22/07/2026
Shirakawa-go is a beautifully preserved, UNESCO World Heritage-listed mountain village located in the northwestern corner of Gifu Prefecture, Japan. It is globally famous for its iconic gassho-zukuri farmhouses, featuring incredibly steep thatched roofs built entirely without nails to withstand the region's massive winter snowfalls. Far from being just an open-air museum, it remains a living community where roughly 500 to 700 residents still live, farm, and carry out their daily lives.