For a truly magical escape from the crowded and stressful city life, head to the enchanting mountain village of Shirakawa-go located in north-western Gifu Prefecture of Japan. Its main attraction and village center, Ogimachi (荻町) features several dozen traditional gassho-zukari thatched-roof farmhouses set amongst babbling streams, rows of rice paddies, and a backdrop of majestic mountains. “Gassho” means praying hands and the farmhouses’ slanted roofs are build this way to withstand heavy snowfall during harsh winter months. For hundreds of years, these farmhouses served as a practical space for living and working but they have since been converted into museums, guesthouses, shops, and restaurants. Because of Shirakawa-go’s location in what used to be a remote and unexplored region, its population previously had little interaction with the rest of the country, resulting in their own unique culture and practices. In 1995, Shirakawa-go was declared a UNESCO World Heritage site and travelers far and wide began to discover its charm and beauty that’s straight out of a fairy tale.

How to Get There

I highly recommend spending a few days in Kanazawa and taking a bus from there to Shirakawa-go. Check out my article on all the wonderful things you can do in the awesome city. It takes 1 hour and 15 minutes by bus from Kanazawa to Shirakawa-Go and a one way ticket costs ¥1,700 and a return ¥3,060 (these are spring prices). Book tickets ahead of time online at Japan Bus Online. During the popular cherry blossoms season, seats will be booked months ahead of time. If you have a Takayama-Hokuriku Area Tourist Pass, you can use it for the bus to Shirakawa-go but you still have to reserve a seat by phone or at the bus terminal. Don’t wait to book your seats on the day you are going because it might be sold out and the taxi fare will be expensive!

Best Time to Visit

Spring is a beautiful time to visit Shirakawa-go. The cherry blossoms season start later here than in Osaka and Tokyo, and is not as crowded as the big cities. Winter makes the village look incredibly gorgeous with snow topped roofs but the roads leading to the village might be blocked by snowfall. Snow falls from December to March, and the cherry blossom season starts approximately in mid April.

There are gassho-style farmhouses converted into family-owned guesthouses (minshuku) that you can stay in to get the full local experience. However, if you are just going for the day, the entire village can be explored in just a few hours.

Wada House

Wada House is the largest gassho style farmhouse in the village and was built around 1800 for the influential Wada family who traded in silk and explosives. It’s now a museum where you can learn about how the farmhouse is constructed using lumber for the main body and straw for the roof, and without a single nail! The thatched-roofs have to be replaced every 25 to 30 years, and volunteers from the village work together to complete them in just one day!

Opening hours: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Admission: ¥300 (adults), ¥150 (children)

Shiroyama Viewpoint

The Shiroyama Viewpoint is north of the village center and has wonderful views of Ogimachi and its farmhouses. The walking trail will take about about 15 to 20 minutes or you can also take  a shuttle bus to and from the top.

Lunch at Irori Restaurant

Irori is a cozy and charming restaurant built in one of the gassho houses. They serve local cuisine using fish from the area and edible mountain wild plants. There’s one particular table surrounding a stove fireplace that would be perfect to sit at when it’s freezing out. The prices are reasonable and there’s a good variety of choices on the menu. It’s a wonderful and relaxing place to have lunch before you head back to the busy city.

This article is now available as a mobile app. Go to GPSmyCity to download the app for GPS-assisted travel directions to the attractions featured in this article.