After a very restful night's sleep (tucked cozily into our futon with a charcoal ember in a container and cutely wrapped in kids' quilting), we awoke to fog which deteriorated to a steady drizzle. But the valley looked even better shrouded in mist so both cameras worked overtime again... I think my favourite is the one below of the house trying to impersonate a tree, which itself is mimicking the mountain beyond.
As we had to say goodbye to Noriko she showed us up into the two roof levels, the beams and ropes encrusted with soot and creosote of the ages (also acting as insect-repellent and rope-strengthener!) As they always have, the people of the village use the space for drying clothes and storage - although we didn't see any evidence of silkworms.
Noriko and her husband and kids have lived in this gassho-zukuri for 27 years, but she told us the house is 260 years old!
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