Name: Minshuku Yomoshirou
Address: 939-1915 Toyama, Nanto, Ainokura 395, Japan, Tonami, Tonami, Tonami, 939-1915, Japan
Rating: 10

Smoke-free property

General

Non-smoking rooms

Rooms

Free Wi-Fi

Internet

Hiking

Recreation

Free parking

Parking

Pets Not Allowed

Pets

Location

At the hotel

Toyama Airport

Komatsu Airport

Minshuku Yomoshirou

Tonami

We stayed here for 1 night during Golden Week and enjoyed it very much.

We got the chance to discuss at length with the host and owner, and his wife, while eating their delicious cooked dinner (including local carp fish sashimi!)

We learned a lot about the town, its history, its challenges and also enjoyed the setting itself. The room had a good size.

Please, mind you, you are sleeping in a family house. You will have rolling thin doors, etc.

Great option, intimate, allows you to engage with a true local

After reading about Ainokura in Lonely Planet we decided to rent a car in Kanazawa and drive to see the gassho (thatch) roofed old traditional houses. It was our first trip to Japan so we were a bit apprehensive. We rented the car from a Toyota rental company near the Kanazawa station. We could speak only 3 or 4 words of Japanese but it was not a problem and the Japanese GPS system they gave us was excellent. We easily found Yomoshiro (Minshuku) in Ainokura and it was certainly one of the highlights of our trip. This was especially because of the warmth of the hosts. Their smiling faces, energy, enthusiasm, huge attempt to speak to us in English, patience in trying to teach us to play the musical instruments, provision of beautifully presented and most delicious food, were all most memorable and appreciated. We visited on March 4th and there was little snow, but very early next morning the owner excitedly greeted me with the news that there had been a light snowfall the previous night. What a difference it made. The roofs, fields and mountains were white and beautiful.
To deal with the cold, the owner provided us with a boiling hot brick or stone bundled up in a blanket to use as a hot water bottle. It remained boiling hot the whole night in our beds so the cold was not a problem. On the other hand, we are an older couple and it was our first stay in a Minshuku so it took a little bit of getting used to communal toilets and sinks quite far from our room. The hardest was that we had to open 3 sets of sliding doors to get to the washrooms: Our room led into a central large kind of square hallway, then into a large eating, communal room, and then into the entrance area. We also had to remember to take off the slippers provided to us and only walk in socks when the rooms had tatami mats. It took a bit of getting used to but it was a small price to pay for such an authentic experience. I also enjoyed the Folklore museum just a few minutes’ from Yomoshiro. I was the only one there (as it was not only winter but the time of Corona virus) and I asked the woman who was in charge, about one of the musical instruments. She then picked it up and played it for me, dancing and singing as she played. What a happy, warm, kind and welcoming village!

Most authentic - a highlight of our trip to Japan

My husband & I loved the chance to experience traditional Japanese village life and stay in a Gassho zukuri  style (thatched roof) farmhouse.  Our host, Kunihiro-san, had a lovable, enthusiastic style with long streams of Japanese with just enough English words mixed in to understand.  His wife was very welcoming and helpful. There were 6 of us staying that night and, after dinner, he had us all playing traditional rhythm type instruments he taught us how to play.  He cooked the fish (char) we were served on the living/dining room irori (firepit) traditional in houses and the fire provided a cozy atmosphere in the cool evening .  The kaiseki dinner was beautifully arranged and delicious and included fish and mountain vegetables foraged from the surrounding forests.  After dinner and playing instruments, we saw a video on the preservation of the Gassho zukuri houses in which he was interviewed. This made us understand that Kunihiro-san is a leader in preserving the culture of this region.  It really makes a difference to stay overnight in the village vs a day trip.  A highly recommended experience!

