Shirakawa-go is one of the most scenic villages in the world.  Located at the foot of a mountain in Gifu, Chubu, Japan, this UNESCO World Heritage site is famed for its traditional farmhouses with thatched-roof, called Gassho-Zukuri.

 

Takayama

Shirakawa-go can be reached by taking a Shinkansen (bullet train) from Kyoto to Nagoya, then a wide-view Hida train to Takayama, and finally a Nohi bus. While waiting for the next bus to Shirakawa-go, we took a walk along Takayama’s beautifully preserved old town.

Takayama

Takayama’s Old Town is lined with an art gallery, a museum, eateries and shops selling traditional Japanese arts and crafts and clothes.  Visitors also had the opportunity to be pulled on traditional rickshaws.

Takayama

 

Shirakawa-go

The hour-long bus ride from Takayama to Shirakawa-go took us through the mountainous region in Gifu.

Shirakawago

 

Upon arrival, visitors must first cross a long suspension bridge above, and pass through the gate below to enter the village.

Shirakawago

The beautiful Gassho-zukuri farmhouses was built in the Edo period more than 200 years ago.

Shirakawago

The architectural style is unique to the area and the roofs were designed to withstand heavy snowfall in winter. The village subsisted on the cultivation of silkworms.

Shirakawago

 

It was a great thing that we planned to stay overnight, because by 5pm, most of the day-trippers had left the village, giving us the opportunity to enjoy the peace and tranquility of the village without the crowds.

ShirakawagoShirakawago

Gassho-Zukuri

Take a look at the picture on the right below.  Have you ever seen a drain so clean that fishes could survive?

Shirakawago

Surrounded by mountains (pictured below), the area is cool even near Summer.

Shirakawago

 

Farmhouse stay

While most people made a day trip to Shirakawa-go, we decided to fully immerse ourselves in the Japanese culture and rural living by staying overnight at one of the farmhouses.  There were a number of family-run farmhouses that offered  an overnight stay.  The farmhouse where we stayed was called Hisamatsu as pictured below.

Hisamatsu Farmhouse

Hisamatsu had 4 Japanese-style guest rooms with a shared modern bathroom and several toilets complete with electric toilet seats.   Guests can choose to have homemade Japanese-style cuisine with rice grown in the village.   Japanese meal options like vegetarian, vegetarian plus fish, and no pork were also offered.

Shirakawago

Shirakawa-go was really a great place to relax and enjoy the peaceful countryside and the fresh crisp air. It was a huge contrast to crowded big Japanese cities like Tokyo.

Shirakawago

 

The next morning, our host served us breakfast before we headed to the Tateyama Kurobe Alpine Route to see the amazing Snow Wall.

Shirakawago Farmhouse stay

 

This trip was part of our Japan vacation covering Kyoto, Tokyo and the Disney parks.  Read more about our 11-day Japan itinerary.

Tips

  1. Apart from coming to Shirakawa-go from Kyoto, you could also reach Shirakawa-go from Tokyo via bullet train to Kanazawa and then take the Nohi bus. Alternatively, you could take trains from Tokyo via Nagoya and Takayama and then take the Nohi bus.  You can check train schedules at hyperdia.com.
  2. To book a stay at one of the farmhouses, contact the Shirakawa-go Tourist Association via email at [email protected].  The staff are fast to respond and communicate well in English.
  3. There is an observatory deck where you can get a panoramic view of the entire village.  A shuttle bus is available to bring you to the observatory deck but the last bus departs at 3pm.
  4. If you visit Shirakawa-go in winter, then try to catch it on specific days when they illuminate the whole village. From the pictures I’ve seen, the village looked absolutely magical during the light-up.