World Heritage Identification Number: 734
World Heritage since: 1995
Category: Cultural Heritage
Transboundary Heritage: No
Endangered Heritage: No
Country: 🇯🇵 Japan
Continent: Asia
UNESCO World Region: Asia and the Pacific
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The Architectural Marvels of Historic Villages of Shirakawa-go and Gokayama
The Historic Villages of Shirakawa-go and Gokayama, nestled in the remote Shogawa River Valley, offer a unique glimpse into Japan's rich cultural heritage. These villages, inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1995, present an exceptional example of a traditional lifestyle harmoniously adapted to the environment and socio-economic conditions.
More to come…UNESCO Description of the World Heritage Site
Located in a mountainous region that was cut off from the rest of the world for a long period of time, these villages with their Gassho-style houses subsisted on the cultivation of mulberry trees and the rearing of silkworms. The large houses with their steeply pitched thatched roofs are the only examples of their kind in Japan. Despite economic upheavals, the villages of Ogimachi, Ainokura and Suganuma are outstanding examples of a traditional way of life perfectly adapted to the environment and people's social and economic circumstances.
Encyclopedia Record: Historic Villages of Shirakawa-gō and Gokayama
The Historic Villages of Shirakawa-gō and Gokayama are one of Japan's UNESCO World Heritage Sites. The cultural property consists of three historic mountain villages over an area of 68 hectares in the remote Shogawa river valley, stretching across the border of Gifu and Toyama Prefectures in central Japan. Shirakawa-gō is located in the village of Shirakawa in Gifu Prefecture. The Gokayama area is divided between the former villages of Kamitaira and Taira in Nanto, Toyama Prefecture.Additional Site Details
Area: 68 hectares
(v) — Outstanding example of traditional human settlement
Coordinates: 36.4 , 136.8833333
