Shirakawa-mura trip planner

Set amid quintessentially Japanese landscape, Shirakawa-mura consists of 16 quaint villages, including a historic village of farm houses, now designated a World Heritage Site. The distinctive wooden buildings have been designed with sheer, sloping thatched roofs, so as not to allow a thick build-up of snow during the winter. Said to appear like hands clasped in prayer, the scene of the homes against the backdrop of rice paddies, cherry blossoms, and forested mountains looks like a painting from the feudal era, with few concessions--apart from all the tourists--to the modern world. Make your own Shirakawa-mura vacation itinerary, with a little help from those that know the place like the back of their hands, by using our Japan attractions planning tool .