Historic Villages of Shirakawa-gō and Gokayama
白川郷・五箇山の合掌造り集落
World Heritage Site in Japan
Contents
8 sections · tap a section for its opening lines1Historic Villages of Shirakawa-gō and Gokayama1:38
Welcome to the Sho-gawa river valley, home to the UNESCO World Heritage villages of Shirakawa-go and Gokayama. This remote mountainous region, once known as the 'Last Unexplored Territory of Japan,' contains a unique…
Listen in the app2The Engineering of the Gassho Roof1:27
To understand the Gassho-zukuri house, one must look at its skeleton. These massive structures are built entirely without the use of metal nails. …
Listen in the app3The Interior Hearth (Irori) and Smoke Culture1:24
The social and physical heart of every gassho house is the 'Irori,' or sunken hearth. In a traditional home, the fire in the irori is never allowed to go out completely. …
Listen in the app4The Spirit of 'Yui' and Communal Re-thatching1:23
One of the most profound aspects of Shirakawa-go and Gokayama is the social system known as 'Yui.' In such a harsh and isolated environment, individual survival was impossible. The most visible manifestation of Yui is the…
Listen in the app5The Upper Floors and the Silk Industry1:24
Traditional gassho houses are often three to five stories tall, a rare feature in rural Japanese architecture. The reason for this verticality was industrial. …
Listen in the app6Gokayama: Ainokura and Suganuma1:27
While Shirakawa-go is the most famous destination, the Gokayama region, located about 25 kilometers downstream, offers a more intimate and remote experience. Gokayama is divided into several small hamlets, with Ainokura and…
Listen in the app7The Deai-bashi Suspension Bridge1:16
The Deai-bashi, or 'Bridge of Encounters,' serves as the main gateway to the Ogimachi village for most visitors arriving by bus. This 107-meter-long suspension bridge spans the emerald waters of the Sho-gawa river. …
Listen in the app8Closing1:10
As your journey through the historic villages of Shirakawa-go and Gokayama concludes, take a moment to look back at the silhouettes of the praying-hand roofs against the mountain peaks. What we see here is a masterpiece of human…
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What is Historic Villages of Shirakawa-gō and Gokayama?
Historic Villages of Shirakawa-gō and Gokayama is a place with 8 story sections on Tellby. You can read the opening of each section on this page; the sound plays in the app.
| Type | Activity |
|---|---|
| Story sections | 8 |
| Total length | 11 min 09 s in all |
| Text language | English |
| Coordinates | 36.2569, 136.9064 |
| Last updated |