Shirakawa-go and surrounding villages are one of Japan’s UNESCO sites. These sites span across the borders of Toyama and Gifu Prefectures in Central Japan 🇯🇵. These villages are unique as the Gassho-style houses are well preserved and have been untouched for hundreds of years. Gassho-style refers to the roof and that they resemble praying hands. The three villages that make up UNESCO’s Historic Villages of Shirakawa-go and Gokayama include Ogimachi in the region of Shirakawa-go Ainokura, and Suganuma in the region of Gokayama. The houses most noticeable features are the thatched roofs. These houses were built so uniquely to withstand heavy amounts of snowfall during the winter months in the harsh mountain climates.
While road tripping 🚙 through Central Japan, we decided to make a day out of visiting the Historic Villages of Shirakawa-go and Gokayama. We had no idea how vast and impressive these villages actually were until we visited them. Needles to say, after visiting this area, we fell in love and have plans to come back.
We were driving from the city of Kanazawa, making our way to Matsumoto and planned on visiting all of the historic villages of Shirakawa-go and Gokayama. We first stopped at Ainokura Gassho-zukuri Village before making our way to Suganuma and finally Ogimachi in the Shirakawa-go region.
Ainokura Gassho-zukuri Village
Ainokura Gassho-zukuri village is Gokayama’s largest village. This village has a total of 20 gassho-style houses. Not only is Ainokura Gassho-zukuri village a World Heritage Site, but residents still live within these houses. In fact, we were able to tour one of the homes and meet the owners of the home.
Inside the home we visited, it looked like your traditional Japanese home. There were tatami mats scattered throughout the house, a stove in the middle of the main room, and even an alter room. We were able to visit the second floor of the home, this is where a lot of storage and work takes place. The photo below is what the second floor of the homes look like.
This style of building was popular in the 1800’s, so most buildings throughout the villages are 100-200 years old but there are buildings that are as old as 400 years.
Visitors are free to walk around the area and enter homes only if access is allowed. Since most homes are still occupied by residents the majority are off limits. But some homes will have signs in front allowing access, although there might be an additional fee.
Admission and Hours
Admission
Admission is per vehicle and is to be paid at the gate prior to parking.
¥500 per vehicle
Hours
8:30-17:00 Daily
Suganuma Historical Village
Suganuma was interesting because it was almost two villages combined together to create the site we know today as Suganuma.
Visitors can access this village via the parking lot, take the elevator or trails down to the village and proceed right to the Houses of Suganuma or left to Gokayama Gassho-no-Sato.
Suganuma sits next to a river in a stunning mountainous area. There are a total of nine thatched roof houses that remain in the area.
Admission and Hours
Admission
¥500 per vehicle
Hours
9:00 am – 4:30 pm, (April – November)
9:00 am – 4:00 pm (December – March)
Closed December 31 and January 1.
Ogimachi in the Shirakawa-go Region
Ogimachi Village in the Shirakawa-go region is the largest and most popular of the sites we visited. This site has dozens, upwards to 100 thatched roof houses 🛖.
Like the other sites, access to Ogimachi is best via the parking lot, you then cross a long bridge spanning over the Sho River. This site takes time to explore since it is much larger then the other villages. There are many side streets that are worth exploring.
There was a trail leading to the top of a nearby hill, where you can get that iconic photo of the entire town and surrounding mountains. The trail was somewhat steep and took about 10 – 15 minutes of walking. Trust me, the views were worth the extra exercise.
According to the Shirakawa-go Tourist Information website, there are about 40 inns and guesthouses that are available for people to stay in. These are built in traditional gassho-style so you can get a truly unique experience. We definitely have plans to come back and stay in one of these inns. It would be amazing to stay at one at some point during the winter.
There are also many restaurants and shops throughout this village. When it comes to restaurants there is a wide variety here from cute cafes to soba and syokudo restaurants.
Admission and Hours
Admission
¥1000 for cars and ¥200 for motorcycles
Hours
8:00 am – 5:00 pm daily
Additional Information for Shirakawa-go and Surrounding Villages
- We were here in early June during Covid and Shirakawa-go and the surrounding villages were nearly empty. We almost had the villages to ourselves. Since these villages are a popular tourist destination, they will be crowded and people will be here by the bus loads once tourism is open in Japan.
- There are a limited amount of trash cans if any throughout the villages, so no littering. Take your trash with you.
- The houses in these villages are very fragile and flammable. Absolutely no smoking or fires around the villages. For smokers, there are designated smoking spots.
- Although the flowers in my photos are beautiful, don’t pick them. Leave nature be!
- Many of the homes are sill occupied by residents. So, be respectful and don’t try to access any unless posted and be quiet, just enjoy the beauty.
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Plan Your Trip: 🗺 ✈️ 🇯🇵
Booking Accommodations ⛺️ 🛖
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Activities and Tours 🏖 🚁
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