Houses were oriented north-south, following the direction of the wind, which provided good ventilation for the cocoons. Sericulture equipment is displayed in the attic of Wada House in Shirakawa-go. Their property was optimized for silkworm farming, which had the advantage of taking up little space. In the past, the villagers of Shirakawa-go lived mainly from sericulture, as well as the production of ensho (煙硝) for gunpowder. Japanese Houses Designed for Raising Silkworms Wooden lattice flooring ventilates the attic under a thatched roof. The latticed floors also protect the wood and thatch from humidity, especially during the rainy season (梅雨, tsuyu) between June and July. The irori is the physical and social hearth of the home. In summer, the smoke also repels insects. Latticed wooden flooring serves as ventilation, where the heat and smoke from the irori waft up the floors, filling the house with delicious aromas and a black interior. On the ground floor, the irori (traditional Japanese sunken hearth) is used for heating, cooking, and drying clothes. Only straw ropes attach the beams that support a gassho-style house. Roofs are re-thatched every 30 years.Īnother characteristic of gassho-zukuri is the absence of any nails or screws-the beams are tied together using ropes made of straw and vines. The thatch itself is almost 80 centimeters thick, and ropes are attached to help clear the snow. The thatched roofs are designed to support the weight of the snow and prevent it from piling up while also facilitating the flow of rainfall. It reflects a period when silk was produced in the attic and houses had 3 to 5 floors. Gassho-zukuri is particularly well adapted to the surrounding environment and mountain climate, with especially harsh winters. Born right here along the Sho river, the traditional gassho-zukuri (合掌造り) architectural style is characterized by the sharply pointed thatched roof, in the form of praying hands (合掌, gassho). Some of these houses are more than 200 years old. Shirakawa-go’s thatched houses are built in the gassho style, which is typical of the Chubu region. Japanese “Gassho” Thatched Roof Architecture Inspired by Praying Hands The Shiroyama Observatory (城山展望台) in the mountains west of Shirakawa-go offers a sweeping view of the village in winter. Hakusan at an elevation of 2,700 meters to the west. The riverside community lives harmoniously with the mountains, protected by the sacred Mt. But Shirakawa-go is marvelous in all four seasons: in spring, it wakes up to the song of cicadas and colorful blossoms in summer, its vegetation and rice paddies melt into lush greenery in autumn, the fields and pampas grass take on beige and golden hues.ĭespite its natural beauty and deep history, Shirakawa-go is not just an ethnographic museum but an active village with living traditions upheld by its native residents. As the silent snow settles on pointed roofs and barren fields, the hamlet transforms into a winter wonderland from a distant era. The farms and thatched houses are built to resist the heavy snowfall of harsh winters in this alpine region. Shirakawa-go’s climate changes radically from summer to winter. Walking through the village, I heard nothing but gurgling water and the murmuring breeze. Rainbow trout live in the canals and help keep the water clean. In particular, the canals protect the village from fires and carry water to the households. The Sho River (庄川) runs through Shirakawa-go, and the thatched houses are separated by rice paddies, vegetable gardens and canals. This is necessary to melt the snow in winter, keep the thatch dry and durable, and protect the houses from strong winds blowing north-south during the typhoon season in Japan. Their steeply sloped thatched roofs are oriented east-west to maximize their exposure to sunlight. In this narrow mountain valley, the houses are built in harmony with nature. They stand alongside running streams, a rice granary, and small shrines that compose a charming rural landscape. Some are shops, guest houses, or traditional craft museums. The old houses of Shirakawa-go have thick thatched roofs. Shirakawa-go, an Alpine Village in a Living Landscape Take a moment to enjoy the tranquil atmosphere under a thatched roof, and spend the night in the stillness of the mountains, listening to the elements of nature around the crackling fire of a sunken hearth. Shirakawa-go’s 1,600 residents continue to live a traditional way of life that may soon disappear. Nestled in the lush mountains of Gifu prefecture, the village is famous for its traditional thatched roof houses, about a hundred of which still stand in the hamlet of Ogimachi (荻町). Ever since the remote village of Shirakawa-go (白川郷) was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1995, it has been a top destination in Japan’s Chubu region.
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