We caught a bus from Takayama to Shirakawa-go a small village in the mountainous area of Honshu. It is a UNESCO World Heritage site preserving the Gassho style houses characterised by large steep thatched roofs - that resemble hands held in prayer. In the lower level are the guest tatami mat rooms and an eating area with a fire pit. Traditionally the attic area housed the silk worms that enjoyed the rising heat.
Our hostess was a lovely old woman who couldn't speak English, worked really hard to cook our breakfast and dinner and was really small. The communal bath was a wooden box with a wooden lid to keep the heat in, you had to scrub first outside the bath and thoroughly rinse before hoping in. Never had a wooden bath before!
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| Our tatami mat room, with day table that was heated underneath thus the donnas to keep the heat in. |
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| House robes |
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| The dinning area |
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| Our hostess |
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| Shinto Shrine |
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| Koi kites for boys month |
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| House boots and wooden shoes to borrow |
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