Shirakawa-go

Shirakawa-go (白川郷), located in the northern part of Gifu Prefecture, is famous for its unique Gassho-style (Gassho-zukuri 合掌造り) houses. In 1995, the Gassho-style settlements of Shirakawa-go and Gokayama (五箇山) were inscribed on the World Heritage List.

Ogimachi Gassho-Style Settlement

The Shogawa River runs from south to north through Ogimachi (荻町), Shirakawa-go. There are more than a hundred Gassho-style houses on both sides of the river. Over the centuries, these Gassho-style houses have accompanied their owners for days and nights, recording everything that happened here, waiting for us to discover.

Shirakawa Gassho Style Village

More than 100 Gasshozukuri

Shirakawa-go is the home of the Japanese Gasshozukuri, a steep-roofed farmhouse with a unique style, including the gasshozukuri community in Ogimachi. On both sides of the Shokawa River, there are more than a hundred gasshozukuri houses, which are a record of the lives of the local people over the centuries.

Gassho-zukuri Minkaen

A Gasshozukuri Ecosphere

The Gassho-zukuri Minkaen, also known as the Shirakawa-go Outdoor Museum, consists of 26 historical buildings that have been moved from various parts of Shirakawa-go. These buildings include a variety of houses, shrines, temples, and watermills, all of which together form a harmonious traditional Gassho-zukuri village ecology.

The Wada House (和田家), Kanda House (神田家), and Nagase House (長瀬家) are examples of these Gassho-style dwellings. With steep roofs and thick thatches, these houses were built to withstand monsoons, earthquakes, and snow, representing the wisdom of their designers.

Shirakawa Village - Wada House

Largest Gasshozukuri in Shirakawa

The Wada family was once one of the wealthiest families in Shirakawa Village, so the Wada family house, built in the Edo period, is of course one of the largest here. The house consisted of a main house, a warehouse and a toilet, and inside the house, there are exhibitions of sericulture tools and the family's collections.

Shirakawa Village - Kanda House

A Classic Gasshozukuri

The Kanda family was separated from the Wada family in Shirakawa-go and built this Kanda house around 1850. The Kanda Family House is a large house with an improved design, which is highly resistant to earthquakes and fire.

Shirakawa Village - Nagase House

Ingeniously Constructed

The Nagase family, originally doctors from the Maeda clan of the Kaga Domain, moved to Shirakawa-go and built this five-story Nagase Family House in 1890. In the year 2001, the thatched roof of the house was replaced with a new one, which became a huge local event, attracting visitors from all over Japan.