Welcome to Nanto-city in Toyama prefecture!
Welcome to Nanto-city in Toyama prefecture!
In Nanto-city there are numerous culturally important places for visitors to see and enjoy their beauty and atmosphere. To start there is The Historic Villages of Gokayama that have been included on the UNESCO World Heritage List. In the Gokayama area you can also hear the slowly sung mugiyabushi folk song, which expresses the melancholy of the Heike clans soldiers, some of whom are said to have escaped into this area after losing the battle against the Genji -clan soldiers. Also, it is in this area that you can hear over 1400 year old kokiriko Gokayama folk songs and witness its traditional style of dance.
Other interesting places to see are Riugasai, the house of internationally well-known engraver Munakata Shikou as well as the Aizen-en, and the Fukumitsu Art Museum in which both of them you can see Shikous works being displayed. In Inami, the town of religion and woodcarving, if you walk down the road from the marvelous Zuisenji Temple you can hear the tapping sound of woodcarving hammers from some of the many sculptors that still are producing beautiful, fine-detailed sculptures based on the long traditions that have survived in Inami. All year-round thousands of people visit this cultural and traditionally charming town to see its wooden artwork that is famous around Japan.
Take your time and enjoy the beautiful scenes of changing four seasons in Nanto-city.
Take your time to travel in Nanto-city and have a sense of Japan.
Historic spot
World Heritage Historic villages of thatched roof houses
Thatched roof houses of Ainokura and Suganuma preserve the traditional landscape of Japanese mountain villages. Even after 10 years passed since they were inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage list, time still keeps flowing slowly.
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Delicious spot
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Gokayama Tofu
Gokayama is a treasury of delicious food nurtured by the nature and wisdom of the locals. Gokayama Tofu, which is hard enough to be tied with a straw rope for carrying, attracts people with its unique texture and deep soybean taste.
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Leisure spot
Mt.Iou
This mountain was named Iou because many kinds of medical herbs grow here. In Chinese character 'i' means medicine. Its varied trails, where precious plants, animals and insects are seen, are good for casual mountaineering. In winter you can enjoy IOX-AROSA ski resort on Mt Iou, as well as the other four ski resorts and their many slopes within Nanto-city. In wintertime the pure white snow on the mountains and on the roofs of thatched roof houses are beautiful sight to be seen.
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Nature spot
Pond Nawaga-ike
A mystic pond that holds clear water all year round. About 50 000 wild skunk cabbages blooming in May are overwhelmingly beautiful.
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Cultural spot
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Inami woodcarving
Inami woodcarving has a 230 years long history and the town is the nation's largest production center of woodcarvings. In front of Zuisen-ji Temple, woodcarver shops stand on both sides of the street. The sound of chisels and wood hammers was chosen as one of the 100 'sounds capes' of Japan.
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Hot spring spots
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It could be said that hot spring (onsen) represents Japanese traditional facility for people to relax and spend their pastime. In Nanto-city there are large numbers of spa houses where you can forget your daily stress, relax and get refreshed.
Map
Come and enjoy the sights of Gokayamas World Heritage Historic villages of thatched roof houses, the culture, festivals and various events that have been survived due to local's effort to keep regions traditions alive.
 Nanto-city
(pdf) |
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Gokayama
area (pdf) |
| Toga
area (pdf) |
| Inami-Inokuchi-Johana
area (pdf) |
| Fukuno-Fukumitsu
area (pdf) |
Contact details:
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Nanto-city Tourism Association Nanto-city Tourism department |