When a friend showed me photos of their recent trip – a visit to a snowy Japanese village filled with glowing structures that looked like giant gingerbread houses – I knew I had to visit myself. Fast forward a month later and I was on a plane to Aichi, bus tickets and hotel booked for a stay at Shirakawa-go!
Learn more about this lovely destination and why you should add it to your next Japan trip!
Shirakawa-go Village in Gifu, Japan
Shirakawa-go is a charming alpine village located in Gifu Prefecture along the Sho River. It is a registered World Heritage Site that is home to over 100 Gassho-zukuri buildings that dot the village streets. (Learn more about Gassho-zukuri buildings below!)
An enchanting atmosphere envelops the area year-round and the historic buildings allow visitors to step through time and experience a slice of historic Japan themselves.
During my visit, I wandered the village streets in search of the best photo spots to capture the iconic houses, entered several of them to see the architecture up close, and tried local delicacies like mulberry leaf miso pork and sweet and salty “gohei mochi”.
I traveled during the winter to see the snowy atmosphere, but am inclined to visit again in the summer when the ground becomes covered in fields of green.
Shirakwa-go is a refreshing change to the sometimes too-lively and too-packed atmosphere of the big cities. Read on to learn what to do during a visit to Shirakawa-go!
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Table of Contents
- How to Get to Shirakawa-go by Bus
- What to Do in Shirakawa-go
- Where to Stay in Shirakawa-go
- Visit Nearby Takayama
- Final Thoughts
How to Get to Shirakawa-go by Bus
Shirakawa-go is located in the northwest of Gifu Prefecture, roughly in the center of Japan’s Honshu island. You can visit the area by rental car, or hop on one of the many buses that pass through.
From Nagoya Station
Buses for Shirakawa-go and other neighboring villages depart from Nagoya Station and the Meitetsu Bus Center daily. Fares and times vary by season and reservations are recommended in advance. See here for the fare calendar and current timetable. Bus tickets for the Nagoya ⇔ Shirakawago, Kanazawa Line can be booked here. The ride takes about 3 hours and includes a rest stop break.
If you plan to stay in Nagoya the night before traveling, I found the R&B Hotel Nagoya Shinkansenguchi Hotel a good palace! The hotel was reasonably priced and is walkable from Nagoya Station and the Meitetsu Bus Center.
From Takayama
Takayama is another alluring destination located just 50 minutes from Shirakawa-go by bus. Since Takayama and Shirakawa-go are quite close, a visit to one can easily be paired with a visit to the other. See the bus timetable and information here. Bus reservations are recommended and can be made online from the Nohi Bus site here. Check out this post for more things to do in Takayama!
For more information on how to access Shirakawa-go from other parts of Japan including Kanazawa, Tokyo, and Osaka, check out here.
What to Do in Shirakawa-go
Shirakawa-go is a naturally picturesque and charming location that can be enjoyed just by wandering the small streets. The village isn’t large so you can stroll leisurely and take in the small details.
Explore the Gassho-zukuri Homes
The Gassho-zukuri houses around the village are the iconic symbol of Shirakawa-go. These houses have sharply angled, thickly thatched rooves to withstand the harsh winters and historically, to raise silkworms.
Step into these architectural wonders and see the craftsmanship that has been preserved throughout the centuries.
The Gassho-zukuri Outdoor Museum (Gassho-zukkuri Minkaen) is a great place to visit where you can enter the farmhouses and see the history up close. Within the outdoor museum, there are 25 farmhouses, 9 of which are important cultural properties of Gifu Prefecture.
This area is less crowded than in the center of the village so you can enjoy your time here taking in the scenery. The entrance fee is 600 yen for adults and 400 yen for children. See more about the outdoor museum here.
In the middle of the village, you can enter other Gassho-zukkuri homes such as the Wada House and Binen-Yumeromu Museum, both of which offer great views from the upper floors.
For a simple yet picturesque view of the farmhouses, head to the edge of town for the “three houses” view.
Take in the View From Above
For the best view of the village from above, make the short walk up to the Shiroyama Tenshukaku Observation Deck or the neighboring Ogimachi Castle Observation Deck. The view of the village tucked into the foot of the mountainside is lovely at all times of day.
