Shirakawa-go is UNESCO World Heritage Site and is best known for their Gassho style houses.
In 1995, the Historic Villages of Shirakawa-Go and
Gokayama were inscribed in the World Heritage as a
cultural site in Japan. Located in the mountainous
regions of the Gifu and Toyama prefectures resides these
villages with Gassho-styled houses. The best examples
of these houses are in Ogimachi, Ainokura and
Suganuma. Some of the farmhouses that reside in these
areas are over 250 years old.
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. These Historic villages of Shirakawa-Go and
Gokayama are a representation of a traditional way of life
that has adapted to their area.
The Historic Villages of Shirakawa-Go and Gokayama
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.
