Places noted in connection with Toyama literature
12. Gokayama
Masaji Iwakura, Ryōtarō Shiba
Known for its UNESCO World Heritage traditional Gassho-style houses, the village of Gokayama maintains traditional culture from the good old days of Japan. In his travelogue Kaidō wo Yuku, Ryōtarō Shiba accurately recorded the history of this village and the Murakami Family Residence with its steeply pitched thatch roof, while Masaji Iwakura depicted in his novel Gyōja Dōshū the life of Dōshū Akao, the religious figure who formed the nucleus of spiritual culture in Gokayama.
Reportedly founded by Dōshū, Gyōtokuji Temple maintains a Dōshū Memorial Hall, where treasures related to Dōshū are on display along with folk craft items associated with Muneyoshi Yanagi and Shikō Munakata.
