9:20 Board the bus from Kanazawa Station West Exit (Platform 2)

©Kanazawa City

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Arrived at Johana Station at 10:21

10:30 Depart from the bus stop in front of Johana Station on the World Heritage Bus

[place_master_id=2427 ImageChange=242609 DescriptionChange="{ JR Johana Station is a small terminal station that serves as the gateway to tourism in Nanto City. Buses depart here to major tourist destinations in Nanto City, such as the World Heritage Site of Gokayama Gassho-style Village and the woodcarving town of Inami, making it the perfect base for your trip. The station building has a nostalgic atmosphere, and is also equipped with a tourist information center and bicycle rentals. Be sure to stop by as the starting point for your stroll around Johana's townscape and sightseeing. }" show_photos embed id="goQNXX2uTR"]

11:00 Arrive at Gokayama Ainokura Gassho-style Village

Ainokura Gassho-style Village is a World Heritage Site that sits quietly in the mountains. Over 20 steeply sloping thatched-roof Gassho-style houses remain, and traditional Japanese lifestyles and the original Japanese landscape still thrive. The scenery changes with the seasons, making for excellent photos. Take a stroll and experience the wisdom and culture that has been passed down in the snow country.

Recommended Spot ① Matsuya Teahouse

This set meal is packed with the delights of Gokayama cuisine, including tempura made with fresh locally harvested mountain vegetables.

Matsuya, a rest area and tea shop

Business hours: 9:00-17:00

Closed: Open daily

[place_master_id=17080 DescriptionChange="{ JR Johana Station is a small terminal station that serves as the gateway to tourism in Nanto City. Buses depart here to major tourist destinations in Nanto City, such as the World Heritage Site of Gokayama Gassho-style Village and Inami, the town of wood carving, making it the perfect base for your trip. The station building has a nostalgic atmosphere, and it also houses a tourist information center and bicycle rentals. Be sure to stop by as the starting point for your stroll around Johana's townscape and sightseeing. }" show_photos embed id="n2XHt4WhIC"]

Recommended Spot ② Yusuke Exhibition Hall

The museum provides an easy-to-understand display of what the sericulture industry was like back then. Reproductions of silkworms made from Gokayama washi paper are also on display, along with tools and implements that evoke the days of the time.

There are many photos that convey the atmosphere of that time, taken by the owner himself, a former photographer.

Yusuke Gokayama

Opening hours: 9:00~16:30 (last admission 16:00) *Winter period: 9:00~16:00 (last admission 15:30)

Closed: Tuesdays, New Year's, Obon, family and village event days, etc.

Admission fee: Adults (high school students and above) 500 yen (tax included) Elementary and junior high school students 300 yen

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Recommended Spot 3: Gokayama Washi Papermaking Experience Center

You can experience traditional papermaking in a charming Gassho-style house.

Gokayama washi paper is a traditional craft with a history of approximately 500 years. It is made by hand and carefully crafted from materials such as kozo (paper mulberry) grown in the snowy mountain villages.

Its durability and beautiful texture make it popular for a wide range of uses, including lighting, letter paper, and interior decoration, and its simple yet elegant appearance is highly acclaimed both at home and abroad.

They sell a variety of dolls made from washi paper. Each one is handmade. They're all adorable and make perfect souvenirs!

Gokayama Washi Papermaking Experience Center

Business hours: 9:00~16:00

Closed: Tuesdays, irregular holidays, and winter (December to April)

Papermaking experience fee: 800 yen

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12:30 Depart from Ainokuraguchi bus stop on the World Heritage bus to Johana

13:00 Arrive at Johana Station (11 minutes until transfer)

13:11 Depart from the bus stop in front of Jōhana Station on the Nanto-Kanazawa Line towards Inami

13:29 Arrive at Zuisenjiguchi Kotsu Hiroba bus stop

There is a tourist information center right next to the bus stop, so stop by and pick up a pamphlet.

Inami Yokamachi Street

Inami Yokamachi Street is a historic street that flourished as a temple town for Zuisenji Temple during the Edo period. Woodcarvers who gathered here to rebuild Zuisenji Temple took root in the area, and it eventually became known as " Japan's No. 1 woodcarving village ." Even today, woodcarving workshops and townhouses line the cobblestone streets, and the sounds of craftsmen wielding chisels and mallets echo through the air, strongly retaining the atmosphere of the past. Cafes and souvenir shops are scattered throughout, making this a spot where you can experience traditional crafts and local life while strolling through the historic streets.

You can see the sculptors at work up close, so feel free to take a peek inside the workshop.

Have fun searching for wooden cats!

We will search for wooden cats hiding in the shops along Yokamachi Street from Inami Transportation Plaza to Zuisenji Temple. There are 31 cats in total, including cats sleeping, cats reading newspapers, and cats serving alcohol. Let's try to find the expressive wooden cats. We also recommend making use of the "Map to Find Wooden Cats in Front of Zuisenji Temple," which can be obtained at the Inami Tourist Information Center.

