Historic Villages of
Shirakawa-go and GokayamaWorld Heritage Center

To Live Here

　The “Historic Villages of Shirakawa-go and Gokayama” were registered as a UNESCO World Cultural Heritage site in 1995. Shirakawa-go and Gokayama are among Japan’s heaviest snowfall regions, surrounded by the steep mountains of Mt. Hakusan. In such a harsh natural environment, survival has always required the exercise of wisdom. The gassho style houses (gassho-zukuri) are truly the crystallization of that wisdom. Within them, we can see the ingenuity of the people of that era, wrung out in order to “live here.”

Japan’s Only Commoners’ Settlement Recognized as a Heritage Asset

　Gassho style houses (gassho-zukuri) are ordinary people’s dwellings—minka—from the early modern period. Most of Japan’s World Heritage sites consist of assets created by privileged classes, such as castles of national treasure class or religious properties. In contrast, the Historic Villages of Shirakawa-go and Gokayama are unique in that an entire settlement of commoners’ daily lives itself has become heritage. At the same time, they are indispensable for explaining Japan’s true historical path to the world—showing that it was not only aristocrats, high-ranking samurai, or monks who shaped culture, but also the lives and traditions of the common people.

Welcome to
the Historic Villages of Shirakawa-go and Gokayama World Heritage Center

　This World Heritage Center is a digital museum where you can learn about the significance of the Historic Villages of Shirakawa-go and Gokayama. Whether before or after visiting Shirakawa-go and Gokayama, by exploring the true value of the gassho style villages here, you will gain a clearer understanding of their authentic character. Welcome to the Historic Villages of Shirakawa-go and Gokayama!