Japan21 Shirakawa go1

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Shirakawa-go is a traditional village located near the Shogawa river in Gifu Prefecture.Ogimachi is the largest village and main attraction of Shirakawa-go. Declared a UNESCO world heritage site in 1995, the village is home to several dozen well preserved gassho-zukuri farmhouses, some of which are more than 250 years old

Shiroyama Viewpoint

Shiroyama Viewpoint

Ogimachi is the largest village and main attraction of Shirakawa-go

View of Ogimachi from the lookout point

The Shiroyama Viewpoint is north of the village center and offers nice views of Ogimachi and its farmhouses

Ginkgo biloba

Shiroyama Viewpoint

Wada-ke HouseThe Wada family was one of the wealthiest families and village leaders of Ogimachi. Their former home is the largest gassho-zukuri farmhouse in the town, and is now open to the public as a museum

People crossing the Deaibashi Bridge over Shogawa river

Shogawa river

A torii (gateway) of Akiba shrine

Bamboo Akiba shrine

Japanese Guest House Koemon

Fire monitor

Japanese Guest House Koemon

Japanese Guest House Koemon

Japanese Guest House Koemon

The traditional Japanese houses in Shirakawa-go are called Gassho-zukuri (literally means 'prayer-hands construction') which is an architectural style with a thatched and steeply slanting roof resembling two hands joined in prayer. These houses are very strong and, in combination with the unique properties of the thatching, allow the houses to withstand and shed the weight of the region's heavy snowfalls in winter

Coffee shop

The houses are large, with three to four stories encompassed between the low eaves, and intended to house large extended families and a highly-efficient space for a variety of works. You can visit inside of some of the houses in Shirakawa-go and to see their traditional way of living. Shirakawa-go is designated as one of Japan's UNESCO World Heritage

Japanese silver grass (Miscanthus sinensis) 

Houses with thatched roofs stand side by side surrounded by rice fields

Torii at Myozenji Temple

Torii at Myozenji Temple

Myozenji Temple, which is unique for its thatched roof rather than the typical tiled roof seen on most temples, is connected to the Myozenji-ke farmhouse next door where the priest of the temple lives. Myozenji was built in 1748 by the Buddhist Jodo-Shinshu sect Shirakawa-gō

The bell tower at Myozenji Temple have the specific steep thatched-roof style "gassho-zukuri". 

Persimmon

Persimmon

As fire is a major hazard for the property, elaborate fire-extinguishing systems have been installed in all three village zones. Fire-fighting squads of residents are also organized

Pictures and presentation: Sanda Foişoreanu Copyright: All the images belong to their authorswww.slideshare.net/michaelasanda

Sound: Toshinori Yonekura - Love in the sky 2015