Ogimachi Village in Shirakawa-go

A German architect Bruno Taut (1880-1938), who visited Shirakawa-go (白川郷) in 1935, developed a high respect for the ancient form of living and architecture, praising “This scenery is not typically Japanese. At the very least, it is not the kind of scenery I have ever seen before.”
Ogimachi (荻町) village in Shirakawa-go, Gifu Prefecture (岐阜県) and neighboring Ainokura (相倉) village and Suganuma (菅沼) village in Gokayama (五箇山), Toyama Prefecture (富山県) are now designated as UNESCO World Heritage Sites. You probably already know that these villages boast enchanting, unrivalled scenery featuring gasshozukuri farmhouses. So we’ll tell you about what your guidebook won’t; the action-packed access road to the World Heritage Sites.
Although there are several roads from Kanazawa, we recommend Hakusan Super Rindo toll road (白山スーパー林道), a woodland path on Mt. Hakusan (白山). Standing on the boundary between Ishikawa and Gifu, Mount Hakusan has been known as one of Japan’s “Three Sacred Mountains” along with Mt. Fuji (富士山) and Mt. Tateyama (立山) since ancient times.
Hakusan Super Rindo is about 60 minutes from Kanazawa via Route 157. By the time you reach Chugu (中宮) toll gate through the highland hot spring resort Ichirino Kogen (一里野高原), you will have already enjoyed mountain scenery, but there’s more to come. Connecting Ishikawa with Gifu, this well-maintained 33.3-kilometer (20.7-mile) toll road offers sweeping views of Mt. Hakusan (白山), a vast virgin beech forest, magnificent waterfalls, walking trails and even open-air hot springs. We recommend you to buy some food and drink in Ichirino Kogen, as there are no shops along the toll road.
About 90 minutes of breathtaking driving takes you to Shirakawa-go. Ogimachi village is 8 kilometers (5 mile) from Magari (馬狩) toll gate, where you can get a glimpse of the region’s unique culture and the lives of the locals, admiring enchanting, fairy-tale scenery. From Ogimachi, Suganuma (菅沼) in Gokayama is about 30 mins along Route 156, and another 15 minute drive takes you to Ainokura (相倉). These three villages differ in size; Ogimachi is the largest of the three with 59 gasshozukuri houses, while Suganuma and Ainokura are smaller, lesser-touristy than Ogimachi with 9 and 20 gasshozukuri houses respectively. In addition, you’ll find other lovely villages along Route 156. Access to those mountainous regions was once extremely difficult, but these days you can get around easily by vehicle. Although Shirakawa-go and Gokayama can be accessed by bus from Kanazawa, having a car allows you to travel village to village at your own pace.
When you drive back to Kanazawa, you can take Route 156 north and Route 304 northwest that lead directly to the city center.
Thanks to the Tokai Hokuriku Expressway (東海北陸自動車道), you can make a day trip of the Hida (飛騨) region, encompassing Takayama (高山) and Hida Furukawa (飛騨古川). However this region lends itself to a few days of traveling.