A practical English guide to Nanto in Toyama: the gassho villages, the mountain roads and access from Toyama and Kanazawa.
Operational details such as opening hours, admission fees, and train times can change. Prefer official pages and reconfirm before you travel (sources checked on 07 November 2026).
Why visit
- Nanto is a city in the mountains of western Toyama, formed from several old villages along the valleys that run up to the Gokayama border. It is farm country on steep slopes, with rice terraces, forest and small settlements, and it is the quieter half of the gassho village country.
- The villages here have houses with steep thatched roofs, built for heavy snow, and some are still lived in and farmed. The area is also known for its paper and its sericulture, and there are small museums and workshops that record the crafts.
- Nanto is close to Kanazawa and Toyama, which makes it a practical base for the Gokayama and Shirakawa-go area without the crowds of the busiest villages.
Top places and highlights
Gassho villages
Steep thatched houses built for snow, some still lived in and farmed.
Rice terraces
Fields on the slopes, with views up the valleys.
Craft workshops
Paper and sericulture workshops that record local traditions.
Mountain roads
Routes along the valleys towards Gokayama and the border.
Food and drink
- T
- o
- y
- a
- m
- a
- f
- o
- o
- d
- i
- s
- r
- i
- c
- e
- ,
- f
- i
- s
- h
- a
- n
- d
- m
- o
- u
- n
- t
- a
- i
- n
- v
- e
- g
- e
- t
- a
- b
- l
- e
- s
- ,
- w
- i
- t
- h
- s
- a
- k
- e
- a
- n
- d
- r
- i
- v
- e
- r
- f
- i
- s
- h
- .
- N
- a
- n
- t
- o
- h
- a
- s
- s
- m
- a
- l
- l
- r
- e
- s
- t
- a
- u
- r
- a
- n
- t
- s
- a
- n
- d
- f
- a
- r
- m
- s
- h
- o
- p
- s
- i
- n
- t
- h
- e
- v
- i
- l
- l
- a
- g
- e
- s
- ,
- a
- n
- d
- t
- h
- e
- t
- o
- w
- n
- s
- h
- a
- v
- e
- c
- a
- f
- é
- s
- n
- e
- a
- r
- t
- h
- e
- s
- t
- a
- t
- i
- o
- n
- s
- .
Getting there and around
- N
- a
- n
- t
- o
- i
- s
- o
- n
- t
- h
- e
- J
- R
- J
- o
- h
- a
- n
- a
- l
- i
- n
- e
- ,
- a
- r
- o
- u
- n
- d
- f
- o
- r
- t
- y
- m
- i
- n
- u
- t
- e
- s
- f
- r
- o
- m
- T
- a
- k
- a
- o
- k
- a
- ,
- a
- n
- d
- i
- s
- r
- e
- a
- c
- h
- e
- d
- b
- y
- r
- o
- a
- d
- o
- n
- r
- o
- u
- t
- e
- 1
- 5
- 6
- a
- n
- d
- t
- h
- e
- T
- o
- k
- a
- i
- –
- H
- o
- k
- u
- r
- i
- k
- u
- e
- x
- p
- r
- e
- s
- s
- w
- a
- y
- .
- A
- c
- a
- r
- i
- s
- t
- h
- e
- p
- r
- a
- c
- t
- i
- c
- a
- l
- w
- a
- y
- t
- o
- r
- e
- a
- c
- h
- t
- h
- e
- v
- i
- l
- l
- a
- g
- e
- s
- ,
- w
- h
- i
- c
- h
- a
- r
- e
- s
- p
- r
- e
- a
- d
- a
- l
- o
- n
- g
- t
- h
- e
- v
- a
- l
- l
- e
- y
- s
- .
Where to stay
- A
- c
- c
- o
- m
- m
- o
- d
- a
- t
- i
- o
- n
- i
- s
- m
- o
- s
- t
- l
- y
- s
- m
- a
- l
- l
- i
- n
- n
- s
- ,
- g
- u
- e
- s
- t
- h
- o
- u
- s
- e
- s
- a
- n
- d
- f
- a
- r
- m
- s
- t
- a
- y
- s
- ,
- w
- i
- t
- h
- m
- o
- r
- e
- c
- h
- o
- i
- c
- e
- i
- n
- T
- a
- k
- a
- o
- k
- a
- a
- n
- d
- K
- a
- n
- a
- z
- a
- w
- a
- .
- S
- o
- m
- e
- v
- i
- l
- l
- a
- g
- e
- s
- h
- a
- v
- e
- l
- i
- m
- i
- t
- e
- d
- l
- o
- d
- g
- i
- n
- g
- ,
- s
- o
- b
- o
- o
- k
- a
- h
- e
- a
- d
- .
Best time to visit
- S
- p
- r
- i
- n
- g
- i
- s
- g
- r
- e
- e
- n
- ,
- w
- i
- t
- h
- t
- h
- e
- t
- e
- r
- r
- a
- c
- e
- s
- f
- i
- l
- l
- i
- n
- g
- w
- i
- t
- h
- w
- a
- t
- e
- r
- .
- S
- u
- m
- m
- e
- r
- i
- s
- w
- a
- r
- m
- a
- n
- d
- h
- u
- m
- i
- d
- .
- A
- u
- t
- u
- m
- n
- i
- s
- t
- h
- e
- b
- e
- s
- t
- s
- e
- a
- s
- o
- n
- f
- o
- r
- c
- o
- l
- o
- u
- r
- .
- W
- i
- n
- t
- e
- r
- i
- s
- v
- e
- r
- y
- s
- n
- o
- w
- y
- ,
- w
- i
- t
- h
- s
- o
- m
- e
- r
- o
- a
- d
- s
- a
- n
- d
- v
- i
- l
- l
- a
- g
- e
- s
- a
- f
- f
- e
- c
- t
- e
- d
- .
Practical tips
- Some villages charge for parking; follow the signs.
- The villages are lived in; keep to the paths.
- Winter snow can close roads; check before driving.
Suggested day-trip outline
- Morning: train or drive from Takaoka.
- Late morning: a gassho village and its houses.
- Lunch: a village restaurant or farm shop.
- Afternoon: the terraces and a craft workshop.
- Late afternoon: a drive along the valley.
- Evening: dinner at the inn, or back to Takaoka.
Before you go
Timetables, fares, admission fees, and seasonal access rules can change. Check the official tourism and transport sites linked below for the latest information before you travel.
Explore More of Japan
Published guides that pair with this one:
- Kiso-Fukushima Travel Guide: A Nakasendo Post Town in Nagano
- Amaharashi Coast Travel Guide: Toyama Bay and the Tateyama Range
- Iida Travel Guide: Southern Shinshu on the Tenryu River
- Iiyama Travel Guide: Snow Country in Northern Nagano
- Myoko Travel Guide: Snow Country Hot Springs in Niigata
Browse every Chubu guide on this site for the rest of the region.
Sources
- city.nanto.toyama.jp (checked 2026-11-07)
- pref.toyama.jp (checked 2026-11-07)
Leave a Reply