Duration: | 2 Day(s) - 1 Night(s) |
Tour Category: | Full Day Tours |
Historic Villages of Shirakawa-Gō and Gokayama
This is 2 day course from Tokyo. Guests take the Super Express train from Tokyo to Gifu, then to Takayama by train. Guests stay at the hotel at Takayama. Between Takayama and Shirakawa-go Nohi Bus operates hourly buses. The fee is in USD from Tokyo.
These villages are well known for their houses constructed in the architectural style known as Gasshō-Zukuri. The Gasshō-Zukuri, "prayer-hands construction" style is characterized by a thatched and steeply slanting roof resembling two hands joined in prayer. The design is exceptionally strong and, in combination with the unique properties of the thatching, allows the houses to withstand and shed the weight of the region's heavy snowfalls in winter.
The houses are large, with three to four stories encompassed between the low eaves, and historically intended to house large extended families and a highly efficient space for a variety of industries. The design is exceptionally strong and, in combination with the unique properties of the thatching, allows the houses to withstand and shed the weight of the region's heavy snowfalls in winter.