Historic Villages of Shirakawa-go and Gokayama World Heritage Site

Official name
Historic Villages of Shirakawa-go and Gokayama | UNESCO
Country
Japan | Map
Continent
Asia
Location
Gifu and Toyama prefectures
36.4000° Lat, 136.8833° Lon | Map
Code
734
Time Zone
Asia/Tokyo (JST, +0900)
Current Time
Category
Cultural
Description
Inscribed 1995. Located in a mountainous region that was cut off from the rest of the world for a long period of time, these villages with their Gassho-style houses subsisted on the cultivation of mulberry trees and the rearing of silkworms. The large houses with their steeply pitched thatched roofs are the only examples of their kind in Japan. Despite economic upheavals, the villages of Ogimachi, Ainokura and Suganuma are outstanding examples of a traditional way of life perfectly adapted to the environment and people's social and economic circumstances.