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Gokayama
is an area within the city of Nanto in Toyama Prefecture, Japan. It has been inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List due to its traditional '' gasshō-zukuri'' houses, alongside nearby Shirakawa-gō in Gifu Prefecture. The survival of this traditional architectural style is attributed to the region's secluded location in the upper reaches of the Shōgawa river. This is also the reason that Gokayama's lifestyle and culture remained very traditional for many years after the majority of the country had modernized. Many of the houses surpass 300 years in age. The Gokayama region includes the former villages of Taira, Kamitaira, and Toga. The ''gasshō'' hamlet of Ainokura is located in Taira, while that of Suganuma is in Kamitaira; both are nationally designated Historic Sites. Ainokura , in the Gokayama region, was inscribed on the World Heritage List in December 1995 as one of the three villages of ''gassho''-style houses. Ainokura has 20 gassho-style houses known as ' ...
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Historic Villages Of Shirakawa-gō And Gokayama
The Historic Villages of Shirakawa-gō and Gokayama are one of Japan's UNESCO World Heritage Sites. The cultural property consists of three historic mountain villages over an area of in the remote Shogawa river valley, stretching across the border of Gifu Prefecture, Gifu and Toyama Prefectures in central Japan. Shirakawa-gō (白川郷, "White River Old-District") is located in the village of Shirakawa, Gifu (village), Shirakawa in Gifu Prefecture. The Gokayama (五箇山, "Five Mountains") area is divided between the former villages of Kamitaira and Taira in Nanto, Toyama, Nanto, Toyama Prefecture. The valley is in a mountain region with considerable snowfall, and these villages are well known for their clusters of farmhouses, constructed in the architectural style known as minka, gasshō-zukuri (合掌造り), which are designed to easily shed snow from their steep roofs. Geography The three villages are situated in a remote valley, surrounded by high and rugged mountains wh ...
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List Of Historic Sites Of Japan (Toyama)
This list is of the Monuments of Japan, Historic Sites of Japan located within the Prefectures of Japan, Prefecture of Toyama Prefecture, Toyama. National Historic Sites As of 1 August 2019, twenty-one Sites have been Cultural Properties of Japan, designated as being of national Values (heritage), significance, including the Kaga Domain Maeda Clan Graves and Kaetsu border castle ruins, which span the prefectural borders with Ishikawa Prefecture, Ishikawa. , - Prefectural Historic Sites As of 1 May 2019, thirty Sites have been designated as being of prefectural importance. Municipal Historic Sites As of 1 May 2019, a further one hundred and eighty-five Sites have been designated as being of municipal importance. Registered Historic Sites As of 1 July 2019, one Monument has been Cultural Properties of Japan#Categories of registered Cultural Properties, registered (as opposed to Cultural Properties of Japan, designated) as an Historic Site at a nation ...
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Nanto, Toyama
is a city in Toyama Prefecture, Japan. It is in a mountainous area in the south-west corner of the prefecture just north of Gifu Prefecture. It is home to the Gokayama UNESCO World Heritage site. , the city had an estimated population of 51,669 in 17,761 households and a population density of 75.8 persons per km2. Its total area is . Geography Nanto is located in the southwestern Toyama Prefecture, and is bordered by Ishikawa Prefecture to the west and Gifu Prefecture to the south. The northern part of the city is within the Tochi plains, and the southern portion of the city is mountainous. Much of the area is a dispersed settlement typical of this region of Japan. The different regions of Nanto consist of Fukuno, Fukumitsu, Johana, Inokuchi, and Inami. Surrounding municipalities *Gifu Prefecture ** Hida ** Shirakawa *Ishikawa Prefecture ** Kanazawa ** Hakusan *Toyama Prefecture ** Oyabe ** Tonami ** Toyama Climate Nanto has a humid continental climate (Köppen ''Cfa'') ch ...
