Shirakawago Gassho Zukuri Minkaen
Shirakawago Gassho Zukuri Minkaen
Shirakawago Gassho Zukuri Minkaen
4.5
8:40 AM - 4:40 PM
Monday
8:40 AM - 4:40 PM
Tuesday
8:40 AM - 4:40 PM
Wednesday
8:40 AM - 4:40 PM
Friday
8:40 AM - 4:40 PM
Saturday
8:40 AM - 4:40 PM
Sunday
8:40 AM - 4:40 PM
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Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.
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4.5
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Luv2TravelFarNWide
Atenas, Costa Rica1,389 contributions
Aug 2023 • Couples
So, this is pretty much a drive by, snap a few photos and move on kind of place. The house open for tours seemed to be a good example of what USED to be, but they no longer have any silk worms or production, and haven't for years.
Due to the layout of these 2 and 3 story homes, it's impossible to tour without waiting for others to go up and down the steep wooden ladders. And what you see when you get to the next floor is some pieces of wooden frames, tables, etc -- but no real explanation of how the silk worms were raised.
Disappointing. Seems to be more of a tourist trap at this point. Could probably have done better with a good book about the area.
Due to the layout of these 2 and 3 story homes, it's impossible to tour without waiting for others to go up and down the steep wooden ladders. And what you see when you get to the next floor is some pieces of wooden frames, tables, etc -- but no real explanation of how the silk worms were raised.
Disappointing. Seems to be more of a tourist trap at this point. Could probably have done better with a good book about the area.
Written September 16, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
ZenDark30
Portland, OR4,504 contributions
Nov 2023 • Friends
This is not a theme park, it’s a real life functioning village listed by UNESCO as a heritage site. Here, the community has retained the traditional architecture of thatched roofs and wooden buildings.
It’s fun to walk around, eat soba and take photos. There’s dozens of your buses or you can drive yourself.
It’s fun to walk around, eat soba and take photos. There’s dozens of your buses or you can drive yourself.
Written November 14, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Myclare
Melbourne250 contributions
Oct 2013 • Couples
Not wanting to spend 1 hour each way (plus pay for it) in a bus to visit Shirakawago and then go over the same ground again to get to Kanazawa, we found out (thanks Tripadvisor forum) that we could catch a Nohi bus from Takayama to Shirakawago, store our luggage in HUGE lockers (Y600 accommodated 2 large suitcases and 2 packs) see the UNESCO town and then catch the afternoon bus to Kanazawa. This decision was well worth it and made for a most enjoyable travel day. Some comments said stay overnight. If you are doing a slow trip of Japan, maybe to get a different feel of the place, however we were very happy with our 4ish hours and yes it is well worth visiting. We took the first bus out of Takayama (0850 hours - this bus does not need to be reserved - buy your ticket on the day of departure (or before as the ticket queques can be long), queque up and if there are too many booked for one bus they put on a second so don't panic if they queque is very long which it was on the day we went) which arrived around 9.00, we spent 2 - 3 hours wandering around then ate our sandwich lunch (which we had brought from Takayama but there are plenty of restaurants if you would rather eat in) and read our books on the banks of the stunning river that the town resides on, before catching the 1350 hours Nohi bus (this bus must be reserved) to Kanazawa arriving around 1500 hours. The village itself is a remote working village in the mountains (much of the bus ride is going through tunnels) and the gassho houses are interesting. The leaves were starting to turn into autumnal tones when we were there at the end of October. I would definitely recommend this as a stopover visit, the place had an aura of calm, quaintness and is extremely well cared for, not a blade of grass out of place. And amazingly you pay nothing to visit the town, just a few yen to go into a few "show houses" if you wish to - as an aside if you have visited the Hida Village in Takayama you have a good understanding of these gassho houses so this entrance fee albeit modest can be saved if you are on a tight budget. Two other items of note - do take the mini bus to the observation area (it leaves from the "town carpark" - sit at the back of the bus it is Y100 rather than Y200 and the ride is less than 5 minutes) and you get a fabulous overview of the houses in the valley then wander down into the town to explore in more detail (you can walk both ways but it is "a way" and probably not for all but the fit and extremely keen. Secondly the Nohi bus is extremely comfortable, with on board toilet. The overhead racks are narrow so put any "fat" packs in the bag storage under the bus or you will be squashed if the bus is full.
Written November 23, 2013
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Cristina R
Manila, Philippines8 contributions
Dec 2014 • Solo
This is just appalling especially for those who are traveling alone and want to stay in the village. I have submitted a request to stay in one of the guest houses, though I quickly got a response - the reply was...