A traditional thatched roof guesthouse/home owned by a delightful Japanese couple

We visited Yomoshiro for a night. It is located directly within the Ainokura village (parking space is in front of the house). A Latin-letter sign Yomoshiro indicates the place for those like us who can not read Japanese Kanji.
The house has a shower bathroom, two basins / sinks in the entrance hall and a restroom. Further within the house are the main living room featuring a fireplace and several guest rooms. All living and guest rooms are covered with tatami mats. Make sure to take off your shoes before you enter the house and slip of the slippers you get instead before you come into the living quarters. We got a warm welcome from the owner who is speaking sufficient English to explain a lot about the house, village and the food. Dinner was served with other guests around the irori (fireplace / hearth) and consisted of many different local vegetables and fish, all beautifully arranged and very tasty. Afterwards, the owner explained a lot about gassho houses, the types of fish and vegetables that were served and some information about local dance and instruments.
You also could choose from different drinks which have to be paid in addition while dinner and breakfast is included. Sleeping is on mattresses on the floor according to Japanese custom, so you get an original experience. Breakfast was also a range of different vegetables, egg and miso soup, served with rice. 
We felt extremely welcome and had an experience we will not forget soon. In my opinion, this is a much more genuine experience than just visiting gassho-zukuri villages like Shirakawa-go where you usually just see the exterior of the houses. Highly recommended.

World Heritage Gassho House Experience including delicious food

My husband & I loved the chance to experience traditional Japanese village life in a Gassho zukkuri farmhouse. Our host family were most friendly, polite & welcoming. Markato spoke reasonable English.He prepared some beautiful bedwarmers for us.Though it was winter, we found it toasty warm inside.We enjoyed meeting the other guests who stayed there .

Food was fantastic-all those many tiny dishes were served on individual low tables on the tatami in the lounge. Kunihiro taught us in Japanese, the names & origins of the food whilst we ate. On request, he demonstrated a couple of musical instruments.His wife Noriko was helpful and charming.

We found the Folklore museum in Ainokura very interesting. The village covered in snow was most scenic.The shop & cafe has a range of lovely, tasteful souvenirs.

A highlight of our Japan trip

Our first stop in this trip to Japan was at Yomoshiro, Although a little hard to find when walking from the bus stop, people in town were very helpful. It was a delight to get to know a little of a Japanese family when staying in a house like this. The food was delicious and the rooms were traditional style. You can hear through the walls, but that is part of a traditional stay. We were so tired of walking around the area that we fell asleep after those nice dinners and baths without a problem.
They were very helpful with suggestions of places to visit and even drove us to the bus stop on the last day because it was snowing and we had a 4 bags.

Warm family running this place

Located in the middle of the World Heritage Ainokura village, the house is 250 years old, atmospheric and well-maintained. It's reasonably comfortable, and the hosts do their best to make you feel welcome. There's WiFi, which works well, but the heating could be improved. Note that the hosts speak no English. 
The weak point is the food. Neither dinner nor breakfast were particularly appetizing, but then again, it's traditional countryside fare. (There's nowhere else to eat, so the price includes breakfast and dinner.)
All in all, I'm happy to recommend Yomoshiro, provided you are a Japanese speaker and don't have high culinary expectations.

Helpful hosts and a well-kept traditional house

This century-old house is owned by a lovely little family that sits in four for the visitors. During the meal (composed partly of garden vegetables), the father tapes it into the conversation with the guests to tell them about the history of the house and the village.

A wonderful surprise

Traditional accommodation in a family, another way of seeing Japan. The owners are very welcoming, explanations, demonstration of musical instruments, a kind word for each guest, friendliness: the night we were there there were two Japanese, one Italian, two Dutch and two French (we!), Japanese meals with an abundance of dishes.

Excellent welcome, friendly, to recommend!

The couple who run this guest house are here to show you their life in this place, which is sometimes very rough in winter, but which is so traditional Japan! We really enjoyed this experience: living in a Japanese family in the heart of the mountains with exceptional hospitality.

Minshuku Yomoshirou

Main amenities of the hotel

Location

Available rooms

Location

Description of the hotel

What other amenities are there?

Policies

Check-in terms and conditions

Additional information

Payment