Life in a Gassho-style Village: One-on-one Tour of Gokayama with a Local Guide
Uncover the hidden side of life in Suganuma, a gassho-style village that joined the register of UNESCO World Heritage Sites in 1995. Surrounded by rich forests and steep mountains, Suganuma is a living piece of cultural heritage–a village with permanent residents, which makes it unique among the sites on the UNESCO roster. During your journey, you’ll discover the local origins of the village’s world-famous gassho-style architecture and savor a lunch prepared using local ingredients in a traditional gassho-style home. With an English-speaking guide-interpreter to accompany you every step of the way, you can enjoy your journey with peace of mind. Inquire about an experience today.
JPY 13,000 per person (tax included)
Daily
2–6 people (minimum 2 people)
― Charming in Any Season —
Suganuma’s beautiful mountains and rich forests wear a different face in each season, something you’ll find reflected in the village’s nine gassho-style houses and in the lives of its people. Each season brings something new to discover and enjoy!
― A Chance to Try Traditional Accessories —
Despite its small size, Suganuma boasts two facilities that allow you to experience the village’s history and traditions firsthand. During your visit to the Gokayama Folklore Museum and its sister facility, the Niter Museum, you’ll dress like the villagers of old as you don wooden baskets and cloaks made of rushes.
― A Taste of Gokayama —
At lunch, you’ll savor local delicacies like char fish, Gokayama-style tofu, mountain greens, and buckwheat noodles, all while relaxing in a historic gassho-style home. Like the surrounding mountains, the atmosphere of the venue changes with every season!
*Vegetarian options available
Tour information
Tour Itinerary
|
Time |
Place/Description |
Details |
|
10:00 a.m. |
Tour begins at the parking lot overlooking Suganuma Village |
Your guide will be waiting at the meeting place. |
|
11:00 a.m. |
Visit to the Gokayama Folklore Museum and Niter Museum |
Villagers once produced niter, a strategic material used in gunpowder, in utmost secrecy–learn how they did it! |
|
|
Traditional accessory try-on |
Don a hooded overcoat made of rushes, step into straw boots, and strap on a bamboo basket. |
|
|
Stroll through the village |
Your guide will point out the best photo spots! |
|
12:00 p.m. |
Lunch at Gorobei, a gassho-style restaurant |
Your guide will show you to the lunch venue before leaving the tour. Feel free to enjoy another stroll through the village after lunch! |
Notice
* Tours are accompanied by an English-speaking guide.
* Tour price includes meals. The dining venue may be subject to change.
* Tour schedule may be subject to change or cancellation due to inclement weather or other factors.
＜Transportation＞
The tour meets in the parking lot overlooking Suganuma Village.
* To reach the village by bus, use the World Heritage Bus and disembark at the “Suganuma” bus stop. The bus stop is a two-minute walk from the tour start point.
* If you plan to reach the village by car, please park in the parking lot overlooking Suganuma Village. The parking lot charges an entrance fee of 500 yen.
Cancellation policy
＊If you wish to cancel your tour, please notify us by phone or email during our business hours (8:30 a.m.–5:30 p.m.). If you contact us outside of our business hours, we will respond to you the following day.
＊If you choose to cancel your tour on the day it is scheduled, you must notify the Nanto City Tourism Association (TEL: +81 0763-62-1201) before 9:30 a.m. on the morning of your tour. You will be charged the full price of the tour if you do not notify us of your cancellation before this time.
＊If you cancel your tour, you will be charged a cancellation fee for each participant as follows:
|
10 to 8 days in advance |
２０％ |
|
7 to 2 days in advance |
３０％ |
|
1 day in advance |
４０％ |
|
Day of the tour (before 9:30 a.m.) |
５０％ |
|
Day of the tour (after 9:30 a.m., including no-shows) |
１００％ |
＊If inclement weather impacts the availability of public transportation on the day of your tour, your tour may be cancelled at no cost to you. We will notify you if we cancel your tour. However, if you cancel your tour due to inclement weather when public transportation is still available, you will be charged a cancellation fee (see table above).
Planning and implementation
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