Opening hours and admission for this place have not been checked yet, so none are shown. Check the official site
Our guide
Shirakawa-go lies in northwestern Gifu, at the eastern foot of Mount Haku and near the Shō River, and it is famous for its gasshō-zukuri houses — a traditional style with steep thatched roofs, named for their likeness to hands pressed together in prayer. It shares this style of house with its neighbour Gokayama, in southwestern Toyama.
We have not checked a public-transport route, opening arrangements for the houses, or seasonal access, so check local information and plan the journey on the map before you go.
Written by japan-spots.com (2026-09-22) from the sources credited on this page. Distances are straight lines between map positions.
Photos
Photos from Wikimedia Commons, each under its own licence — see credits
- Shirakawa-go (2017-07-22) — Alpsdake · CC BY-SA 4.0 · source · resized
- ShirakawagoSnow — Ippukucho · CC BY 3.0 · source · resized
- Shirakawago — Jordy Meow · CC BY-SA 3.0 · source · resized
- Shirakawa-go houses 1 — Leyo · CC BY-SA 3.0 ch · source · resized
- Ogi Shirakawa21s3s3999 — 663highland · CC BY 2.5 · source · resized
- Nagase House in Shirakawago (Shirakawa Village, Gifu Prefecture) — 小石川人晃 · CC BY-SA 4.0 · source · resized
- Myozenji Ogi Shirakawa14s3s4592 — 663highland · CC BY-SA 4.0 · source · resized
- Ogi Shirakawa-gō, Gifu, Japan — 663highland · CC BY 2.5 · source · resized
- 2024-10-25 Shirakawa-go 1 — Alexkom000 · CC BY 4.0 · source · resized
- 2024-10-25 Shirakawa-go 3 — Alexkom000 · CC BY 4.0 · source · resized
What this place is
Shirakawa-go (白川郷) is located in northwestern Gifu Prefecture, Japan, at the eastern foot of Mount Haku and near the Shō River. The town's claim to fame is its gasshō-zukuri (lit: "like praying hands") style housing, a traditional style of Japanese architecture with a steep thatched roof. It shares these style of housing with its neighbor Gokayama in southwestern Toyama Prefecture.
Background text adapted from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0)
What to expect at this type of place: History
Getting there
We do not have step-by-step transit directions for this spot yet. Open the location on Google Maps for routes from where you are staying.
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