Shirakawago Gassho-zukuri village is highly appraised for the scenery remaining as in the old days in Japan and the landscape adjusted to the local climate. Selected as an Important Traditional Building Preservation District in 1976 and registered as a UNESCO World Heritage Site [Cultural Heritage] with Gokayama in Toyama Prefecture in 1995. The area fascinates many tourists not only from Japan, but also from abroad, and is said to be a place that reminds of "the hometown of Japan".

©岐阜県白川村役場

The gassho-zukuri houses of Shirakawa-go are two to four stories high, with "shoji" [the white Japanese paper windows on the gable end] for lighting and ventilation. The first floor is used as living space, the mezzanine floor as resting area for children and maids, the second and third floors for raising silkworms, and the fourth floor for storage. The mezzanine floor has a small window for fire management, as there is an "irori" [sunken hearth] directly below.

©岐阜県白川村役場

The gassho-style structures are made to be adapted to natural conditions to withstand the weight of heavy snowfall. The steeply pitched roofs are indeed an impressive sight, but actually serves an extremely practical purpose of withstanding the immense weight of the snow.

©岐阜県白川村役場

Shirakawa Village, where Shirakawa-go is located, is a farming mountain village surrounded by mountains. Temperatures in summer may be as high as those of Tokyo and Osaka, but the cool breeze from the mountains and rivers relieves the intense heat for a pleasant environment. The area has one of the heaviest snowfalls in Japan in winter, covered with thick blanket of snow. The snowfall may be as high as a fully-grown adult, especially in February. The thatched roofs are thickly covered with snow, and when illuminated by light, a silver world of snow spreads over the entire area, creating a fantastic scene only seen during this season.