白川郷

A couple of weeks ago, Japan took Monday off to observe Culture. What better way to celebrate than taking a cultural day trip? So a friend and myself drove to Shirakawa go, a village in Gifu known for its special gassho-style structured houses. The site (along with two similar villages in Toyama) were recognized as World Heritage sites by UNESCO in 1995. The houses have long thatched roofs which serve a dual purpose, providing shelter as well as use in maintaining the economic industry of the village.

The main lasting industries of this village were mulberry leaves for the production of fine paper and silk. Therefore, the steep roofs provide a spacious attic in the houses for the storage of mulberry leaves and silkworm beds. The villages have been in existence since the 11th century and the community has clearly made efforts to preserve their traditional culture and atmosphere.

Upon getting a closer look at the buildings I noticed the thatched roofs are about 3 feet thick of tightly packed twigs! I was surprised that such a roof is adequate at keeping rain, snow and weather out of the houses. Furthermore the roofs are only replaced every 30-40 years, which I thought was an impressively long time.  The village is situated in a valley amongst the mountains, making it peaceful and beautiful especially in the crisp, chilly and drizzly fall morning. Also, the fall foliage was at its peak, so the sides of the mountain were splashed with foliage of red, orange, yellow and green mixed in the most beautiful way.

For lunch we dined at a little restaurant in the village purveying soba and other noodles. Since this area is so mountainous it is difficult to cultivate large rice fields. Instead, the people grow smaller plots of other grains like buckwheat and millet. So to embrace tradition, we chose steaming bowls of soba for lunch (soba is noodles made from buckwheat). Shirakawa go is an exquisite place that has done a remarkable job of preserving its own heritage. I am looking forward to going back this winter to see it covered in snow!