Try Pork Cooked on a Mulberry Leaf
One of Shirakawa-go’s local specialties is salty miso and pork cooked slowly over a dried mulberry leaf. As the pork cooks, the miso sauce and leaf are slightly toasted. In one bite you can taste the miso’s saltiness mixed with the pork’s rich flavor.
Eat Soba Noodles in a Cozy Japanese Restaurant
Try soba noodles in a Japanese-style building! Tanaka-ya has a cozy interior and serves udon, soba, and other local specialties.
Taste Sweet and Salty Gohei-mochi
Another local specialty is gohei-mochi which is a grilled stick of rice covered in sweet miso sauce. You can pick up a stick of gohei mochi at most of the local shops. The rice itself wasn’t that flavorful, but the outside was chewy, hot, and salty-sweet.
Cool Off with Sweet Soft Cream
Kondou Shoten is a small liquor and snack shop that sells delicious soft cream and Hida beef snacks. Even in the heart of winter, I recommend a visit since the inside is warm and the soft cream is thick and decadent. They even have a soft cream made from Japanese sake!
Enjoy the Village in Peace at Dusk and Dawn
If you stay overnight in the village, you’ll be able to enjoy a special atmosphere of tranquility as most visitors leave before evening falls. With fewer people around, it is the perfect time to get photos of the village and enjoy the much calmer mood.
Make a Snow Duck or Snow Dino (Winter only)
In the winter, shops sell plastic molds in a variety of fun shapes (ducks, poop, dinos…) that can be used to make figures in the snow. It was fun discovering the little figures around the village – like playing a game of iSpy!
Where to Stay in Shirakawa-go
Since Shirakawa-go is a small place, travelers on a tight timeline usually just visit for a few hours before moving on to their next destination. While this is the common itinerary for most, I recommend staying the night if you have the time.
Doing so will allow you to take in a completely different atmosphere that doesn’t exist while other tourists are around.
Additionally, if you book your stay at one of the accommodations built in a Gassho-zukuri home, you’ll be able to experience living in the space firsthand. In the winter, the central irori hearths are lit to keep the room cozy and warm.
Several accommodations are listed on Booking.com, with additional ones on the Shirakwa-go Tourism Association website. (See the availability calendar here)
During my visit, I stayed at Koemon, a guesthouse in a Gassho-zukuri building. While I found the stay very enjoyable – we had wonderful meals for dinner and breakfast and there was a private washroom with a shower and tub – the website mentions that the staff does not speak English and could have difficulty communicating with guests who don’t speak Japanese.
Visit Nearby Takayama
As mentioned above, Takayama is another nearby destination that is worth a visit.
In Takayama, you can shop and walk through the historic Sanmachi Historic District, explore the many temples and shrines on the Higashiyama Walking Course (東山遊歩道), and enjoy a luxurious ryokan stay paired with a kaiseki meal and onsen. Read more about what to do in Takayama here!
If you are going to Takayama, you can book the bus here. In Takayama, I stayed at a wonderful Ryokan called Ryokan Asunaro. It’s a 7-minute walk from the bus station and is across the river from the popular shopping and restaurant area. If you are looking for a traditional ryokan stay in Takayama, I recommend checking this place out!
Final Thoughts
For a unique and beautiful village to experience a different side of Japan that the big cities can’t offer, consider visiting Shirakawa-go! With many bus routes available, it is relatively easy to access, and with stunning scenery year-round, a visit can be planned for any time of the year.
Looking for more interesting places to add to your Japan itinerary? Check out these posts!
- Solo Hiking the Nakasendo Trail: Complete Guide and Itinerary – Walk the legendary Nakasendo trail and stay at a historic post town.
- Zamami Island – Top 10+ Things to Do During Your Okinawa Trip – Craving a laid-back summer trip instead? Check out Okinawa’s Zamami Island for beaches and snorkeling.
- Kurokawa Onsen Village: Onsen Hopping and Overnight Stay – If a trip full of onsens and ryokans is what you are looking for, you’ll want to visit Kurokawa Onsen!