Friday, May 13
In the morning we took a bus and headed toward Gokayama and Shirakawago. We first went to Ainokura Gassho Community in the forested countryside outside of Kanazawa. Because of their relative isolation, these areas developed independently of Japanese society, resulting in a unique culture and lifestyle. In addition to creating their own dances, festivals, and traditions, residents developed a distinctive architectural style know as gassho, characterized by steeply pitched thatched roofs. These dwellings are considered to be some of the most efficient farmhouses in Japan.
Next we went to Shirakawa-go to a building that had been a school but was no longer used for that. We learned the art of mochitsuki, or race-cake making. Mochi is Japanese rice cake made of short-grain Japanese glutinous rice. The rice is pounded into paste and molded into the desired shape.
Then on to to a workshop in Gokayama to make washi, a thick, fibrous paper made from mulberry bark.
Lunch was a traditional meal with soba noodles and assorted vegetables. On the way to the restaurant, I spotted this dog in a doorway.
After lunch we headed to Murakami House which was built in 1578 and is the oldest gassho-style house in the area. During our visit the head of the family related the history and culture of Gokayama to us as we sat around the open hearth. We also saw paintings and drawings done by him.
That evening we went to the Gyokusen'inmaru Garden to see it illuminated. The theme was "Spring - Cherry Blossoms".
Afterward we walked through the main floor of the 21st Century Contemporary Museum. The museum was closed by then, but we could see some contemporary furniture and a few pieces of art.
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