Ainokura

To Ainokura we did not go by train, because it's a small village up in the mountains where there's no railway there. The thing Ainokura (and two other villages) is famous for, is the gassho houses, with thick roofs of grass which has to be redone every 20 years or so. This is so unique, and costly to maintain, that these houses have now gotten the status of a world cultural heritage. This way of building is very practical in a region where there may be 4 m of snow in the winter.
A very good dinner we got, as usual.

Next: Kanazawa

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Document last updated 1999 Dec 19 by Urban