Shirakawago

Top Things to do

• Shirakawa-go Gassho-zukuri Village

  4.5

  2154 Reviews

  Gifu Ono-gun Shirakawamura Ogimachi

  The Gassho-Zukuri Village of Ogimachi, Shirakawa-go in Gifu Prefecture was registered as a Unesco World Heritage Site in 1995. Of the three villages registered as the World Heritage Site, this is the largest, with 59 buildings featuring Gassho-zukuri roofs. There is plenty worth getting a look at, from the castle tower observation deck as an absolutely perfect viewpoint of Shirakawa-go to the Wada house, which is a Nationally-Designated Important Cultural Property, the Nagase house, which features one of the largest Gassho-style roofs in the village, a rare Gassho-style temple, and Myozenji Museum. There are also numerous souvenir shops and restaurants.

• Shirakawa-go

  4.5

  31 Reviews

  Gifu Pref. Onogunshirakawamura Ogimachi

  A village located in Ogi-machi, Shirakawa Village, Ono County, Gifu Prefecture where many old-fashioned “gassho-zukuri” style homes, distinguished by their steep thatched roofs, can still be found. Still used as living spaces today, this rare collection of buildings has been designated a National Important Preservation District for Groups of Traditional Buildings as well as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. From the picturesque scenery of these traditional homes backed by mountains in the distance, visitors can catch a glimpse of the lifestyle and ingenious measures of a Japanese mountain village living in harmony with nature. There are also numerous souvenir shops and restaurants, and this popular destination is visited by great numbers of people from around the country and the world.

• Gasshozukuri Minkaen Outdoor Museum

  4.5

  416 Reviews

  Gifu Pref. Onogunshirakawamura Ogimachi 2499

  Gasshozukuri Minkaen Outdoor Museum is an open-air museum that was created by relocating traditional Gasshozukuri-style farmhouses that were no longer in use as residences from Shirakawa Village, Gifu Prefecture. There are a total of 26 Gasshozukuri farmhouses, of which nine have been designated by Gifu Prefecture as Important Cultural Properties; the Museum brings alive the lifestyle of days gone by. Within the Museum grounds there is a restaurant selling hand-made Soba noodles, and a shop selling confectionery, making the Museum a great place for a relaxing stroll. Between mid-April and the end of October the Museum holds a range of special experiential activities, where visitors can try their hand at making Warazori (traditional straw sandals), making Soba noodles, etc. (please note that advance booking is required for these activities).

• Wada House

  4.0

  291 Reviews

  Gifu Pref. Onogunshirakawamura Ogimachi 997

  Wada House is an example of a Shirakawa town thatched-roof ridgepole Gassho style house. It is the largest Gassho style house remaining in Shirakawa Village, and the house has a frontage of 25.48 meters and a depth of 12.74 meters. The current state of preservation of the gardens, hedges, rural district and waterways is also good and it looks beautiful. Although it is currently being used as a dwelling, you can take a tour of the house’s interior, and a fire is always set in the irori fire pit all year round, so you will also be able to make yourself at home around the irori fire pit. In 1995, the house was designated as a Cultural Property of Japan.

• Shirakawa-go-no-yu hot springs resort

  4.0

  147 Reviews

  Gifu Pref. Onogunshirakawamura Ogimachi 337

  Shirakawa-go-no-yu hot springs resort is located in Shirakawa-go, a village whose traditional Gasshozukuri-style farmhouses have been designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The hot spring water contains natural sodium chloride, which has a warming effect and also helps to ensure smooth skin. There is a comprehensive range of baths; both the men’s baths and the women’s baths include indoor baths, outdoor baths and saunas; from the outdoor baths, bathers can view the peaks of Mt. Hakusan, the cluster of Gasshozukuri-style farmhouses, and, flowing right below them, the Shogawa River. The resort has both Japanese-style and Western-style rooms, so visitors who are looking for a more relaxed hot springs and tourism experience can enjoy an overnight stay.

• Kanda House

  4.0

  183 Reviews

  Gifu Pref. Onogunshirakawamura Ogimachi 796

  This old private house with a gassho-zukuri sloping roof was built in the late Edo period (around 1850). It's approximately seven minutes on foot from the Shirakawa-go Bus Terminal. It belonged to the Kanda family who brewed sake in Shirakawa-go. Because of the layout and the many handprints from the carpenters on the roof trusses, it's considered an outstanding example of gassho-zukuri slope roofed architecture. The fire in the traditional irori hearth burns year-round, and you can enjoy homemade wild herb tea brewed with water heated over it in an iron kettle. Looking around the rest of the building is fine too, and you can bring your pet with you if you hold it. Reservations are recommended.

• Nagase House

  4.0

  79 Reviews

  Gifu Ono-gun Shirakawamura Ogimachi 823-2

  This five-story gassho (large thatched roof) style house is located an eight-minute walk from Shirakawago Bus Terminal. Its main feature is its roof, with a single pillar (gassho pillar) around 11 meters long piercing through it from top to bottom. It is an old house that has stood for 250 years. Since the first to third generations were doctors, medical tools from the Edo period (1603-1868) still remain. In 2001, the roof retiling performed for the first time in 80 years was broadcast on television and became a popular topic of discussion. Even now, a video is broadcast inside showing the building being retiled by about 500 volunteers.

• Tourist Information Center Deai no Yakata

  3.5

  23 Reviews

  Gifu Ono-gun Shirakawamura Ogimachi 2495-3

  This general information center is located ten minutes from Shirakawago Interchange on the Tokai Hokuriku Expressway. You can get various information about Shirakawa-go, which is registered as a UNESCO World Cultural Heritage Site. In addition to traffic information for the surrounding area, you can ask about seasonal highlights and get maps of Gassho-style villages. It can be used when you visit Shirakawa-go for the first time, want to get the latest information, or do not know where to start. In addition, it has a water cooler that users can use freely and public wireless LAN with internet access.

• Hakusan Shirakawa-go White Road

  Ishikawa Pref. Hakusanshi Ozou Gifu prefecture Ohno-gun Shirakawa village Hatakeigaya Ma hunting - ground

  This driving course is located about a 10-minute drive from the Shirakawa-go Interchange. It links the towns that make up Kaga Onsen in Ishikawa Prefecture with the world heritage site Shirakawa-go in Gifu Prefecture. Its nickname, “Hakusan Super Forest Road,” was changed in 2015, and the fee was lowered so that even more people could enjoy driving along it. In the middle is Fukube no Otaki waterfall, the most famous spot along the road that splashes it with spraying water after it falls 86 meters.