Ketto Hamlet (Traditional Village)

Ketto Hamlet in Tsunan, southeastern Niigata Prefecture, preserves thatched-roof farmhouses and stone-walled terraces in a remote mountain valley that modern development has largely left alone. Rice paddies cut into steep hillsides and clear streams running between the houses give a clear picture of the rural mountain life that once defined much of inland Japan. The surrounding landscape shifts beautifully through the seasons: deep snow in winter, lush green terraces in summer, and fiery autumn foliage reflected in the Nakatsu River. The isolation is part of the point, and the quiet trails through the hamlet and into the surrounding forest reward the effort of getting here.