[place_master_id=400 DescriptionChange="{ Yokamachi Street is a symbolic street of Inami, the temple town of Zuisenji Temple, boasting a 600-year history. It has also been selected as one of the "Top 100 Soundscapes of Japan to Preserve" by the Ministry of the Environment. Numerous Inami carving workshops line the street, and the scent of wood and the numerous carvings delight the eyes. As you walk down the street, you can almost hear the sounds of artisans hammering away with their hammers and chisels. You can see beautiful Inami carvings made using traditional techniques everywhere, such as wooden nameplates. There are also an astonishing 31 wooden carved cats hiding along the street. We hope you can find them! }" show_photos embed id="wDWtDbljHO"]

Recommended Spot 1: Wakakoma Brewery

Wakakoma Sake Brewery, located on Yokamachi Street, was founded in 1889. Its flagship brand, "Wakakoma," was named so that Wakakoma sake would be widely loved and familiar, just like Tenkoma, a mountain that soars up to the heavens.

Making use of tradition and techniques, this sake is handcrafted using underground water from the upper Shogawa River. Currently, the brewery is committed to using locally-sourced rice. The sake, painstakingly crafted with each and every paddle, has many loyal fans, and the small-batch production that only a small brewery can offer, with meticulous management and lovingly cultivated sake, has delighted the palates of connoisseurs for many years. In addition to purchasing local sake, you can also sample it in a sake cup that you have carved yourself.

Wakakoma Sake Brewery Partnership

Business hours: 8:30~17:00

Closed: New Year's holidays

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Experience carving in the town of woodcarving! Making a wooden sake cup (experience plan)

Recommended Spot 2: Inami Betsuin Zuisenji Temple

Zuisenji Temple was built approximately 600 years ago. Its gorgeous mountain gate and main hall are filled with beautifully detailed carvings, making it a tourist attraction representative of Inami, a town of artisans. You can enjoy the historic building and the scenery that changes with the seasons, making it a must-see spot when you come to Inami.

Inami carving combines advanced techniques to create three-dimensional expressions with depth, resulting in impressive figures that look as if they could come to life at any moment.

Carving from both sides of the material creates a contrast between light and shadow, resulting in a delicate and beautiful piece.

Inami Betsuin Zuisenji Temple

Visiting hours: 9:00~16:30

Admission fee: Adults (high school students and above) 500 yen

[place_master_id=1892 DescriptionChange="{ Zuisenji Temple is the temple where Inami carving originated.
The spacious temple grounds are home to beautiful cherry blossoms and wisteria, as well as intricate yet lavish and impressive carvings that draw many visitors from across Japan. The carvings on the beautiful Zuisenji temple buildings are handcrafted by Inami carving artisans. Inami carving, said to boast the best carving techniques in Japan, is said to have originated when a Kyoto carver was sent to rebuild Zuisenji temple after it was destroyed by fire, and passed on his techniques to Inami carpenters. Among the magnificent carvings found throughout Zuisenji temple, the carvings in the Taishido Hall are particularly eye-catching. The Taishido Hall is famous as a building that embodies the finest Inami carving techniques. Crafted using 200 chisels and the traditional Inami carving technique, each piece is carved from a single piece of wood. The intricate and beautiful carvings are a sight to behold, and you will be amazed at the achievements of our ancestors.

Inami, a town of woodcarving, has been designated a Japan Heritage Site. The approach to Zuisenji Temple is lined with many workshops filled with the scent of wood, and the sounds of carvers' mallets and chisels reverberate. The beautiful sounds of chisels echoing through the streets have been designated one of the "Top 100 Soundscapes of Japan." Enjoy the delicate yet powerful traditional techniques of Inami's carvers and the largest historic temple in the Hokuriku region to your heart's content. }" show_photos embed id="DZuNK4lN59"]

15:22 Depart from Zuisenjiguchi Kotsu Hiroba bus stop towards Kanazawa

16:45 Arrive at Kanazawa Station West Exit

The simple, unspoiled scenery of Gokayama and the beautiful townscape of Inami, where craftsmanship is alive and well. Why not take a bus ride on your next day off and spend some time experiencing the "real Japanese atmosphere"?

Use the Nanto Kanazawa Free Pass to enjoy great deals on sightseeing!

If you're planning on sightseeing using the Nanto-Kanazawa Line bus, we recommend the convenient and economical "Nanto-Kanazawa Free Pass." The "Nanto-Kanazawa World Heritage Bus Free Pass" also allows unlimited rides on the World Heritage Bus, making it even more economical!

Can be used on all sections of the Nanto-Kanazawa Line bus

●Valid for 2 days from the date of issue

Adults: 1,600 yen (tax included) [Children: half price]

Can be used on all sections of the Nanto-Kanazawa Line bus and World Heritage Bus

●Valid for 3 days from the date of issue

Adults: 3,800 yen (tax included) [Children: half price]

For more information on the Nanto Kanazawa Free Pass, click here