Steep-thatched farmhouses in a mountain valley
Shirakawa-go, together with nearby Gokayama, is a UNESCO site for its gassho-zukuri farmhouses, whose steep thatched roofs resemble hands pressed together in prayer and shed heavy mountain snow. Ogimachi is the main village, with some houses open as museums showing how silkworm cultivation filled the attics. The Shiroyama viewpoint gives the classic view over the valley. Winter light-up evenings are popular and busy. Staying overnight in a farmhouse minshuku lets you see the village after day visitors leave.