Category: Shirakawa

Shirakawa-go white (I.e.

Shirakawa (Shirakawa village - 白 川村) is a Japanese village located on the border of the Japanese Alps in the region of Gifu. Shirakawa is famous for its traditional dwellings called Gasshoku, entirely built of wood and with the roof covered with rice plants, declared a World Heritage Site in December 1995, with a population of 1.575 inhabitants, including about 100 foreign citizens, 10 Brazilians.

Shirakawa-mura was founded in 1919, but the oldest remaining farmhouses are approximately 350 years old.

After it was registered as a World Heritage Site the number of tourists increased rapidly, tourists come from Japan and abroad to visit the village every year.

Shirakawa is a small village with 112 tall and narrow Gassho-Zukuri houses, with thatched roofs steeply sloping to the ground, which is a must during winter snowfalls. The name gassho-zukuri literally means "like hands in prayer".

Each of the houses is a piece of carpentry art. They are built without nails, each of the beams fits perfectly into the next. The structure is very solid. Proof of this is that these houses have been standing since the 1.800s, even in a country so prone to earthquakes.

Many of the buildings have been turned into museums explaining the history of the region and several of these houses are hostels that offer accommodation, shops and restaurants. Some houses still serve as residences and are therefore closed to the public. Others, however, are open and certainly worth a visit. Many Brazilians living in Japan are already visiting this charming village in Gifu.

Every year between January a February on weekends, there is a special event where Gassho-Zukuri houses are lit. This one event celebrates its 30th anniversary in 2016. This lighting event in recent years it has become more popular attracting huge numbers of visitors. The main objective of this event is to give visitors the opportunity to enjoy the fantastic landscape with the Gassho-Zukuri houses lit and covered with snow.

Shirakawa is a rural village surrounded by mountains, and its history enchants visitors who have the feeling of walking through rural Japan centuries ago.

Although it is cool and comfortable in summer, it is covered in snow in winter and in February the snow reaches 170 cm or more. You can visit the village all year round, as changing seasons reveal different aspects of the village. Spectacular season with cherry blossoms, the flaming leaves from autumn to winter white and silent, meaning Shirakawa-go is always splendid.