day 96 - goodbye, Ainokura

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!

day 95 - Ainokura grass houses

After a very early start from Nagano, we climbed the mountains above the snow line to Naoetsu, rewarded with spectacular views of snow-capped alps from the train window. Along the coast, then from Takaoka by a very long local bus to Ainokura Valley to see the famous Gassho-Zukuri houses.

Resembling praying hands, these grass-thatched houses evolved over hundreds of years in geographic isolation and hardship. The local villagers developed the perfect architectural form using local materials to build houses which shed the vast amounts of annual snow and provide space for living, storage, breeding silk worms, making washi paper and developing folk arts in the long winter months. The houses here were awarded UN World Heritage status in 1995 and we had the privilege of staying in one (The Yomoshiro Inn) overnight.

Our delightful host Noriko  prepared wonderful meals for us, including koi sashimi, Iwana (a small trout-like river fish) grilled at the irori (hearth), tempura ferns and local vegetables. This was accompanied by a sake we'd brought with us and chilled pre-dinner in a bank of snow next to the house!

After dinner, despite Noriko's limited English and our limited Japanese, we talked about our families, the history of the houses and Noriko even showed and played traditional instruments and sang a folk song for us.