Gokayama is an area in the forest not far from Kanazawa consisting of three traditional villages, Ogimachi, Suganuma, and Ainokura. The houses are built in "gassho-zukuri" style, meaning "praying hands." The thatched roofs are built to shed the heavy snows of winter and are replaced every 25-35 years. One such house is the Iwase House, that provides some sense of what the houses are like inside; often the living quarters were downstairs and the family business or industry - which often in this area was manufacturing gunpowder - occupied upper floors, with storage space further up.
(Click on photos for larger view and slide show)
Suganuma Village in Gokayama area
A "gassho house" in Suganuma
1st floor = living space; 2nd = work; 3rd = storage
Gassho = "putting the hands together"
Iwase House - largest in Gokayama area
Mr. Iwase, current head of Iwase House
Beautiful panel doors in Iwase House
The tea water is coming to a boil
