We drove to Shirakawa-go today to visit the Gassho Houses. These houses are part of a traditional village and the village is a UNESCO Heritage site. Shirakawa is one of the snowiest places in Japan and also in the world. Average snowfall is over 400 inches per year, so the Japanese built their homes with steep thatched roofs. I was really looking forward to visiting the village but was disappointed by how touristy it was. The pictures made it look a lot better than it actually was. Maybe it would look better in the winter with all the snow.
Gassho Houses and harvested rice paddy
Gassho Houses
Wildflowers and Gassho Houses
Japanese scarecrows
Shirakawa-go Village