By / Scenic Spots Family Compilation & Report
Following the recent fire at Shuri Castle in Okinawa, another renowned Japanese World Heritage Site, "Shirakawa-go Village," has also been ravaged by a major fire. Wooden houses were engulfed in flames, with thick smoke soaring into the sky in a shocking scene.
A famous Japanese attraction, Shirakawa-go Village, was suddenly struck by a devastating fire. (Photo / @twitwiFLASH Twitter)
The fire originated in a small gassho-style building, which was unoccupied at the time, and there were no casualties. The flames were extinguished within two and a half hours, and the fire did not spread to other structures—an unfortunate event with a silver lining.
Fire at Shirakawa-go Village, another Japanese World Heritage Site ravaged by blaze, with thick smoke rising into the sky. (Photo / @Messiah3rd Twitter)
Shirakawa-go is a village of traditional wooden houses located in Gifu Prefecture. It was designated as a UNESCO World Cultural Heritage Site in 1995. Its winter scenery, reminiscent of a fairy tale, has earned it the nickname "Winter Fairy Tale Village." Just weeks before the fire, at the end of October, the village had conducted its annual disaster prevention drill, and this time, all the sprinklers operated effectively to help prevent the flames from spreading.
Shirakawa-go is known as the "Winter Fairy Tale Village" due to its winter scenery that resembles something out of a fairy tale. (Photo / Shirakawa-go Village Yomiya Association)
Due to the sudden fire, the scheduled light projection event in Shirakawa-go has been temporarily canceled. This marks yet another World Heritage Site affected by fire after the Shuri Castle incident, leaving travelers feeling deeply unsettled.