Ainokura Village is situated between Toyama and Gifu prefectures. It is believed that fleeing Heike warriors settled here in the past. Back then, there were about 30 private houses and about 80 people lived here.

Gassho houses, featuring steep, high-thatched roofs, are typical of areas with very heavy snowfall, such as Shirakawa-Go and Gokayama. The space under the vast roofs is ideal for raising silkworks. When rice was not being grown or harvested, the people traditionally used the top floor of these houses for sericulture, smoke-curing, or paper production as further means to make a living.

Most of today's houses date back to the Edo and Meiji periods. The earliest one was built in the 17th century. The beech trees covering the mountainsides, the ricefields and stone walls around the village make a magnificent scene.

Gokayama was designated a National Cultural Asset in 1994 and in 1995 was chosen as a World Heritage Site.