 Most viewed - Shirakawa 白川村 |
Dinner at Isaburo: River fish and mountain vegetables. After dinner, the proprietress and her husband and daughter sang and danced for us. 702 viewsThey demonstrated different traditional musical instruments and had us try playing them. It was great. However, I was told that they don't do that anymore.
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Shirakawa-go 白川郷678 views
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Bird's eye view of Shirakawa-go from Ogimachi Castle ruins.530 views
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Breakfast at Otaya467 views
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Mountain vegetables 山菜439 views
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Shirakawa-go 白川郷438 views
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Grilled Iwana river fish426 views
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Dinner425 views
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Breakfast at Isaburo minshuku422 views
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Myozenji is a Buddhist temple of the Jodo Shinshu sect, the most common sect in Shirakawa-go.386 views
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Fried Iwana, eat the head and all.363 views
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Shirakawa-go is also a National Important Traditional Townscape Preservation District (重要伝統的建造物群保存地区).350 views
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Tofu350 views
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The bottom ends of these beams are pegged into a point (komajiri) resting on another cross beam. Wada House, Shirakawa-go334 views
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Close-up of Ogimachi326 views
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Wada House, Shirakawa-go317 views
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291 views
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Myozenji Temple, Shirakawa-go279 views
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Myozenji temple bell with thatched roof268 views
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Side view of Wada-ke House263 views
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Isaburo minshuku 民宿 伊三郎260 views
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Manhole in Shirakawa-go.255 views
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Inside Otaya252 views
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246 views
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240 views
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Otaya minshuku 民宿 太田屋240 views
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233 views
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The thatched roof is replaced every 30 years. Every spring, 6 or 7 thatched roofs are replaced in Shirakawa-go.223 views
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Implements to raise silkworms.215 views
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Mihoro Dam, made only of rocks and clay. 131 meters high, 405 meters long.214 views
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211 views
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Entrance to Isaburo209 views
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206 views
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204 views
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Photo gallery202 views
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It costs several million yen and a small army of workers to replace the thatch. The cost is subsidized by the town, prefecture, and national government.201 views
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Myozenji is the only temple in the gassho-zukuri style with a thatched roof. The Hondo worshp hall is the largest building in Shirakawa-go.201 views
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Foundation and pillars rest on stones. The beam is shaped to fit the stone.198 views
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Due to a lack of thatch, only half of one side of Otaya's roof is newly thatched.197 views
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196 views
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Rethatching a small storehouse.192 views
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Two foundation beams interlock.192 views
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Restaurant191 views
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Gassho-zukuri Minka-en outdoor museum190 views
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189 views
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Dam reservoir183 views
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180 views
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River next to the inn, mainly to carry away snow.177 views
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Hida beef176 views
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174 views
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Tofu steak174 views
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Shokawa River173 views
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Deai Bridge crossing the Shokawa River.171 views
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Cooling system168 views
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167 views
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166 views
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Main house on left and latrine on right with large vats to gather fertilizer.161 views
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Path to Wada House entrance161 views
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Underside of roof made of an A-frame truss structure161 views
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Tourist Information Office159 views
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159 views
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Gassho-zukuri minka houses slated for destruction were moved to this outdoor museum and saved.159 views
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Entrance to the Gassho-zukuri Minka-en outdoor museum.158 views
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Where silkworms were raised to make silk cocoons.158 views
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157 views
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Shirakawa Village Office156 views
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Gassho-zukuri Minka-en outdoor museum155 views
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Tourist Info Office near the bus stop.155 views
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155 views
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Another rope made of a crushed tree branch to tie smaller beams. It tightens as it dries.153 views
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152 views
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Thatch repair work.151 views
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Deai Bridge151 views
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Straw rope tie the large beams to form a truss for the roof.151 views
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149 views
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149 views
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Main house with a recently rethatched roof, making it look very smooth.147 views
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146 views
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145 views
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A small stream beside the house helps to melt the snow falling off the roof.144 views
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Tourist Information Office in the center of town.143 views
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Gable openings let light and air come through the attic to foster silkworms.141 views
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138 views
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Restroom behind the Tourist Information Office137 views
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137 views
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Fire hydrant137 views
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Myozenji Temple Museum136 views
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Slats on the attic floor to enable smoke and soot from the hearth to reach the attic.134 views
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Parking lot along the main road through the village.132 views
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Dinner at Hisamatsu, Shirakawa-go. Includes Hida beef.128 views
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126 views
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126 views
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View of temple roof121 views
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Breakfast at Hisamatsu, Shirakawa-go118 views
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In autumn (Oct.), approaching rice harvest season.82 views
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Sink82 views
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82 views
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Dinner at Hisamatsu near the irori hearth while the friendly proprietress chatted with us. I asked her about the difficulty of having a successor to take over the minshuku.82 viewsShe said it was a common problem among the minshuku operators there and hoped that one of her daughters would take over. She explained the Three Golden Rules that they follow: Do not sell, do not rent, and do not destroy the farmhouse. They are trying to change the rule about "do not rent." Perhaps if they rent it, the owner family can have another family operate their lodge.
