30 Apr 2024

Ancient gassho-zukuri farmhouses – Feudal-inspired Kanazawa

We had two options to choose from today! Visit the countryside to explore Omigachi Village or return to Kanazawa to soak in the Edo-era sights. Those who selected the countryside option left first for our ride into the mountains, passing lush green forested hills, several dams, rice fields and finally into a valley which has several well-preserved gassho-zukuri farmhouses that were more than 250 years old. Omigachi is the largest of these local villages and was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1995. The houses were constructed with timber using no nails and pampas grass thatched roofs which have to be replaced every 20 years. A tour inside one of the houses gave us an insight into their way of life, and we learned how they were used for housing silkworms and gunpowder. A short walk up a hill with several flowering cherry blossoms provided a stunning view of the village below.

We enjoyed lunch at a nearby hotel amongst the forest which included a wonderful assortment of mostly vegetarian dishes, sake, beer and soft drinks. This was followed by a walk through several small villages with a local guide explaining all the historic sites along the way. During a peaceful wander through the streets past several magnificent cedar trees, we encountered a small local festival celebrating the arrival of spring, with a dancing dragon and music.

The rest of us chose to stay in Kanazawa to sample some more of the sights of the city. The Kenroku-en Garden delivered on its reputation as one of the Three Great Gardens of Japan. Just across the road was Kanazawa Castle Park – a landscape of stone walls and reconstructed buildings giving an impression of the feudal age. Compounding that impression was our visit to the Nagamachi Samurai District. There we explored the Nomura Samurai House with its elegant tatami mat rooms and classic courtyard garden and browsed the displays and shelves of porcelain at the Kutani-yaki Museum. Somehow, we also found time for a quick stop at the Gold Leaf workshop too.

Back on board Heritage Adventurer, we were treated to a stirring farewell by the local Taiko drummers – with dozens of skilled performers thanking us for our visit.

Images © C. Finch & T. Todd, Heritage Expeditions