Text & Photography / Chi Hsiao-hui
Among the various snowy landscapes I’ve seen – in cities, forests, plains, and historic sites – each showcases a unique silver-white charm. But at the World Heritage site of Shirakawa-go, when thick snow covers the thatched-roof houses, it forms an especially stunning panorama reminiscent of giant gingerbread houses. The sight is truly magnificent, and visiting in other seasons allows you to see the gassho houses in their full glory. Their designation as a “World Heritage” site is absolutely well-deserved.
On a clear day in Shirakawa-go, the gassho houses reflect beautifully against the blue sky.
The oldest and largest gassho house, “Wada-ke,” is designated as an “Important Cultural Property of Japan.” It has five floors, with the first to third floors open to the public (entry fee: 3...
Upon stepping off the bus in Shirakawa-go, Gifu Prefecture, I was immediately drawn to the thatched wooden gassho houses. My gaze lingered on these masterpieces of human ingenuity. These centuries-old gassho houses were inscribed as a World Cultural Heritage site in 1985. Maintenance is now managed by Japan and the World Heritage organizations, relieving residents of the burden of repairing the thatched roofs. Over half of the hundred-plus buildings serve as tourist-oriented guesthouses, restaurants, and souvenir shops. It’s believed that this awe-inspiring gassho settlement will continue to be preserved for a long time to come.
The restaurant located at the entrance, “Kita-no-shou.”
Most local restaurants offer set meals featuring home-grown mountain vegetables, sweetfish, handmade tofu, and pickled miso, with ingredients changing according to the season.
Gassho-style houses (合掌造り) refer to a unique type of Japanese residential architecture, characterized by steep thatched roofs shaped like hands in prayer, hence the name. The structures are made entirely of wood, using no nails yet remaining extremely sturdy. The steep pitch of the roof allows snow to slide off easily, preventing collapse under the weight of heavy winter snowfall. The thatch needs to be replaced every three to four decades. Before the area became a World Heritage site, whenever a house required new thatch, the entire village would come together to climb onto the roof, passing and securing the thatch in a cooperative effort known as “yui” (結).
The once-impressive sight of villagers working together to replace the thatch is now rarely seen. (Photo provided by Shirakawa Village Office, Gifu)
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