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Things to doBy MotoUpdated

Gokayama vs Shirakawa-go (2026): Worth It, Museums from ¥300

Ainokura or Suganuma? Gokayama's museums cost ¥300–¥500, light-ups need no booking by car, and the World Heritage Bus links Shin-Takaoka and Shirakawa-go.

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Thatched gassho-zukuri farmhouses above green terraced rice fields in Ainokura, with forested mountains behind
minque · Public domain · Wikimedia Commons

Yes, Gokayama (五箇山) is worth a visit if you want gassho-zukuri farmhouses without making Shirakawa-go your only stop. Its two villages, Ainokura (相倉) and Suganuma (菅沼) in Nanto City, Toyama, became a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1995.[12],[5] Its winter light-ups need no reservation for visitors arriving by car,[8] while Shirakawa-go’s light-up is by advance reservation only.[16] Without a car, take the World Heritage Bus from Shin-Takaoka. It calls at both villages on its way to Shirakawa-go.[3]

Key facts

  • Worth it for: travellers who want a second gassho village, a light-up evening that needs no reservation if you come by car, or a stop between Takaoka and Shirakawa-go.
  • Time needed: Hokuriku Railroad’s day tour gives Ainokura 50 min.[17]
  • Fees: Suganuma’s two museums ¥300 together, Iwase House ¥500, Murakami House ¥400.[5],[6][12][11]
  • Closing days: Murakami House closes on Tuesdays and Wednesdays and from December 15 to the end of February.[11] Iwase House closes on Thursdays.[12]
  • Bus: the 8:25 World Heritage Bus from Shin-Takaoka reaches Ainokura-guchi at 9:28.[3]
  • From Kanazawa: buses stop at Gokayama Suganuma from April to November only.[1],[3]

Gokayama or Shirakawa-go: how do they differ?

Choose Shirakawa-go if you have one day from Kanazawa and want the most bus options. Choose Gokayama if you are coming from Takaoka, want a light-up evening that needs no reservation if you drive, or have already seen Shirakawa-go. Both work in one day on the World Heritage Bus. The Shirakawa-go guide covers that village’s houses, fees and viewpoint.

Gokayama (Ainokura, Suganuma)Shirakawa-go
Bus from KanazawaGokayama Suganuma, April to November only[1],[3]All year[1],[3]
Adult fare from Kanazawa¥2,200 to Gokayama Suganuma[1],[2]¥2,800; ¥2,900 from December 1, 2026[1],[2]
Ride from KanazawaAbout 60 minutes[1]About 1 hour 15 minutes[1],[2]
From Shin-TakaokaWorld Heritage Bus, both villages[3]Same bus, to its end at Shirakawa-go[3]
Winter light-upNo reservation if you come by car; parking ¥1,000[8]Advance reservation only[16]
Time on the Hokuriku Railroad tour50 min at Ainokura[17]3 hr 20 min[17]

The buses from Kanazawa only drop passengers at Gokayama Suganuma on the way out and only pick them up on the way back.[1][1] To get from Suganuma to Shirakawa-go, take the World Heritage Bus instead.

Ainokura: what is there to see?

Ainokura is the first of the two villages on the World Heritage Bus out of Shin-Takaoka. Get off at Ainokura-guchi.[3] The preservation foundation sets visiting hours of 8:30 to 17:00. It asks visitors not to come early in the morning or after dusk, except on light-up evenings.[13],[14]

A row of thatched gassho-zukuri houses beside a paved village lane in Ainokura
Gassho-zukuri houses along a lane in Ainokura, Gokayama ja:User:Minque · Public domain · Wikimedia Commons
Ainokura, Nanto City, ToyamaOpen in Google Maps

Drivers pay ¥1,000 per car to park, about 5 minutes on foot from the houses.[15],[8] Hokuriku Railroad’s tour gives Ainokura 50 min,[17] so the gap between two buses is usually enough for the village.

Suganuma: what is there to see?

Suganuma is 15 minutes beyond Ainokura-guchi on the World Heritage Bus.[3] Its two museums are the Gokayama Folk Museum (五箇山民俗館) and the Ensho no Yakata (塩硝の館, the saltpeter museum); one combined ticket covers both.[5],[6]

Pink and white cosmos flowers in front of two steep thatched farmhouses in Suganuma
Thatched farmhouses in Suganuma, Gokayama 松岡明芳 · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons
Suganuma, Nanto City, ToyamaOpen in Google Maps

The Ensho no Yakata closed for repairs on July 31, 2026 and reopens on October 24, 2026.[7],[9] Suganuma is also the only Gokayama stop of the buses from Kanazawa, from April to November.[1],[3]

How much does it cost and when is it open?

