A Stay in a Thatch-Roofed Mountain Village & Roadside Rest Stops

Our reporter visits the UNESCO World Heritage, thatch-roofed villages of Gokayama in Toyama Pref. He experiences traditional life in a 150-year-old house, helps prepare for the coming winter, and enjoys his meal of local delicacies at the sunken hearth. He also makes washi paper, his own musical instrument, and learns the dance steps used when playing it in the local festival. Also, road-side stations on major arterial roads in the country provide more than just a place to rest on a road trip.