Shirakawa-go in Gifu: The village lost in time

The Shirakawa-go (白川郷) and neighboring Gokayama (五箇山) regions line the Shogawa River Valley in the remote mountains that span from Gifu to Toyama Prefectures. Declared a UNESCO world heritage site in 1995, they are famous for their traditional gassho-zukuri farmhouses, some of which are more than 250 years old. Gassho-zukuri means “constructed like hands in prayer”, as the farmhouses’ steep thatched roofs resemble the hands of Buddhist monks pressed together in prayer. The architectural style developed over many generations and is designed to withstand the large amounts of heavy snowthat falls in the region during winter. The roofs, made without nails, provided a large attic space used for cultivating silkworms. Shirakawa-go Site: Shirakawa Village Parking: ¥ 500 Location in Google Maps, see here Check out some images taken by Portal Mie’s team: Share this:TweetEmail

November 16, 2015

The Shirakawa-go (白川郷) and neighboring Gokayama (五箇山) regions line the Shogawa River Valley in the remote mountains that span from Gifu to Toyama Prefectures.

Declared a UNESCO world heritage site in 1995, they are famous for their traditional gassho-zukuri farmhouses, some of which are more than 250 years old.

Gassho-zukuri means “constructed like hands in prayer”, as the farmhouses’ steep thatched roofs resemble the hands of Buddhist monks pressed together in prayer.

The architectural style developed over many generations and is designed to withstand the large amounts of heavy snowthat falls in the region during winter. The roofs, made without nails, provided a large attic space used for cultivating silkworms.