You pay for the museums in Suganuma and for the two farmhouses that open their interiors, Iwase House (岩瀬家) and Murakami House (村上家).

Places

Suganuma gassho-zukuri village

Hours
Gokayama Folk Museum and Ensho no Yakata (Saltpeter Museum): 9:00–16:00
Fee
¥300Adult combined ticket for both museums; elementary and junior high school students ¥150
Closed On
Year-end and New Year holidays
Nearest Station
Suganuma stop of the World Heritage Bus

Open in Google Maps

PlaceAdult feeHoursClosed
Gokayama Folk Museum + Ensho no Yakata (Suganuma)¥300 for both; children ¥150[5],[6]9:00–16:00[5],[6]Year-end and New Year holidays[5],[6]
Iwase House¥500; children ¥300[12]9:00–17:00, last entry 16:30; December to March 9:00–16:00, last entry 15:30[12]Thursdays, except holidays[12]
Murakami House¥400; children ¥200[11]9:00–16:00, last entry 15:40[11]Tuesdays and Wednesdays except national holidays; December 15 to the end of February[11]

Iwase House is a 1-minute walk from the Nishi-Akao stop of the World Heritage Bus and has a free car park.[12] Buses toward Shirakawa-go call at Nishi-Akao at 8:04, 9:49, 11:14, 12:34 and 14:59.[3] Buses back toward Shin-Takaoka call there at 9:40, 12:10, 14:15, 15:10 and 16:25.[3]

If your dates fit, the Gokayama Tourist Information Center holds kokiriko folk-song performances on November 1 and November 3, 2026 at 14:00. Tickets are ¥500, with 15 seats. The center is about 100 m from the Kaminashi stop of the World Heritage Bus.[10]

How do I get there without a car?

The World Heritage Bus is the route that reaches both villages. It runs from Takaoka and Shin-Takaoka (新高岡) to Shirakawa-go. These are the runs on Shirakawa Village’s timetable as of April 1, 2026.[3][3]

Toward Shirakawa-goBus ABus BBus CBus DBus E
Shin-TakaokaJohana 7:208:259:5011:1013:35
Ainokura-guchi7:439:2810:5312:1314:38
Suganuma7:589:4311:0812:2814:53
Shirakawa-go8:3510:2011:4513:0515:30
Toward Shin-TakaokaBus ABus BBus CBus DBus E
Shirakawa-go9:1511:4513:5014:4516:00
Suganuma9:4612:1614:2115:1616:31
Ainokura-guchi10:0012:3014:3515:3016:45
Shin-TakaokaEnds at Johana 10:3013:4015:4516:4017:55

Each run has 16 reserved seats; the rest are unreserved. Bookings open one month ahead and close the day before, and one booking covers up to 6 people.[4] For a day of hopping on and off, Kaetsuno Bus sells two free tickets, each valid for 2 days. The Gokayama–Shirakawa-go Free Ticket costs ¥4,000 and the Gokayama Free Ticket ¥2,800.[4] Buy them at the Takaoka or Shin-Takaoka Station counters, online, or at a convenience store.[4] If you already hold a JR regional pass, the Takayama-Hokuriku Area Tourist Pass review lists which of these buses that pass includes.

One day, both villages and Shirakawa-go

This plan uses the World Heritage Bus timetable above.

  1. Shin-Takaoka to Ainokura-guchi8:25

    Take the 8:25 from Shin-Takaoka; it reaches Ainokura-guchi at 9:28.[3]

  2. Ainokura1 h 25 min stop

    Walk the village, then catch the 10:53 from Ainokura-guchi.[3]

  3. Suganuma1 h 20 min stop

    Arrive at 11:08, see the museums, and take the 12:28 on.[3]

  4. Shirakawa-go2 h 55 min stop

    Arrive at 13:05. The last World Heritage Bus back leaves at 16:00 and reaches Shin-Takaoka at 17:55.[3][3]

To finish in Kanazawa instead, take the 17:30 from Shirakawa-go, which arrives at 18:45; that bus must be booked.[1][1] The Shirakawa-go day trip plan explains how to book the Kanazawa buses.

From Kanazawa, April to November

Book the 8:40 from Kanazawa Station West Exit. It drops you at Gokayama Suganuma at 9:40.[1] Every bus on this line from Kanazawa needs a reservation.[1] From Suganuma, the 11:08 World Heritage Bus reaches Shirakawa-go at 11:45.[3] From there, buses at 13:50, 15:55 and 17:30 take you back to Kanazawa.[1]

Is there a guided tour from Kanazawa?

