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Travel guide

Shirakawa-go

The Shirakawa-go is located on the Shogawa River Valley in the remote mountains region between Takayama and Kanazawa.

Declared a UNESCO world heritage site in 1995, they are best known and famous for their traditional farmhouses in the thatched-roof, A-frame style called "Gassho-zukuri", some of which are more than 250 years old.

Gassho-zukuri means "constructed like hands in prayer", as the farmhouses' steep thatched roofs resemble the hands of Buddhist monks pressed together in prayer.

The architectural style developed over many generations and these houses were built to withstand the large amounts of heavy snow that falls in the region of Japan receives during winter, and more amazingly, they are built without any nails.

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1-13-10, Sanshin Building 2A, Hatchobori, Chuo-ku, Tokyo, Japan