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Shirakawa, Gifu (village)
is a village located in Ōno District, Gifu Prefecture, Japan. It is best known for being the site of Shirakawa-gō, a small, traditional village showcasing a building style known as '' gasshō-zukuri''. Together with Gokayama in Nanto, Toyama, it is one of UNESCO's World Heritage Sites. , the village had an estimated population of 1,630 in 588 households and a population density of 4.6 persons per km2. The total area of the village was . Geography Shirakawa is a mountain village located in far northern Gifu Prefecture, bordering Ishikawa Prefecture and Toyama Prefecture on the Ryōhaku Mountains. Mount Hakusan is the highest elevation at . The village's area is 95.7% mountainous forests, and its steep places are characteristic. In between the mountains flows the Shō River, which continues to the north into Nanto, Toyama. Most of the population is in its river valley. Since the opening of Hida Tunnel, Shirakawa can be reached within 50 minutes from Takayama, Gifu comp ...
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Minka
are Vernacular architecture, vernacular houses constructed in any one of several traditional Japanese architecture, Japanese building styles. In the context of the four divisions of society, were the dwellings of farmers, artisans, and merchants (i.e., the three non-samurai castes).Nishi & Hozumi (1996), p82 This connotation no longer exists in the modern Japanese language, and any traditional Japanese-style residence of appropriate age could be referred to as . are characterized by their basic structure, their roof structure, and their roof shape. developed through history with distinctive styles emerging in the Edo period. Types come in a wide range of styles and sizes, largely as a result of differing geographic and climatic conditions as well as the lifestyle of the inhabitants. They generally fall into one of four classifications: farmhouses town houses , fishermen's dwellings and mountain dwellings . Unlike other forms of Japanese architecture (such as those of ...
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Iwaseke Residence
The is one of the gasshō-zukuri houses in Nishiakao-machi Village, Nanto City, Toyama Prefecture. It is designated as an Important Cultural Property of Japan. Overview The Iwaseke Residence was built over a span of 8 years in the late Edo period by (藤井長右衛門). It is one of the largest gasshō-zukuri structures in existence. The Fujii Chouemon family was the second wealthiest wealthy farmer in Gokayama after the (岩渕村伊右衛門), family of Toga Valley, and it seems that the house was built with their ample wealth as a backdrop. In the 19th century, the Kami-ni-ya built the finest and largest gasshō-zukuri houses in Gokayama, and the Iwaseke residence was representative of these houses and one of the largest gasshō-zukuri still in existence. In the past, as many as 35 people, including servants, lived in the house. Other known residences built around the same time include the Habake residence in Oze and the Ikutake residence in Hosozima. According to loc ...
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Murakamike Residence
The is one of the gasshō-zukuri houses in Kaminashi Village, Nanto City, Toyama Prefecture. It is designated as an Important Cultural Property of Japan. Overview Kaminashi village, where the Murakamike Residence is located, was one of the most historic villages in Gokayama, with the oldest wooden house in the prefecture, the Kaminashi Hakusan Shrine. The Murakamike Residence is thought to have been built around the middle of the Edo period, but local legend has it that it was constructed around the time of the Ishiyama Hongan-ji War, which broke out in 1570 during the Sengoku period. During the time of the Ishiyama Hongan-ji War, a man who was strong enough to lift timbers by himself was helping the Murakami family to build a house, but he became discouraged when he heard the news of the fall of Ishiyama Hongan-ji and could no longer lift the timbers. The Murakamike Residence retains the remains of an old and archaic style, such as showing the transitional style from the Buk ...
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Gasshō-zukuri
are Vernacular architecture, vernacular houses constructed in any one of several traditional Japanese architecture, Japanese building styles. In the context of the four divisions of society, were the dwellings of farmers, artisans, and merchants (i.e., the three non-samurai castes).Nishi & Hozumi (1996), p82 This connotation no longer exists in the modern Japanese language, and any traditional Japanese-style residence of appropriate age could be referred to as . are characterized by their basic structure, their roof structure, and their roof shape. developed through history with distinctive styles emerging in the Edo period. Types come in a wide range of styles and sizes, largely as a result of differing geographic and climatic conditions as well as the lifestyle of the inhabitants. They generally fall into one of four classifications: farmhouses town houses , fishermen's dwellings and mountain dwellings . Unlike other forms of Japanese architecture (such as those of ...