"Sorry but in Shirakawa-go we had too many trouble with single guests so we will not make reservation for single guests anymore in the Shirakawa-go village."
Geez, helpful isn't it?
"Sorry but in Shirakawa-go we had too many trouble with single guests so we will not make reservation for single guests anymore in the Shirakawa-go village."
Geez, helpful isn't it?
Written December 25, 2014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
trueblueaussie
Melbourne355 contributions
Oct 2011 • Couples
I know this seems a long time ago, but after reviewing places we went to this year, I felt I needed to say some things about our first overseas trip in October 2010, which, at the time I neglected to do. I do hope this review is included as I hardly think things have changed that much in 2 years! I was asked why Japan for our first overseas trip and the reason? I have a penfriend who lives in Chigasaki, first letter from her in 1963 and still writing to each other (lived in Yokohama when we first started writing).
Ogimachi was a truly amazing place tucked away in the central mountains of Japan. I had seen a photo in a travel section of my newspaper looking from the top of the hill into the valley and after seeing the photo we decided this had to be on our itinerary. It is also because this place is a World Heritage Site that determined us even more to stay here.
We stayed in one of the gasso houses and were treated to a tradtional Japanese dinner, accommodation and breakfast.
One the second day, we tripped around the houses and were able to see first hand how the thatched roofs are restored. To get to Ogimachi, we rode a bus from Takayama through so many tunnels, some a quite a few kilometres long, not to forget to see the incredible fly overs to and from Takayama to Ogimachi. This place is a must for travellers as it gives an insight into the lives of the local people whose existence probably hasn't changed much over the years, except adapting some up-to-date modern conveniences.
Ogimachi was a truly amazing place tucked away in the central mountains of Japan. I had seen a photo in a travel section of my newspaper looking from the top of the hill into the valley and after seeing the photo we decided this had to be on our itinerary. It is also because this place is a World Heritage Site that determined us even more to stay here.
We stayed in one of the gasso houses and were treated to a tradtional Japanese dinner, accommodation and breakfast.
One the second day, we tripped around the houses and were able to see first hand how the thatched roofs are restored. To get to Ogimachi, we rode a bus from Takayama through so many tunnels, some a quite a few kilometres long, not to forget to see the incredible fly overs to and from Takayama to Ogimachi. This place is a must for travellers as it gives an insight into the lives of the local people whose existence probably hasn't changed much over the years, except adapting some up-to-date modern conveniences.
Written September 23, 2012
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
8pins
Singapore, Singapore220 contributions
Apr 2013 • Couples
excellent hospitality in Kanja. must book early to avoid disappointment as there are limited number of ryokans.Dinner and breakfast are part of the deal..have a dip in the onsen overlooking a river. be sure to try their hida beef.take lots of pictures
Written August 24, 2013
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Joycee456
Philippines22 contributions
Apr 2012 • Couples
Shirakawa-go is a mountain village 50 minutes away from Takayama, Japan, with beautifully preserved 200-plus yr-old "gassho-zukuri" thatched roof houses, with huge & sturdy wooden beams, mosty in their original state. Gassho- zukuri refers to the shape/ angle of the the house roofs, which are like two praying hands, in an "A" shape, designed to withstand heavy snow. The place has been designated as a Unesco World Heritage site. We visited Shirakawago first week of April, 2012, and wow, it was still snowing! There is a viewing/ look-out point where one can appreciate the village and the snow-capped "A"- style houses a little further up the mountains-- this site accessible via a mini-bus from the town center. To go to Shirakawago, one takes a bus, or car, from Takayama, and it's amazing to be able to reach the mountain in no time, without having to pass zigzag roads! The Japanese just built tunnels in mountains along the way_thus, our bus just passed one tunnel after another...and voila, we were way up already! We stayed in one of these old houses which had been converted to a bed and breakfast, with the descendants of the original owners attending to us and preparing our food. In the village, there is a Museum depicting the gassho-house construction as well as displaying primitive tools and implements used in farming by the original villagers. Up to now, the village is still a farming community in spring and summer, but in winter, I guess it's just a tourist village, but oh-so-charming! There are other big houses owned by old prominent families which have been converted to Museums as well, and one can visit them. Even in winter, as long as it's sunny or if snow is not heavy, one can just go around the village on foot. It's a compact place surrounded by mountains, and dotted with evergreens, divided by a gushing river, and good for a 2-day, one night, relaxing stay! You can check it out at www.shirakawa-go.org.
