María Alba
The river that runs through Shirakawago
The river Shokawa gives its name to the valley where the historic villages of Shirakawa-go and Gokayama, including the World Heritage site Ogimachi with its 59 gassho zukuri houses, settled. That day I got up early and went to the little Nodaniya garden, where I was staying and without taking off the yukata, Japanese pyjamas, I went for a walk around. One of the most amazing panoramic views that I enjoyed that morning was the Shokawa River with some of the traditional Japanese houses in the background. The name of this river coincides with that of a genus of small dinosaur fossils they found in this area.
Now there are no more dinosaurs, but if you like to fish, its a popular destination for trout. You can also find many frogs in their ponds nearby that provide the area's nightlife soundtrack.
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