Winter village

Shirakawa-go and Gokayama
Village in Japan

Historic villages located in the inaccessible mountainous region of the island of Honshu, which was cut off from the rest of Japan for a long time in winter. A special school of architecture, "gassho-zukuri", has developed here. Traditional dwellings in this area are characterized by steep thatched roofs. The main occupation of the locals was silkworm breeding, so the upper floors of the dwellings are skillfully adapted for the needs of silkworming. The villages are inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List as “an outstanding example of a traditional way of life perfectly adapted to the environment and local social and economic conditions”.