Written May 23, 2012
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Bundtlust
Katori, Japan993 contributions
May 2012 • Solo
One of the main reasons I wanted to visit Takayama was to see the preserved thatched-roof farmhouses of Shirakawa-go. I'd already visited the Hida Folk Museum in Takayama, which features several relocated gassho-zukuri farmhouses, but the vast majority of surviving farmhouses are found in Ogimachi.
The bus ride from Takayama takes about an hour. Shirakawa-go is a very touristy area with an open-air museum featuring 25 gassho-zukuri farmhouses that are open to the public. I was even brave / crazy enough to climb up to the third floor of a farmhouse and shuffle (shoeless, naturally!) along a thin wooden plank about 12" wide from one side of the roof to the other. Did I mention that there are no handrails? And the floor is open to the three stories below? Hint: don't look down.
The evolution of these farmhouses is ingenious. The top level of the farmhouses had slats so that the woodsmoke from the indoor fireplaces (cough, cough!) could drift upwards. Various wooden platforms held meats for smoking, and at the top level were the silkworm cocoons. The smoke also served to keep insects out of the thatched roof. Also, no nails were used in the construction; the grass roof is held in place by ropes. When a new roof is put on (they're made from local susuki grass and can last 30 to 40 years), it costs 200,000 dollars to reroof and requires a lot of manpower. The grass is sewn into place using huge wooden needles!
I then headed across the (heavily swaying) footbridge that connects to Ogimachi, a town where people actually still LIVE in many of the gassho-zukuri houses. Still touristy, but there are laundry lines and proof that people live there. I visited the damp Myozen-ji Temple Museum (and climbed up to the third floor and walked the plank...again!) and wandered around for a bit before heading back for the bus stop. Admission to the "museum buildings" is pretty cheap (around 300-500 yen admission per house in Ogimachi, and 500 yen for the Shirakawago Gassho-zukuri Folklore Park).
A very unique experience...several of the gassho-zukuri operate as hotels / inns if you are interested in spending the night.
The bus ride from Takayama takes about an hour. Shirakawa-go is a very touristy area with an open-air museum featuring 25 gassho-zukuri farmhouses that are open to the public. I was even brave / crazy enough to climb up to the third floor of a farmhouse and shuffle (shoeless, naturally!) along a thin wooden plank about 12" wide from one side of the roof to the other. Did I mention that there are no handrails? And the floor is open to the three stories below? Hint: don't look down.
The evolution of these farmhouses is ingenious. The top level of the farmhouses had slats so that the woodsmoke from the indoor fireplaces (cough, cough!) could drift upwards. Various wooden platforms held meats for smoking, and at the top level were the silkworm cocoons. The smoke also served to keep insects out of the thatched roof. Also, no nails were used in the construction; the grass roof is held in place by ropes. When a new roof is put on (they're made from local susuki grass and can last 30 to 40 years), it costs 200,000 dollars to reroof and requires a lot of manpower. The grass is sewn into place using huge wooden needles!
I then headed across the (heavily swaying) footbridge that connects to Ogimachi, a town where people actually still LIVE in many of the gassho-zukuri houses. Still touristy, but there are laundry lines and proof that people live there. I visited the damp Myozen-ji Temple Museum (and climbed up to the third floor and walked the plank...again!) and wandered around for a bit before heading back for the bus stop. Admission to the "museum buildings" is pretty cheap (around 300-500 yen admission per house in Ogimachi, and 500 yen for the Shirakawago Gassho-zukuri Folklore Park).
A very unique experience...several of the gassho-zukuri operate as hotels / inns if you are interested in spending the night.
Written August 4, 2012
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
cantiksekali
Sydney, Australia64 contributions
Mar 2015 • Couples
Sight & Sound
I've always thought that places like these are just made up in movies and fantasy. It's actually real. What a great blessing and privilege to be able to visit and stay a night in a place like this. It was just perfect. Cold, no wind and snowing! Every angle you look is just picture perfect. Words can't describe this place. Just go! (Note: Mine was in early March - post winter experience but I was told that other seasons are just as pretty)
Accomodation
Initially, host at the gassho house (Magoemon) seem unfriendly. Room was available but she would not allow us in until 3pm check-in time. (In fact, I've grown accustomed to this practice - just Japanese service!) She appeared quite stress. Her parents are friendly though. She was more friendly later. The dinner (Hida beef set and charcoal grilled fish over a sand pit) and breakfast set was excellent. BTW... you are only allowed one night per gassho house. I think it's sufficient. You will need to book another gassho house for additional nights. The only place to book this is through the 'japaneseguesthouses.com' site. Payment in CASH only
Getting There
By Nohi bus from Takayama - 1 hour. Stops at the bus station. Walk across the suspension bridge and you are in the Unesco Heritage site. We were also blessed to have the Takayama-Hokuriku Tourist Pass available. Sadly, this pass will no longer be issued post June 2015. I was told that it was a special 50th Shinkansen anniversay pass. Great savings covering Nagoya-GIfu region-Kanazawa-Osaka.