Hokuriku Railroad runs the Shirakawa-go & Gokayama Tour on weekends and holidays until March 31, 2027. It costs ¥8,000 for adults and ¥7,000 for children aged 6–11. It leaves Kanazawa Station at 9:30, spends 50 min at Ainokura and 3 hr 20 min at Shirakawa-go, and is back at approx. 17:20. Reservations open three months ahead.[17] It suits readers who want Ainokura and Shirakawa-go on a weekend without changing buses.

Can I visit in winter?

Yes, but plan around the buses. The Kanazawa buses skip Gokayama Suganuma from December to March. Shirakawa Village’s sheet gives no seasonal mark for the World Heritage Bus runs.[1],[3] In winter, then, come by the World Heritage Bus, by car, or on the Hokuriku Railroad tour.[17]

The light-up evenings in 2027 run until 20:00:[8]

DateWhere
January 26Suganuma
January 30–31Iwase House (entry with folk songs ¥1,000)
February 6–7Suganuma
February 20–21Ainokura

Cars pay ¥1,000 to park and need no reservation.[8] Iwase House keeps winter hours of 9:00–16:00 from December to March. Murakami House closes from December 15 to the end of February.[12][11]

Should I stay the night in a gassho farmhouse?

Stay if you want to see Ainokura without day visitors. The village asks day visitors to keep to 8:30–17:00, but guests of Ainokura’s minshuku are exempt from that limit.[13],[14] On a day trip, the last World Heritage Bus passes Ainokura-guchi at 16:45.[3] An overnight stay is the only way to see the village in the evening outside the light-up dates.

Frequently asked questions

Are there child fares?

Yes. Suganuma’s two museums cost ¥150 together for elementary and junior high school students.[5],[6] Iwase House charges ¥300 and Murakami House ¥200, and Murakami House is free for preschool children.[12][11] The 2-day Gokayama–Shirakawa-go Free Ticket costs ¥2,000 for children.[4]

Can I get off at Gokayama on the bus from Kanazawa in December?

No. Hokuriku Railroad’s buses stop at Gokayama Suganuma from April to November only.[1],[3] In winter, use the World Heritage Bus from Shin-Takaoka or Shirakawa-go.

Can I drive and park?

Yes. Ainokura charges ¥1,000 per standard car.[15],[8] Iwase House has a free car park.[12]

Can I book a seat on the World Heritage Bus?

Partly. Each run has 16 reserved seats, bookable from one month ahead until the day before. You cannot book on the day; the other seats are unreserved.[4]

Sources

  1. Hokuriku Railroad — Kanazawa–Gokayama–Shirakawa-go–Takayama highway bus (Japanese) (checked )
  2. Nohi Bus — Fare revision on the Takayama–Shirakawa-go–Kanazawa/Toyama/Takaoka line from December 1, 2026 (Japanese) (checked )
  3. Shirakawa Village — Route bus timetable for Shirakawa-mura (as of April 1, 2026) (checked )
  4. World Heritage Bus (Takaoka–Johana–Gokayama–Shirakawa-go), Kaetsuno Bus (Japanese) (checked )
  5. Gokayama Folk Museum (Nanto City, Japanese) (checked )
  6. Ensho no Yakata (Nanto City, Japanese) (checked )
  7. Notice regarding Niter Museum (The Ensho no Yakata) (GOKAYAMA SAISAI) (checked )
  8. Winter light-up information for Gokayama (GOKAYAMA SAISAI, Japanese) (checked )
  9. Ensho no Yakata reopening notice (GOKAYAMA SAISAI, Japanese) (checked )
  10. Periodical Performances of Gokayama's Kokiriko in 2026 (GOKAYAMA SAISAI) (checked )
  11. Murakami House, Gokayama (Japanese) (checked )
  12. Iwase House, Gokayama (Japanese) (checked )
  13. Ainokura Gassho-zukuri Village (preservation foundation, Japanese) (checked )
  14. Ainokura light-up schedule for fiscal 2026 (Japanese PDF) (checked )
  15. Ainokura car park fee revision (Japanese) (checked )
  16. Overview of the 41st Shirakawa-go Light-Up Event (2027) (Shirakawa-go Tourist Association) (checked )
  17. Shirakawa-go & Gokayama Tour (Hokuriku Railroad) (checked )