Ainokura Village & Old Town of Kanazawa

Today, I cycled back to the mountains to visit the traditional mountain village Ainokura which is located on a high plateau. The village is inscribed on the World Heritage List because of its unique gassho-style. For those of you who are further interested, here’s the citation of the description board: “The Gassho-style house is defined as one which has a thatched gable roof, with a truss-like structure and a roof slope steep enough to proyide adequate space for active use inside the roof volume. This type of farmhouse is very unique and not found in any other part of Japan. The large steeply-sloped roof is constructed to bear heavy snow loads as well as to provide several interior attic levels which could be utilized for sericulture. The Gassho-style house is the most rationally designed farmhouse type in Japan.“ Nowadays, the village is still inhabited and lies between some modern Japanese houses where local handicraft is made.

I left the village right at the moment when the rain started. A few tunnels through the mountains allowed me good speed and kept me mostly dry. Since the day was still young, I decided to cycle until Kanazawa. There, I visited the old town. It was the first city where I met lots of other tourists and actually strolled through a lovely pedestrian zone. Dozens of craft shops and Japanese restaurants enrich the lovely district.Read more