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World Heritage Sites In Japan
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) World Heritage Sites are places of importance to cultural or natural heritage as described in the UNESCO World Heritage Convention, established in 1972. Cultural heritage consists of monuments (such as architectural works, monumental sculptures, or inscriptions), groups of buildings, and sites (including archaeological sites). Natural features (consisting of physical and biological formations), geological and physiographical formations (including habitats of threatened species of animals and plants), and natural sites that are important from the point of view of science, conservation, or natural beauty, are defined as natural heritage. Japan accepted the UNESCO World Heritage Convention on 30 June 1992. There are 26 sites listed in Japan, with a further four sites on the tentative list. Japan's first entries to the list took place in 1993, when four sites were inscribed. The most recent site, the Sa ...
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Gyotoku-ji
Gyotoku-ji (行徳寺) is a temple located in the Nishiao district of Nanto City, Toyama Prefecture. It is one of the oldest Gokayama temples. History In the latter half of the Muromachi period, during the Bunmei (1392–1573), Rennyo(蓮如), the 8th head of Hongan-ji Temple, stayed at Yoshizaki-gobō in Echizen Province, which led to a rapid increase in Shinshū followers in the Hokuriku region, and the spread of Shinshū in earnest in the Gokayama area. The first to extend their teachings to the Gokayama region was in Echizen Province, and there was a monk named Jotoku(浄徳) from Akaodani who was a follower of Hongakuji Temple. The nephew of Jotoku was (赤尾道宗), a well-known Myokonin, and Doshu is positioned as the founder of Gyotoku-ji Temple. Although there are various traditions about Doso's origin and history in later times, there is no doubt that he was a contemporary of Rennyo, as he is often mentioned in Rennyo's writings. Gyotoku-ji Temple still retains a ...
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Toyama Prefecture
is a prefecture of Japan located in the Chūbu region of Honshu. Toyama Prefecture has a population of 993,848 (1 January 2025) and has a geographic area of 4,247.61 km2 (1,640.01 sq mi). Toyama Prefecture borders Ishikawa Prefecture to the west, Gifu Prefecture to the south, Nagano Prefecture to the east, and Niigata Prefecture to the northeast. Toyama is the capital and largest city of Toyama Prefecture, with other major cities including Takaoka, Imizu, and Nanto. Toyama Prefecture is part of the historic Hokuriku region, and the majority of the prefecture's population lives on Toyama Bay, one of the largest bays in Japan. Toyama Prefecture is the leading industrial prefecture on the Japan Sea coast and has the advantage of cheap electricity from abundant hydroelectric resources. Toyama Prefecture contains the only known glaciers in East Asia outside of Russia, first recognized in 2012, and 30% of the prefecture's area is designated as national parks. History ...
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Kamitaira
was a village located in Higashitonami District, Toyama Prefecture, Japan. As of 2003, the village had an estimated population of 956 and a density of 10.09 persons per km2. The total area was 94.77 km2. In the early 16th century, a monk named spread the Jōdo Shinshū. A valuable old document left by Doshu still remains at . On November 1, 2004, Kamitaira, along with the towns of Fukuno, Inami and Jōhana, the villages of Inokuchi, Taira and Toga The toga (, ), a distinctive garment of Ancient Rome, was a roughly semicircular cloth, between in length, draped over the shoulders and around the body. It was usually woven from white wool, and was worn over a tunic. In Roman historical tra ... (all from Higashitonami District), and the town of Fukumitsu (from Nishitonami District), was merged to create the city of Nanto. The World Heritage Suganuma village is located in Kamitaira village. Kamitaira is one of the three villages of the Gokayama region, famous f ...
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