The title of this WHS could be a little misleading at first glance, as Shirakawa-go and Gokoyama denote the regions, the names of the three inscribed villages are Ogimachi, Suganuma, and Ainokura. For the largest village, Ogimachi and Shirakawa-go seem to be used synonymously, probably because it is the most popular tourist attraction in the region.
When I was planning the itinerary for my trip to Japan in September 2019, one of my first decisions was to stay a night in one of the traditional Gasshō-style houses. I actually wanted to book an accommodation in Ogimachi, but it ended in one night in Ainokura.

The three WHS villages are located in the narrow valley of the Shōgawa River, once a remote area, today fully developed for tourism and accessible by bus or car. I arrived in Ainokura in the afternoon by bus from Takaoka. Ainokura (photo) is the northernmost of the three villages, about 20 of the Gasshō-zukuri houses have been preserved there. It is a picturesque location: the thatched houses between small rice fields, surrounded by forests and high mountains. However, this applies to all of the inscribed villages.
Gasshō means "hands folded in prayer" and alludes to the steep roof, which makes the snow easier to slip off and the construction better withstands the harsh weather in winter. This roof construction also has other advantages: it provides a lot of space in the attic. The Gasshō houses usually have three or four floors, the residents lived and worked on the lower floors, the attic was used to raise silkworms. The heat rose from an open fire pit on the first floor up to the roof, keeping the silkworms and their cocoons warm. The Yusuke House is open to the public, it shows an exhibition on sericulture, and you can see the historic interior and the roof construction of a traditional farm house. No nails are used for the roof, the massive beams are only tied together with ropes and secured with wooden pins.
Ainokura has an authentic atmosphere. Most of the Gasshō houses seem to be inhabited, and there are only a few modern additions. I really enjoyed my visit to Ainokura, the stay at Goyoma Guest House and the delicious meals there.

The next morning, I continued to Ogimachi with a stopover in Suganuma. An hour to the next bus was enough time to explore the smallest of the three villages. It is beautifully located in the middle of a river bend, surrounded by rice fields. Suganuma has only nine traditional houses, but each of which is a shop, a café or a museum.

Finally, Ogimachi, the largest of the three villages and by far the most popular. There are about 60 Gasshō houses in Ogimachi, but also many modern buildings, especially along the main street with many shops and restaurants. Some of the traditional houses are open to visitors. I would recommend the Nagase House, with five floors it is the largest Gasshō in Ogimachi. A must-do is to walk to the viewpoint at the former location of the Ogimachi castle, from there you have a wonderful panoramic view of the village.

Stay in a Gasshō house
I booked my accommodation via Japanese Guest Houses. There are other platforms, e.g. the Shirakawa-go Tourist Association. Some of the ryokans have their own website, but mostly only in Japanese. I actually planned to stay in Ogimachi, but in September they did not accept single bookings. Instead, JGH offered me a stay in Ainokura and I chose the Goyomon Ryokan. A good choice. Goyomon has three traditional-style guest rooms, I paid 9200 Yen, dinner and breakfast were included.

Getting there and getting around
Most visitors take the highway bus from Takayama or Kanazawa to Shirakawa-go. However, I had to go to Ainokura in the north of the Shōgawa Valley, so I chose the route via Takaoka. And that turned out to be very convenient. Trains from Kyoto to Takaoka are covered with the JR Pass. A bus line of the Kaetsuno Company connects Shin-Takaoka with all three WHS locations. The line is called World Heritage Bus, rightly so. You can buy tickets from the bus driver or from the tourist information in the train station, pre-booking is not necessary. It tooks one hour from Shin-Takaoka to Ainokura, and 50 minutes from Ainokura to Ogimachi.