Summer escape to Japanese Countryside | Visiting village of Shirakawago & Gokayama | Japan VLOG

You can try your hand at Japanese paper making, an activity this area is well known for. The whole experience only takes about 10 minutes, and it makes for such a nice, unique souvenir to take home. It's a simple, hands-on way to connect with local tradition.

I stayed overnight in a traditional gassho-zukuri farmhouse, which is a unique experience in Ainokura. Many of these guesthouses provide both dinner and breakfast. My room had a nice view, and the host was super lovely. Be warned though, the sound of frogs and bugs outside can be incredibly loud at night, so loud I couldn't sleep! But the home-cooked meals were amazing, and it's a truly authentic way to experience rural Japan.

I desperately needed a coffee, so I just went for the first coffee sign I saw. The atmosphere was quite nice, and you can sit on tatami mats facing the window with a lovely view. The whole cafe was so cozy, especially with the rain outside. I got the matcha baumkuchen and a latte, which was perfect to enjoy with the view.

Shirakawago has a lot more restaurants and snack stalls than Ainokura, so I decided to go around and try some street snacks. I was surprised to see all the koi fish in the waterways while I walked around. First, I tried gohei mochi, a traditional snack local to Gifu prefecture, which is pounded white rice dipped in sweet miso paste and grilled over an open fire. It was savory and delicious with a slight sweetness. Next, I tried a croquette made with famous Hida beef, but honestly, I couldn't really tell the difference from a normal croquette. For dessert, I visited the famous pudding shop and got the coffee one. I'm not usually a big fan of pudding, but this one was so creamy, and the coffee jelly on top balanced it out perfectly.

I headed to the observatory deck while the sky was still clear, feeling a bit stressed because the weather was turning so fast. But I managed to get the most perfect timing! You get this amazing view of the whole village, and I couldn't believe it was raining just moments ago. I decided to walk back down since it was only about 15 minutes, and the weather turned again as I was descending.

I visited one of the three main gassho-style houses open to the public in Shirakawago. Inside, they have a traditional irori (fireplace) burning all year round, which used to serve tea but stopped during COVID. You can also go up to the rooftop, which offers a great view, and see a collection of old tools. I think visiting just one of these houses is enough to get a good feel for them.

It was time for some souvenir shopping, and I always feel like each city in Japan has interesting souvenirs to offer. In Shirakawago, I found Hida beef chips, miso beans, lots of local produce, more miso products, and the Sarubobo Japanese amulet associated with this region. Of course, there were also gassho-zukuri house-shaped snacks, more gohei mochi, and some local beer. It's a great place to find unique local gifts.

I didn't know this, but there's also an outdoor onsen in Shirakawago, and there's nothing better than an onsen on a rainy day. The onsen was so relaxing, and afterward, I enjoyed some coffee milk in the lounge area, which had the same beautiful view as from the onsen itself.