UNESCO World Heritage Site - Shirakawa-go (白川郷) & Gokayama (五箇山)

Shirakawa-go (白川郷) & Gokayama (五箇山)

Known as UNESCO world heritage site since 1995. and dubbed as the "Treasure House of Folk Songs, Shirakawa-go & Gokayama-go are must-visits destinations in Japan.

The Shirakawa and neighboring Gokayama lies in the remote mountains from Gifu and Toyama Prefectures.

The area is famous for their traditional gassho-zukuri farmhouses, some of which are more than 250 years old.

How to get there

From Kanazawa , you can take a bus to reach the Shirakawa-go and Gokayama.

The highway bus at the Kanazawa Bus Station from Kanazawa to Shirakawago will take ~1 hour 15 minutes and costs ~¥2,000.

The bus from Kanazawa to Gokayama will take ~1 hour and costs ¥1,540.

Unique feature

Gassho-zukuri means "constructed like hands in prayer".

The steep thatched roofs resembles 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 snow that falls in the region during winter.

The roofs, made without nails, provided a large attic space used for cultivating silkworms.

Gokayama

We visited the Murakami family house and enjoyed a performance of the Tsukiko Dance, which is the oldest folk dance in the country. The traditional folk songs were designated as national cultural treasures.

Home to a small population despite its relatively large scale, Mt. Goka is ideal for photo-taking and exploring.

Gassho Village, Shirakawa Township

Located in the Gifu Prefecture, the famous Gassho Village is a peaceful mountain town surrounded by rice fields, rivers, and a lot of other natural wonders. See the ever-changing colors of the village with the change of the seasons.