Shirakawa-gō 白川郷
Rustic thatched farmhouses
This rural area in the mountains northwest of Takayama is famous for its traditional gassho-zukuri farmhouses, designed to withstand large amounts of heavy snow, some of which are more than 250 years old.
This is not as off-the-beaten-track as it once was though, after being declared a World Heritage site in 1995.
While many visit on a day trip from Kanazawa or Takayama, it is possible to overnight at a gassho-zukuri house.
Nearby Gokayama is a bit harder to get to, meaning it’s less visited and a good option if you’ve got your own wheels.