Nanto (南砺) area is the southern-west area of Toyama prefecture. This area is considered as the heavy snowfalls area in Japan. The main feature of this area is its snow and Gassyo style Houses. Gokayama which is located southern Nanto remains many of Gassyo style houses. Gassyo Houses in Gokayama exist since Edo period and some of them are over 400 years old. WIth those important hitorical properties, Gokayama is registered the UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1995.