Discover Gokayama in Toyama Prefecture. Explore the quiet, UNESCO-recognized Gassho-zukuri villages of Suganuma and Ainokura without the heavy tourist crowds.

If you love the historic, snow-covered Gassho-zukuri farmhouses but want to avoid the massive tourist crowds of Shirakawa-go, Gokayama (五箇山) is your hidden gem. Located slightly further north in Toyama Prefecture, Gokayama consists of two main UNESCO World Heritage villages: Suganuma and Ainokura. Both retain a much quieter, deeply authentic, and lived-in atmosphere. If you are shooting travel vlogs and pulling out an Osmo Pocket 3, the lack of heavy foot traffic makes it incredibly easy to get clean, cinematic pans of the traditional architecture and misty mountains without dodging large tour groups. It is also a fantastic, intimate detour for a quiet getaway with your wife, allowing you to experience old-world Japan at a much slower, peaceful pace.

To top off the chilly winter trek, this area is home to incredible natural hot springs like Gokayama Onsen Gokasansou (五箇山荘). After a long day of shooting in the cold, there is nothing quite like slipping into an open-air bath surrounded by winter snowscapes.