The World Heritage Site of Primitive Landscapes: Shirakawa-go's Gassho-style Village

The gassho-zukuri houses of Shirakawa-go, registered as a World Heritage Site in 1995. Here you can see a village that could be called the quintessential Japanese landscape. Beyond the scenery itself, one cannot help but feel respect for the efforts of the local people who maintain this townscape. Strict rules are imposed for preserving World Heritage sites, so those who have lived here for a long time surely lead lives that are far from easy. Gazing upon the magnificent townscape, one simultaneously feels the weight of history.

Shirakawa-go