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Irori hearth in Hisamatsu minshuku82 views
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My room80 views
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79 views
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My room in Furusato.78 views
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My room in Furusato. It was not the same room where the crown prince stayed.77 views
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Most people go through an agent to book a room instead contacting individual minshuku to see if they have a room.75 viewsThese are two minshuku, Hisamatsu on the left and Furusato on the right. They are within walking distance from the bus stop.
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Myozenji's temple bell74 views
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74 views
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When you want to stay overnight in Shirakawa-go, it's hard to decide which minshuku (farmhouse lodge) to stay in. There's a good number of minshuku in Shirakawa-go.74 views
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I was surprised to see these pictures displayed inside Furusato. They showed Prince Hiro (currently the Crown Prince) who stayed at this minshuku while a college student.74 viewsHis brother Prince Aya/Akishino also stayed at this same minshuku when he was in college.
I was very surprised to hear from the proprietress that the Imperial Household Agency had designated the Furusato minshuku as *the* place to stay for Imperial family members visiting Shirakawa-go. She doesn't know exactly why. She says that although it was an honor to host the Princes, they can't really advertise it (the Imperial family can never be used for commercial purposes). She also lost money because they (her mother) had to buy new, fluffy futons, etc., just for the prince.
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Next to Furusato is another minshuku named Hisamatsu in Shirakawa-go. Looks almost the same on the outside.74 views
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Hisamatsu at night.74 views
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73 views
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Inside the Myozenji temple Hondo worship hall. Tatami mats and looks like a typical Jodo Shinshu temple on the inside.73 views
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Irori hearth in Myozenji temple73 views
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Greetings in English by Furusato. ¥9,000 per night including a sumptuous breakfast and dinner. 73 views
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It costs 10 million yen to rethatch the roof. They do it once every 30 years. The thatch is Japanese pampas grass (susuki) from the base of Mt. Fuji.73 viewsThe rethatch cost is subsidized by the national government and municipality. So the family only pays one-third the cost of 10 million yen. In the old days, they had family and friends gather the thatch and the roof was rethatched by the villagers as a community project. Not anymore. They have to hire professionals to do it which cost a lot of money.
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Myozenji's Hondo Main worship hall72 views
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The Hondo worship hall can be entered through the adjoining building.72 views
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72 views
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This is a minshuku in Shirakawa-go named Furusato where I stayed overnight. Looks very traditional on the outside and there are strict regulations on keeping it that way. ふるさと72 views
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71 views
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71 views
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The restrooms are modern. I'm told this part of the house was for horses.71 views
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Buddhist altar of Myozenji69 views
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69 views
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View from the upper floor of the temple museum.68 views
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68 views
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Inside the temple museum.67 views
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65 views
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Side view of Hondo worship hall.63 views
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Roof of Hondo worship hall.63 views
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63 views
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63 views
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Myozenji Hondo worship hall.62 views
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Enter Myozenji through this adjacent and adjoining building that is a museum and minister's residence.61 views
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60 views
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