Where in Japan is Shirakawa-go?

Gifu Prefecture
Shirakawa (白川村, Shirakawa-mura) is a village located in Ōno District, Gifu Prefecture, Japan. It is best known for being the site of Shirakawa-gō, a small, traditional village showcasing a building style known as gasshō-zukuri. Together with Gokayama in Nanto, Toyama, it is one of UNESCO’s World Heritage Sites.

How do you get to Shirakawa Japan?

The fastest connection between Tokyo and Shirakawa-go is by Hokuriku Shinkansen and bus via Toyama: Take the Hokuriku Shinkansen from Tokyo to Toyama (130-170 minutes, around 13,000 yen one way) and transfer to the bus to Shirakawa-go (1.5 hours, 1730 yen one way, see timetable).

Why is Shirakawa-go Famous?

Declared a UNESCO world heritage site in 1995, they are famous for their traditional gassho-zukuri farmhouses, some of which are more than 250 years old. Gassho-zukuri means “constructed like hands in prayer”, as the farmhouses’ steep thatched roofs resemble the hands of Buddhist monks pressed together in prayer.

Can I live in Shirakawa?

The residents of Shirakawago still live in several small villages. The most popular village for visitors is Ogimachi which in 1995 was declared World Cultural and Heritage Site. Although it is off the beaten track, Shirakawago is well worth the visit.

Where is the village of Shirakawa in Japan?

Shirakawa (白川村, Shirakawa-mura) is a village located in Ōno District, Gifu Prefecture, Japan. It is best known for being the site of Shirakawa-gō, a small, traditional village showcasing a building style known as gasshō-zukuri.

What to see in Shirakawa villages with thatched roofs?

Registered as a UNESCO World Heritage Area, the traditional houses with steep thatched roofs in gasshô-zukuri style are the region’s main tourist attraction, only reachable by bus or by car. How to go to Shirakawa-go? What to visit in Shirakawa-go? What to see near?

Where is the best place to eat in Shirakawa?

It is also one of the most recommended places to eat at Shirakawa-go. There are plenty of Gassho-zukuri style thatched houses open to visitors (you can refer to the map I attached for the location of these houses) which offer a peek at local life.

Is the village of Hinamizawa based on Shirakawa?

The village of Hinamizawa in Higurashi no Naku Koro ni (ひぐらしのなく頃に, lit. When the Cicadas Cry), a popular Japanese murder mystery dōjin soft visual novel series, is heavily based on Shirakawa, with many local landmarks clearly recognizable. In Gosho Aoyama’s Detective Conan, Onizawa village from episodes 348-349, is modeled from real life Shirakawa.