Shirakawa, or Shirakawa-go. Located roughly 50 kilometers northwest of Takayama lies one of the most beautiful UNESCO World Heritage villages in the world. In the past, this settlement was virtually unknown and largely inaccessible due to both its freezing winter temperatures and heavy snowfalls that lasted for most of the year. Historically, it was also a center for intriguing trade networks that ultimately contributed to the unification of Japan under the Tokugawa shogunate.

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However, the most significant transformations began in the 1950s. Major corporations stepped in, aiming to balance preservation with modernization, and built progressively better roads to improve accessibility, alongside new dams to meet rising energy demands. Given the rapid socio-economic shifts and overall lifestyle improvements of the era, many similar villages were destroyed; only the most prominent survived, prompting the Japanese government to intervene decisively and save what remained. The village originally contained fewer gassho-zukuri residences; some were literally dismantled and reconstructed here from neighboring settlements. In 1995, the village of Shirakawa (historically known as Shirakawa-go) officially became a UNESCO World Heritage site. This milestone directly sparked a massive influx of global tourism. Today, Shirakawa stands as an unmissable destination tucked between Takayama and Kanazawa, drawing travelers from all over the world, as well as Japanese domestic visitors.