Nestled in a valley of the Japanese Alps, the Village of Shirakawago seems straight out of an enchanted tale. Wooden houses with steep thatched roofs, surrounded by rice fields and colorful flowers. A historic village declared a UNESCO World Heritage site, along with the nearby village of Gokayama, and one of the most well-known and loved destinations in the Japanese Alps.
In reality, much of this fairytale village was constructed by bringing gassho-zukuri houses scattered among the mountains of Gifu Prefecture here, creating a sort of open-air museum where visitors can rediscover the hard life of mountain farmers who once faced the arduous life of this region of Japan.
The unique shape of the pointed gassho-zukuri roofs was designed to withstand the region’s winters, which still, despite the general increase in temperatures, cover the region with a thick blanket of snow, making the atmosphere even more magical.
Sure, once life in these mountains was far from a fairy tale: farmers remained isolated for long periods, living in extended families in these wooden and thatched houses, raising silkworms in the large under roof. With the advent of modernity, more and more people moved to cities, abandoning most of the gassho houses, fueling the serious problem of rural depopulation that affects many areas of Japan, especially the most remote ones like the Iya Valley.
But thanks to an excellent project and enormous rescue work, the rural traditions of the area have been saved, giving life to what is now the famous village of Shirakawago, now inhabited by just under 2,000 people but visited by over two million visitors a year, who come here to discover a traditional Japan far from the modern cities of the Land of the Rising Sun.
Visiting Shirakawago
Visiting Shirakawago means visiting the village of Ogimachi, and generally, half a day is sufficient to stroll among the over 100 gassho-zukuri, and take photos at iconic spots like the elevated observatory or the “three houses” on the other side of the village.
Many gassho-zukuri are still inhabited today, while others have been converted into souvenir and local craft shops or small restaurants where you can taste traditional dishes like hoba miso: meat and vegetables with miso grilled on a large leaf or gohei mochi: a sort of miso dumplings served with a thick soy or miso sauce.
Some gassho-zukuri are open to the public, where visitors can admire the original style, such as the Wada residence, the largest house in the district, which belonged to the wealthiest family in the village. Across the river, you can also visit the Gasshozukuri Minkaen Open-Air Museum, where 26 gassho-zukuri from the surrounding mountains have been transported and reconstructed to keep the tradition alive and tell the area’s rural culture. The museum often organizes workshops and demonstrations of various traditional crafts like silk weaving or soba production, and of course, you can participate (there are usually English instructions).
Shirakawago is undoubtedly beautiful in every season, but with snow and winter illuminations, it must be even more spectacular. During that period, you can’t get there by private car, but only by organized buses with limited seats to avoid overcrowding.
Rules to Follow
In Japan, unwritten rules and good manners are very important to ensure the renowned atmosphere that pervades Japan and because it is thanks to respecting these rules that we remain so enchanted by Japanese efficiency and hospitality. I have already given advice on how to behave in Japan in the dedicated article, but I would like to further emphasize some rules to follow when visiting a small village like Shirakawago, built almost entirely of wood and straw, where tourist impact can have enormous consequences if not regulated. These rules are indeed promoted by the local Tourism Board, and I strongly encourage everyone to read and respect them!
- Do not enter private properties to take photos or for other purposes.
- The use of DRONES is prohibited.
- Shirakawa is a mountain village; there are insects, do not be frightened and respect them: insects are also residents.
- Pay before opening and consuming food or drinks in stores.
- SMOKE ONLY IN DESIGNATED AREAS and be careful where you dispose of cigarette butts to avoid starting fires.
- Do not “assault people” with photos, especially children, who will likely greet you as they have been taught. Do not be intrusive.
- Do not leave trash around but take it home: there are no trash bins around Shirakawa, and food waste should be taken back to where you bought it.
- Do not pick flowers from gardens; they are private property (there are no fences or boundaries between houses in the village).
How to Get There
Shirakawago is located in the mountains of Gifu Prefecture, but it is easily accessible by an hour bus ride from the equally recommended Kanazawa. Buses must be booked in advance from this website; sales open 30 days before, and I strongly advise booking early to avoid not finding available seats.
You can visit it in half a day and then return to Kanazawa or continue by bus to Takayama, a famous alpine town known for its festivals, though I feel I should advise against it because in recent years it suffers greatly from overcrowding and is not very convenient in terms of connections to other stops on a trip to Japan.
Gokayama: The Less Crowded Alternative to Shirakawago
Also a UNESCO World Heritage site and also with gassho-zukuri houses, Gokayama is a village in Toyama Prefecture, in the nearby valley. Even more remote and isolated than Shirakawago, here, music, dances, and folk traditions like kokiriko are still alive, and the two villages of Ainokura and Suganuma are small paintings with thatched-roof houses and small rice fields surrounded by green mountains.
To visit the area, it is recommended to rent a car to reduce travel times, but there are also some buses that connect them to each other and to Shirakawago, with more frequent services from the Toyama area.
If Shirakawa and Gokayama have fascinated you and you would like to include one (or even both, perhaps staying overnight in a gassho-zukuri) in your next trip to Japan, I will be more than happy to include it in your personalized itinerary or help you with a consultation; just send the request from the dedicated page.
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