Avoid the tourists at Shirakawa-go

You may have heard about the traditional village of Shirakawa-go near Kanazawa. If you have a chance, I highly recommend an overnight stay. The town transforms from a crowded tourist destination during the day, into a serene and peaceful mountain town once the tourists leave after 5pm. The night time stroll through the town is serene. Being a bit cooler in the mountains, we were lucky enough to experience the town in full Sakura bloom. Our family of 4 loved our stay last night at a place called Yokichi. The owners are very welcoming into their home and they went to a lot of effort to make our stay comfortable. Traditional Dinner and Breakfast meals were provided. The food was delicious and plentiful. Sleeping is Japanese style, on tatami mats and comfortable futon mattresses. The rooms and beds are warm and cosy, even when it was cool outside. The hot bath was a very welcome relief from the days of walking. Shirakawa-go is our favourite part of our Japan holiday. We will remember this forever.