The village in Shirakawago is known for the
traditional Gassho-style that looks like two hands are
praying, which is why they are called the "gassho-
zukuri”. This means that it looks like the structure is
made of two hands praying. After generations, the
villagers in this snow-prone area have developed
protection against heavy snowfall with the “gassho-
zukuri”. Now, visitors come from within the nation and
from abroad to see the admirable structures.
In 1995, the Historic Village of Shirakawa-Go was
inscribed in the World Heritage as a cultural site in
Japan. Located in the mountainous regions of the
Gifu
and Toyama prefectures resides this village with
Gassho-styled houses. The best examples of these
houses are in Ogimachi. Some of the farmhouses
that
reside in this area are over 250 years old. In the
winter
time these farmhouses are illuminated on certain
weekends. The best spot to view the village is from
the
Shiroyama viewpoint near the Shogawa River.
The Gassho architectural design refers to the way a
person puts their hands together with the palms
facing
inward almost like a prayer. The thatched roofs, made
without nails, were meant to survive heavy snow fall
and
provide enough space to work through the winter.
The
abundant attic space allowed the villagers to cultivate
silkworms. Shirakawago represents a traditional way
of
life that has adapted to their area. Shirakawago
illustrate
the traditional ways of human settlement and how
these
complex farmhouses attested to time. Even though
there were drastic changes from 1950, the area
around
the Gassho-style farmhouses made no significant
change to the structure of roads, canals, and land
use.
To this day visitors have the opportunity to stay
overnight in one of the Gassho styled farmhouses.
Please see below for tours that
include Shirakawago:
