayama as a production site for military saltpeter. It was used to prevent spies from other clans or countries from infiltrating the area by crossing the Shogawa River. A large rope was stretched across both banks of the river, and a basket was attached to it for people to ride across the river. According to records from the Ho-reki period of the Edo era, there were 13 such crossings in Gokayama. A restored "Kago no Watashi" can be found in the middle of a pedestrian tunnel that connects the Suganuma Gassho-style village to the Gokayama Gassho-style Village. From the Suganuma Bridge, you can also see the "Kago no Watashi" crossing the Shogawa River. Although you can't ride it now, please visit and imagine what it was like in the past.

In the Suganuma village, located along the Shogawa River surrounded by mountains, which is also a special heavy snowfall area, there are several restaurants where you can savor the local cuisine unique to the area. They offer set meals made with Gokayama tofu, which is so firm that it won't crumble even when tied with a rope, freshly caught river fish, and mountain vegetables, among others. All of them have a deep and rich flavor. The dining areas are also traditional gassho-style houses, so you can enjoy the dishes that have been passed down through generations in a historical atmosphere.

Every year in early February, the world heritage site Suganuma Gassho-style Village is illuminated with "Seasonal Gokayama Snow Light". After sunset, 50 illuminations light up the Gassho-style houses covered in snow. The sight of the Gassho-style houses floating in the snowy landscape is truly fantastical and picturesque. In addition, traditional Gokayama folk songs such as "Kokiriko" and "Toichinsa" are played in the village, leading tourists into an unreal world.

In the Suganuma village, there are shops where you can purchase souvenirs. In addition to souvenir shops, there are also places to eat and rest where you can enjoy shopping for food, goods, and crafts. Popular souvenirs include food items such as "Gokayama tofu," "senbei," and "soba," as well as handicrafts made from washi paper. These handmade items have a warm and personal touch, making them perfect for creating memories of your trip.