Shirakawa-go Gassho-zukuri Village

The Shirakawa-go Gassho-zukuri Village is a tourist spot in Shirakawa Village, Gifu Prefecture, where you can see Japan's traditional rural landscape. The village is filled with unique Gassho-zukuri houses, which have a distinct shape. These houses have a unique structure with a double-layered triangular roof and stone walls on top, making them suitable for living in snowy areas. As a place where you can experience Japan's traditional rural landscape, it is loved by many people.

Wada House is a national important cultural property and the largest thatched-roof house in the World Heritage site area. It is the only one designated as a national important cultural property. The Wada family has been in existence since 1573 (the first year of the Tensho era), and the head of the family has been called "Yaemon" for generations, serving as a village headman and a guardhouse official during the Edo period. It is said that the family prospered through the trade of saltpeter, which was an important source of income in Shirakawa-go. There is still a living space where residents live in Wada House, and only the first and second floors are open to visitors. One of the highlights is the "main entrance," which is a separate entrance from the one used by visitors and has a platform for welcoming high-ranking people. There is also a hearth that never goes out (subject to change depending on the situation, such as during the COVID-19 pandemic). If you climb the creaky stairs to the second floor, you can see displays of clothing and sericulture tools.

The Shirakawa-go Observatory offers views of the gassho-style houses and surrounding nature, with two observation decks: the large panoramic tower and the Ogimachi Castle ruins observation deck, which breathes the history of the Muromachi period. It's a popular view spot where you can enjoy the changing colors of the rice fields and mountains in each season, but the scenery of the village with autumn leaves or winter snow is particularly exceptional. It's located about a 15-minute walk up a hill from the parking lot, so for those who are anxious, it's convenient to use the shuttle bus that runs several times an hour. From the Shirakawa-go bus terminal, there is a shuttle bus stop for the observatory near the Wada house, about a 2-minute walk away.

The Jodo Shinshu temple "Meisenshi" in the village is located a little away from the main street of Shirakawa-go. It is an ancient temple founded in 1748, and the main hall, priest's quarters, and bell tower are all built in the unique style of "gassho-zukuri". The priest's quarters (the residence of the priest and his family) is now the Meisenshi Folk Museum and can be visited along with the main hall. In the main hall, you can see the barrier paintings by artist Hamada Taisuke, also found in Kyoto's To-ji Temple and Daigo-ji Temple. The bell tower with a thatched roof blends into the gassho-zukuri village and is a popular photo spot for tourists.

In Shirakawa-go, there are various restaurants where you can taste the local cuisine of the region. For example, at the restaurant "Gassho" adjacent to the Seseragi parking lot, in addition to local cuisine and Hida beef, there is a wide variety of menu items such as set meals made with home-grown rice "Hitomebore" and ancient black rice, as well as noodles such as soba, udon, and Chinese noodles, and sweets such as chestnut mochi zenzai and dango. At the coffee specialty shop "Bunka Kissa Kyoshu," you can enjoy the view of Shirakawa-go from the window, making it a relaxing spot where time flows slowly.

If you want to enjoy Shirakawa-go more deeply and intimately, it's recommended to hire a local tour guide. They can take you to places that are not normally accessible and show you hidden gems that only locals know about, such as people who actually live in the village or photographers who know Shirakawa-go inside and out. You can enjoy the deep Shirakawa-go that you can't find in guidebooks, and even brag to others about it!

The Shirakawa-go Gassho-style Village is also famous for its beautiful snowscapes. The sight of the Gassho-style houses covered in snow is like a painting. Especially on winter nights, the Gassho-style houses are lit up, creating a fantastic scene. In addition, the local cuisine made with local ingredients can be enjoyed at restaurants and cafes scattered throughout the Shirakawa-go area. Among them, the specialty dish of Shirakawa-go Hirase Onsen, "Suttate Nabe," is a soup made by adding miso and soy sauce to mashed soybeans using a mortar, and adding Hida beef, root vegetables, greens, and wood ear mushrooms. The nostalgic and profound taste warms up the body chilled from winter walks. Furthermore, activities such as snowshoeing can be enjoyed during times of heavy snow. Please enjoy the charm of Shirakawa-go unique to winter.