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Orientation
Shirakawa-go and Gokayama are two formerly remote regions in the mountains of Gifu Prefecture and Toyama Prefecture respectively. These days, the Tokai-Hokuriku Expressway has brought them to within an hour of the nearby cities of Kanazawa, Toyama and Takayama.
Both regions cover a large area of mountainous terrain with a few small villages here and there. Among the villages, Ogimachi has the largest number of old farmhouses and is easily accessible by public transportation. Ainokura and Suganuma are the nicest villages in Gokayama, but are more difficult to access.
Ogimachi is the region's transportation hub, with buses from Takayama, Kanazawa, Nagoya and Takaoka stopping there. Shirakawa-go IC on the Tokai-Hokuriku Expressway is located just outside of the village.
The Gokayama region is located along the bus route from Ogimachi to Takaoka in Toyama Prefecture. However, only four round trips per day are operated along this route, making a rental car the recommended means for getting around. From Gokayama IC on the Tokai-Hokuriku Expressway, Suganuma is only two minutes by car, while Ainokura can be reached in about 15 minutes.
Ogimachi, Suganuma and Ainokura are all small enough to be
explored on foot. Coin lockers are provided at the Shirakawago bus stop in Ogimachi.
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