Shirakawa and Gokayama are two villages located in Gifu Prefecture and Toyama Prefecture, Japan known for traditional gassho-zukuri farms (type of prayer-shaped houses), among them houses more than 250 years old. .
Shirakawa village in the winter
Gasshō-zukuri means "prayer hand" and is a style characterized by a dome and sloping roof like the hands involved in prayer. Shirakawa and Gokayama are one of the most beautiful snow-watching places in the world, and the gasshō-zukuri house was created because of this climate. The design is particularly strong and, combined with the unique properties of the dome, allows the house to withstand and reduce the weight of the region's heavy snowfall in the winter. It is worth mentioning that Shirakawago has 114 ancient houses creating a very beautiful image when standing on the top of the mountain overlooking. Shirakawa-gō is the name of the village in the Hida River basin, the union of the North with the name Shirakawa and the upper (south) called Shōkawa. Shirakawa-gō means Aries (the village of white rivers).
In the winter, the heavy snowfall here creates a very impressive scene for Japanese tourists
The traditional architectural style has existed for hundreds of years due to the isolated location of the area upstream of the Shogawa River - an area that attracted little attention from the 12th century when it was settled by people living surviving from the Taira (Heike) clan was almost massacred by the Minamoto (Genji) during a brutal war in 1185. The village's lifestyle and culture remained largely unchanged for many years after the majority of the land modernized country. Many of the houses here are over 300 years old, and the oldest is thought to have been built 400 years ago.
Shirakawa and Gokayama
Farmers in the village have lived in these houses for generations
Large, typical houses have three to four floors surrounded by low awnings, and historically accommodate large families and a highly efficient space for a variety of industries.
At night the temperature drops to minus a lot of degrees Celsius and it is very cold
The upper floors of the gasshō are usually dedicated to raising silkworms, while the ground floor is often used to produce nitre, one of the essential materials for gunpowder production. The first floor organizes the housing area. The heat from this floor is heated by the production activities and activities of the people, making the upper layer warmer, the floor used to raise silkworms. This allows silkworm farmers to grow even during severe winters. The space requirement for mulberry rearing and preserving mulberry leaves is an important factor in the development of a gassho-style home.
Shirakawa and Gokayama
Despite being made of wood with a straw roof, the houses are still very sturdy, able to withstand heavy snowfall.
Since being recognized by UNESCO, the number of Japanese tourists has increased rapidly, the income and life of the people here have improved significantly but also caused significant concern. Tourists come here a lot to visit, admire the beautiful and majestic views, experience the life of a local resident. Many people here have turned their old houses into shops selling souvenirs, gifts, parking to serve tourists.
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