A Morning Walk through the Shirakawa-go Village

 

We did not sleep for too long in the after-breakfast nap - and went out to tour the Shirakawa-go village. We were lucky as it was a bright sunny morning but still quite cold for pakdokter. The surrounding mountains glowed in its autumn leaves colour. Many of the houses in the village retained the original structure of the Gassho-style houses dating back to the 1800's. Some were converted into home-stays, some into cafes and restaurants and some remained as residential homes of its owners.

Breakfast @ the Home-Stay

Breakfast was also an array of vegetables, omellete, fried fish and rice with fresh fuits and hot tea. It was quite a big breakfast compared to what pakdokter normally had at home ( just black coffee and a slice of papaya) - but this wholesome breakfast turned out to be helpful to see us through the long day of walking and trekking through the village.

 all of us went to the dining room in our yukata ( house-coat)

 

 by the time we finished breakfast and went back to our room

the tatami mattresses had already been rolled up and stored

and in place was a low table in the centre of the room

with an electric heater under the table

 

 within a short time, we all went back to sleep

with our legs under the warm table

 

Dinner at the Shirakawa-go Home-Stay

 We returned home at around 8 pm and dinner had already been prepared by our hosts. It was a traditional Japanese dinner - rice being served with an array of dishes - quite a lot of vegetable dishes, tofu, some seafood and a hot-stove over which slices of beef and chicken were cooked in a sauce made from soya dressing.

 grilled fish and hot-stove for beef and chicken slices

 

 while we were having dinner our room was quickly

 made up to fit the 3 tatami mattresses below

The Shirakawa-go Village Museum

at the front door of our home-stay lodge 

We slept through the afternoon until our elderly host came to wake us up telling Rastam that the village museum was lit up and that we should pay a visit to the museum. The museum is a collection of old Gassho-style houses dating back from the 1800s.

 at one of the houses which functions as a visitors lodge

we were treated to tea and a bowl of red bean porridge

 

the village in winter