The Peaceful World Heritage Gassho Village: Shirakawa-go

Text by Lai Peixuan | Photography by Chi Binghui

Nestled at the foot of Mount Hakusan in Gifu Prefecture, in central Japan, “Gassho Village” quietly drifts through time like a hidden paradise. Its tranquil, untroubled environment shields visitors from the hustle and bustle of the modern world; it also preserves an important piece of traditional Japanese rural architecture — the “gassho-style” house. It wasn’t until 1995, when it was inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, that people began to take notice of this beautiful land.

The story behind how Gassho Village became such a hidden paradise also brings a touch of melancholy to this beautiful land. Legend has it that during the long Genpei War of the 13th century, the Taira clan was ultimately defeated and destroyed. The surviving members of the Taira family went into hiding deep in the mountains to escape the pursuit of the Minamoto clan. To keep warm and hide more easily from their pursuers, they devised a type of housing that could be easily dismantled and relocated. When the war ended, this ancestral wisdom in architecture — designed to withstand nature and conflict — remained.

Gassho-style houses are entirely constructed using wooden joints and rope ties, and are named for their steep thatched roofs shaped like hands placed together in prayer. This design allows heavy winter snow to slide off easily, preventing roof collapse. The thatched roofs need to be replaced every three to four decades, and due to the massive scale of the roofing, the entire village must work together for the renovation. As such, gassho architecture also symbolizes community unity and collective efforts to protect their home.