This blog provides easily understandable introductory information about the Shirakawa-go, the unusual World Heritage site nestled in an isolated mountainous area in Japan, preserving the essence of art. Aimed at all of you—foreign visitors, business guests, and students exploring Japan—I invite those intrigued by the following explanations to experience it firsthand. Come and witness the allure of Shirakawa-go in person!
1. Does this one interest you?
For those of you who know nothing about Shirakawa-go, I have compiled the shortest invitation message for you. If you find a message that appeals to you, please come to Shirakawa-go and experience it for yourself!
- It is a precious World Heritage site where people still live in the same living environment as they did hundreds of years ago, and about 2 million tourists a year flock to the 100 or so small gassho-zukuri villages.
- It’s like a naturally formed theme park constructed from organic materials, where houses of various sizes are scattered throughout a deep mountain crevice, reminiscent of the dwarf houses found in fairy tales.
- An acclaimed German architect who visited the area about a hundred years ago described it as the most un-Japanese landscape because its gassho-zukuri architecture is too rational and logical.
- It’s a realm of wonders where past inhabitants endured centuries of inconvenience in the bitterly cold and narrow confines of the mountainous terrain. Yet, one might ponder whether they were, in fact, happier than modern individuals who prioritize comfort、
- If you’re intrigued by unraveling the mystery of the Moai statues on a remote South Sea island, their origins, and their uniform direction, why not attempt to solve a similar puzzle involving the Gassho-zukuri houses on a secluded mainland island? It might seem straightforward at first glance!
２．Do the following messages convince you?
If the previous section didn’t capture your interest, fear not! I’ve delved deeper into each theme. If some of the messages intrigue you, please drop by it!
Architecture /Craftsmanship
- The houses in Shirakawa-go are called “gable gassho-zukuri,” which means that the ends of the roof are built in a triangular shape like an open book lying face down, and the thatched steep roof slopes of about 60 degrees are designed to prevent snow from accumulating and to make it easier for slipping.
- Gassho-zukuri attics are constructed without nails or other metal objects that rust due to moisture, but are tied together with ropes and young plants, so they can withstand the weight of strong winds and snow, and their flexible and supple structure disperses pressure from the outside.
- The sunken hearth on the first floor, for cooking and heating, serves to protect the building, and its smoke escapes through the thatched roof and through the gaping of second floor, which fumigates the indoor thatch, beams, and other wood materials to protect them from pests and rot.
Fashion
- In the attic of the gassho-zukuri, there is an exhibition of the production process of sericulture, which has a history of several hundred years. It shows that the beautiful luster and unique smoothness of silk is produced from raw silk from the cocoons of silkworms bred here.
Art
- The scenery of gassho-houses lined up side by side like mushrooms of various sizes growing out of the ground has been artistically expressed in many paintings and photographs, combining the colors of the trees in the four seasons, the white of the snow, and the light and dark of the night lights.
- Many never tire of visiting this small village isolated from the rest of the world, and want to come back again and again. It might be the result of functional beauty, which is not an attempt to impress, but rather a relentless pursuit of rationality, making us think about the essence of art.
Food
- In the fall, a doburoku festival is held for more than 1,000 years, where visitors are served doburoku, a cloudy white sake made from unfiltered raw sake, and the venue is filled with a mellow aroma.
The Japanese
- While the gassho-zukuri house was named after the resemblance of ‘gassho’—the shape of two hands together when praying—it is actually almost an equilateral triangle, rather than a perfect gassho hand shape. It could be said to be a manifestation of the deeply rooted Japanese religious spirit here.
- The thatching of the gassho-zukuri roofs is replaced every 20 to 30 years by an organization of villagers, a scene that resembles Amish communal work, but is based on the spirit of mutual support unique to the Japanese.
Thank you & Afterwards
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