Located deep in the mountains of northern Gifu and Toyama prefectures, the Shirakawa-go and Gokayama districts were cut off from the rest of Japanese society because of their extremely isolated location in remote mountain valleys, and as such developed a very unique culture and lifestyle different from any other area of Japan.
The farmhouses were built 200 to 300 years ago to suit the environment in Shirakawa. The steep angle of the roof prevents excessive build-up of snow in the winter, while the direction of the structures aid in keeping the rooms cool in the summer and warm in the winter. The village, which was designated a UNESCO World Cultural Heritage site in 1995, is still an active community and many of the farmhouses operates as “Minshiku” or inns accepting guests.

The Shirakawago area includes the Ogimachi district, and the Gokayama area is home to the Ainokura and Suganuma districts. Both areas are famous for a type of house with steeply pitched thatched roofs meant to handle heavy snowfall. The farm houses are built in an architecture style called “Gassho-zukuri” (in Japanese). Gassho means praying hands, suggesting the form of hands raised in prayer to the Buddha. Here it refers to the triangular shape of the roof. The massive construction is required for the houses to withstand the large amounts of snow falling in the region during winter.

Located in a mountainous region that was cut off from the rest of the world for a long period of time, these villages with their Gassho-style houses subsisted on the cultivation of mulberry trees and the rearing of silkworms. The large houses with their steeply pitched thatched roofs are the only examples of their kind in Japan. Despite economic upheavals, the villages of Ogimachi, Ainokura and Suganuma are outstanding examples of a traditional way of life perfectly adapted to the environment and people’s social and economic circumstances.

The houses in the villages in the valley are unique to Japan. They are very big, and have thick thatched roofs that come down steeply. This way the snow can slide off the roofs. There is also enough space under the roofs to store supplies for long winters. The inhabitants of these villages used to earn their money in the silk-industry. They lived a very secluded life.

The Shirakawago area has more than 100 gassho-style houses with about 600 people in 150 households living in the area. There are many souvenir shops in the area, and it has become a significant tourist spot. There are many museums to visit and many facilities to experience traditional industrial arts like dying and weaving amidst the scene of rich seasonal coloring. Shirakawago is similar to Hida No Sato in that there are a collection of authentic traditional buildings, but the difference is that they’re all lived in and the whole place is a combination of working village and tourist attraction.