The picturesque village of Ogimachi in Shirakawa-go (Photo-essay)

Before I went on my most recent trip to Japan, several people asked me where I was planning to go to.  Seeing the blank looks of pretty much all of those non-Japanese folks who asked this question when I told them "Kanazawa", I figured I might as well not bother telling them that I also was planning a visit to Shirakawa-go -- for despite its shared UNESCO World Heritage listing with nearby Gokayama, this mountainous rural region is not one that many people have heard of.

At the same time though, I wouldn't say that Shirakawa-go -- or, at least, the very pictureseque village of Ogimachi -- is off the beaten tourist's track.  Indeed, as my bus rolled into the parking lot across the river from the gassho-style farmhouse-filled village, I was horrified to see what looked like a horde of visitors heading over the suspension bridge to my destination that day!

Fortunately, fears that I would find the entire village over-run by tourists proved to be unfounded.  Indeed, early on during my time in Ogimachi, I easily found myself in an area with more wildlife than people -- and was horror-struck to see a snake slithering over an unpaved trail that I was venturing along!  And no, I didn't manage to take a photo of the snake... but I did manage to calm down and proceed to take a lot of other photos that day!! ;b

After crossing the river and arriving at Ogimachi proper,

my first goal was to head to the view point --  something 

that it looked like many others had had the same idea to do!

On the other hand, I wouldn't be surprised if I were the only 

person who spotted this pair of copulating bugs on the side

of the trail leading up to that view point! ;b

Even if the hike up to the view point had been four times

as long or difficult as it was, it still would have been 

worth it to be able to come across a sight like this

A more close-up shot, courtesy of my camera's zoom lens,

with Wada-ke in the foreground and Nagase-ke (with the 

large trees in front of it) further in the distance

Down in the village, I spotted workers working on 

one of the gassho houses' thatched roof

 On the upper floors of Wada-ke, one can see how ropes, rather 

than nails, are used to hold together various beams and pillars 

-- but most visitors are more interested in the views from them

Then you've got Puppet Ponyo, who's happy to 

pretend to be part of the items on exhibit 

on the upper floors at Nagase-ke! :D

 On the same side of the river as the bus stop is 

an open air museum I found less interesting than Ogimachi 

proper -- but still had some photogenic spots of its own