Nanto City

Nanto (南砺市, Nanto-shi) is a city in Toyama Prefecture, Japan. It is in a mountainous area in the south-west corner of the prefecture just north of Gifu Prefecture. It is home to the Gokayama UNESCO World Heritage site. As of 28 February 2018, the city had an estimated population of 51,669 in 17,761 households and a population density of 75.8 persons per km². Its total area is 668.64 square kilometres. The area of present-day Nanto was part of ancient Etchū Province. The modern city of Nanto was established on 1 November 2004, from the merger of the towns of Fukuno, Inami and Jōhana, the villages of Inokuchi, Kamitaira, Taira and Toga (all from Higashitonami District), and the town of Fukumitsu (from Nishitonami District). Gokayama is an area in Nanto that is a part of the UNESCO World Heritage List thanks to its traditional gassho built houses, which preserve a traditional architectural style that has a steep steeple shape to cope with the 2 to 3 metres of snow buildup the area gets in the winter. The village holds considerable history with some of the structures being dated back to the Nara Period (710 C.E.). Activities in the area include participating in weaving and dying fabrics as well as making buckwheat (soba) noodles.