The gassho house that we stayed in had just enough modern convenience to make it comfortable but still holding on to the sense of being an authentic centuries-old living environment.
The house we stayed in (not the one next to the beautiful blossoming tree in the picture, but exactly the same sort of house) was one of several in a group of similar houses of various sizes next to a large convention centre and some new bridge construction. The proximity to these very large new structures undermined the experience somewhat, but we still had a brilliant time and our host Akira was always available to help and brought superb breakfasts and dinners to our house each day.