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Shirakawa-gō 白川郷

Rustic thatched farmhouses

Triplets Gassho-zukuri houses (Shirakawa-go) Gifu

This rural area in the mountains northwest of Takayama is famous for its traditional gassho-zukuri farmhouses, designed to withstand large amounts of heavy snow, some of which are more than 250 years old.

This is not as off-the-beaten-track as it once was though, after being declared a World Heritage site in 1995.

While many visit on a day trip from Kanazawa or Takayama, it is possible to overnight at a gassho-zukuri house.

Nearby Gokayama is a bit harder to get to, meaning it’s less visited and a good option if you’ve got your own wheels.

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Shirakawa-go

Chūbu 中部

Historic Areas

Text © Craig McLachlan

Image by Koichi Hayakawa