One of the great risks to these old wooden houses is fire, and all houses have elaborate fire-fighting systems installed to help combat any potential accidents. Some minshuku even have their own onsen for bathing. For dining, the minshuku serves local food such as fish and sansai (a collection of local mountain vegetables) around an irori, a square firepit used for cooking, sunk into the floor and often with a kettle suspended from the ceiling. Staying in a minshuku usually has traditional Japanese-style rooms. ![]() Originally, they were used as farmhouses, but today, the houses have been converted into restaurants, museums, and minshuku, a traditional Japanese bed and breakfast. Silk was a valuable commodity in the pre-war years, and Japan supplied much of it for international export. The attic spaces were used for the keeping of silkworms, supported by a diet of mulberry leaves and kept warm from the heat rising from the house below to create optimal conditions. Inside, the houses have 2 or 3 stories, originally intended to houses large families of up to 30 people. The houses face from north to south, to regulate the amount of sun the interior receives, keeping it warm in winter and cool in summer. Despite this, they support the high ceilings, forming roof angles up to 60°. The houses are built of strong cedar beams, bound together with rope and without any nails used in their construction. Due to their perfect adaptation to their environment, and their encapsulation of the traditions and history of the region, three villages were awarded UNESCO World Heritage status in 1995. The design style was developed over many generations, and some of the houses are over 250 years old. The region has been known to receive 2-3 metres of snow, and the roof design helps it slide off the top. ![]() Gasshō-zukuri translates to “constructed like hands in prayer,” and are built in that particular shape to withstand heavy snowfall during the winter months. Gasshō-zukuri HousesĪ traditional Shirakawa-gō house is instantly recognisable for its steep, triangular roof shape. This post may contain affiliate links, which means I may earn a small commission if you make a purchase through a link. Situated amongst the still waters of rice paddies glinting in the sun, and with stunning snowy mountains in the backdrop, Shirakawa and Gokayama are wonderful places turn back time and see Japan’s social and cultural history before your eyes. Largely untouched by modernisation, these family homes have retained their traditional ways of life for centuries. These villages of thatched-roof houses, designated as UNESCO World heritage sites, are examples of the Japanese building style of gasshō-zukuri. The regions are home to charming traditional houses, known for their steep thatched roofs that peek up from the landscape like little triangles. Hidden in the mountains of the Japanese island of Honshu are the picturesque areas of Shirakawa-Gō and Gokayama.
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