Inami Wood Carving Village & Gokayama: A UNESCO World Heritage Site
-
Port
Toyama, Japan
-
Activity Level
Moderate
-
Excursion Type
All
-
Wheelchair Accessible
No
-
Starting At
$149.95
-
Minimum Age
Information Not Currently Available
-
Duration
Approximately 5 Hours
-
Meals Included
Meals not included
A panoramic drive brings you to Nanto city in the southwestern part of Toyama prefecture. Nanto is blessed with an abundance of natural scenery -- a full 80% of the area is woodland, and the Shogawa River and the Oyabegawa rapids flow right through the city.
Visit a UNESCO World Heritage Site in the mountainous Gokayama region, famous for its traditional gassho-zukuri farmhouses, some more than 250 years old. Gassho-zukuri means "constructed like hands in prayer." Indeed, the farmhouses' steep thatched roofs resemble the hands of Buddhist monks pressed together in prayer. The architectural style developed over many generations and is designed to withstand winter's heavy snowfalls. Incredibly the roofs are made without nails and provide a large attic space for cultivating silkworms. Ainokura is the most remote village in the Gokayama region. It is also the largest of the villages, with nearly 20 gassho-zukuri farmhouses. Many of these are private residences, but a few have been converted into restaurants and museums.
Inami is famous for wood carving. The city's main thoroughfare is Yokamachi Street, and it begins at the gate of the magnificent Zuisenji Temple. The road is lined with all kinds of interesting features -- carving and sculpture shops, a traditional toy shop, a sake brewery, and lattice-door houses in their beautiful simplicity. And, whether you notice them or not, small touches such as wooden railings and carved bus signs complete the tableau.
Step inside the Meitoku-era (1390) Zuisenji Temple, rebuilt in the Meiji era (1885) by Inami's carvers, sculptors and carpenters. It is the largest wooden pure-Buddhist temple in the Hokuriku region. Note the elaborate carvings adorning the temple gates; most of them are the result of the painstaking labor of Inami's carpenters and remain an exemplar of Inami woodcarving and one of the prefecture's important cultural assets.
Return to the ship in Toyama.
Notes:
You must remove your shoes at some venues. Wear comfortable walking shoes. Terrain includes steps and uneven paths. Not advisable for guests using a wheelchair or for those with mobility limitations.