Nakaya Thatched-Roof Guesthouse — Hotel in Nanto

My wife and I were there for 2 nights in early April. Having been to Japan several times but always stayed in/near Tokyo area, I wanted to get away from the city scenes of Tokyo to somewhere quiet. Before going to Ainokura, we stopped by at Shirakawa-go and Takayama and were aghast at how over-run they were with tourists and became a little wary that it'd be the same in Ainokura. But, when we got there, we were pleasantly surprised at how peaceful and beautiful the village was. There were some tourist groups that came through in the morning the next day but they were few in number. Nakaya, in particular, was the farthest away from the entrance and parking lot of the village. So, we were not disturbed by them at all. The room we were at, a traditional tadami-style room, was clean and large--could easily sleep 4 - 6 adults. As others have mentioned, food was first-class--dinner and breakfast were comprised of many different dishes made with fish (sashimi and fish roasted on the hearth in the middle of the common room) and mountain vegetables as well as soup, salad, dessert, etc. For the dinner second night, hosts prepared different dishes, including a dish made with Hida beef, a special beef of the region. Another thing I was a bit wary about, before going there, were the fact that bathroom facility was shared among the guests and how clean it was going to be since it's the country-side after all. But because there are only 3 rooms in the house, there weren't that many guests (6 people total each night) to share it with. Toilets were super clean and hi-tech like elsewhere in Japan. Bath and sink areas were separated and we didn't experience any trouble using the facilities. In fact, we didn't run into anybody while we were using the bath/sink/toilet and were able to use them in leisure. The hosts were constantly and unobtrusively going around making sure our futons were made (there were even electric warmer inside the futons -- because it in the mountains in the middle of the "snow country" it was cold, even went below freezing at night), kerosene heaters were topped off, water-heater for tea or coffee was full, etc. I felt like I was at a country-side home, not a guest at a hotel. It even had a high-tech massage chair, to boot. We were so enchanted by the place that on the second day, we decided to stay around and do nothing in particular. We strolled around the village, went up to the vista point, took some pictures, had lunch at the village gift-shop, came back to the lodge and relaxed in the massage chair, took naps, etc. It was truly a memorable experience. I couldn't recommend Ainokura and...

I (solo female traveler) stayed here a night in late November on the recommendation of a friend, who'd been here before. I was looking for a place away from the crowds of Kyoto and Osaka, and found it in Ainokura and Nakaya. I took the Nohi bus from the Kanazawa train station and arrived the late afternoon as the tour groups were leaving, when the village was wonderfully quiet. After awhile I was practically the only one out.||||My room was spacious and there was a space heater in it, so no worries about being cold. The dinner and breakfast spreads were great - the local fish grilled by the iron hearth was delicious, as were all the mountain vegetables we were served. Toiletries are provided, and there's free wifi despite it being located in the middle of the mountains.||||I speak very little Japanese (but can understand basic phrases) but it wasn't an issue - the owners speak a little English, enough to communicate the basics such as dinnertime, bus timings, and destinations.||||As for the village, I saw two shops selling local souvenirs (one had a vending machine, these things are everywhere). I didn't wake up early enough to walk around the village in the morning before the tour buses arrived, but can imagine it'd be enjoyable. It was also raining so I didn't get a chance to walk up to the Ainokura lookout before it got dark, but I've heard it's nice there.||||Highly recommend it to anyone looking for an...

We had the privileg to stay 1N at Nakaya Inn at Anoikura Village, Gokayama. This is one of the oldest, yet extremely well maintained gassho houses.||We had rented a car. It is around 35 mins drive from Kanazawa or 30 mins from Shirakawa go.||The owners of Nakaya gave very prompt replies to our email enquiries. Upon check in, the owner led us to a huge 18 tatami mat room, and served us with hot green tea and a local snack.||The owners are a very friendly, warm and generous couple, who spared no efforts in making guests feel welcome. They provide multiple types of shower foam / shampoo / hand wash / bath towels, etc.|Though they speak little English, there was no issue in communication. ||Nakaya Inn provided a very sumptous dinner comprising of sashimj, freshly grilled river fish (at the hearth in the centre of the dining room), tempura, hand made tofu, mountain vegetables, salad ,miso soup, etc. We could hardly finish the sumptuous spread. ||There is a tea / coffee / water corner, where guests could help themselves to the drinks. The dining tables and chairs are raised, which makes dining much more comfortable than sitting on the floor.||The futon / blankets / pillows cover were all washed clean after each guest's use, as we saw the lady owner busy with the laundry as we came. ||All in all, we are very glad to stay at Nakaya Inn and we would rate it the best choice...