Time Needed
2-3 hours. Great if you can stay overnight just for the experience in a gassho house and eat their Hida-set meals.
I've always thought that places like these are just made up in movies and fantasy. It's actually real. What a great blessing and privilege to be able to visit and stay a night in a place like this. It was just perfect. Cold, no wind and snowing! Every angle you look is just picture perfect. Words can't describe this place. Just go! (Note: Mine was in early March - post winter experience but I was told that other seasons are just as pretty)
Accomodation
Initially, host at the gassho house (Magoemon) seem unfriendly. Room was available but she would not allow us in until 3pm check-in time. (In fact, I've grown accustomed to this practice - just Japanese service!) She appeared quite stress. Her parents are friendly though. She was more friendly later. The dinner (Hida beef set and charcoal grilled fish over a sand pit) and breakfast set was excellent. BTW... you are only allowed one night per gassho house. I think it's sufficient. You will need to book another gassho house for additional nights. The only place to book this is through the 'japaneseguesthouses.com' site. Payment in CASH only
Getting There
By Nohi bus from Takayama - 1 hour. Stops at the bus station. Walk across the suspension bridge and you are in the Unesco Heritage site. We were also blessed to have the Takayama-Hokuriku Tourist Pass available. Sadly, this pass will no longer be issued post June 2015. I was told that it was a special 50th Shinkansen anniversay pass. Great savings covering Nagoya-GIfu region-Kanazawa-Osaka.
Time Needed
2-3 hours. Great if you can stay overnight just for the experience in a gassho house and eat their Hida-set meals.
Written March 10, 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Shirley Y
Hong Kong, China220 contributions
Aug 2015 • Solo
The name actually refers to the open air museum in Sirakawago. The ticket is of good value for money. The huts in the open air museum area are actually a condensed version of the whole village, and you got the chance to enter each and every one of them with interesting exhibits. The whole museum area is great for taking pictures, and I spent almost 3 hours inside. I bought ticket for one of the huts in the village, and discovered that once you've visited the museum, there's no need to enter those houses which are just similar. It might be less interesting for western tourists, though, because all explanations are only in Japanese. I am Chinese and can recognize some Japanese characters. I even explained to an European couple how the whole silk weaving process went when they were so puzzled in front of the exhibits. Remember to try the sake ice-cream sold inside the museum.
Written September 18, 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
I plan to visit shirakawago in mid jan. Is it possible to stay 1 night there? Any recommendation of place to stay? Thank you
Written November 5, 2018
Sure, you can stay there. There are many Guest house or Homestay in Shirakawago. You can check on Booking or Agoda and also Trip advisor. I recommend Shiroyamakan (城山館 白川郷). It got 9.6 points in booking but you can check it before make a reservation.
Written November 5, 2018
For anyone who visited this place around November, may I know what are the dates with peak autumn colors? Thanks in advance.
Written April 3, 2018
I went there on the 16 of november 2017.. so around 15-20ish should be good... around 23and up its covered with snow....
Written May 10, 2018
Hi.
We plan to see the light up at Shirakawago but travelling time is very tight. Would it be safe to leave luggage with hostel operator at the train/bus station? There is 13 of us. we have booked Sakura Guest house and not sure if such arrangement is a good idea.
we only have 40 mins to ran from train station to Sakura and back to bus station to catch our bus to Shirakwago . Has anyone have such experience? Appreciate your advise.
thank you very much
Written January 17, 2018
Hi Jenn, from the looks of it, you're staying about 1.5km from the train station. If you mean to say that you are living at the guest house but are going to Shirakawa-go for an overnight stay before returning to Takayama, it might be best if you check with the guest house management if they can store your luggage as it is for 13 persons.
However, if you are taking the train after returning from Shirakawa-go and do not have much time, I would suggest using the lockers at the train station (about ¥400 to ¥800 depending on locker size).
The bus ride to and from Shirakawa-go is about 45mins, so you will have to factor this in. So I would also factor in that you are travelling in a large group and leaving your luggage at the guest house might be inconvenient if you have a tight schedule.
Written January 18, 2018
Hello there...
I'll be in kyoto and osaka from 27/4-1/5/18 (the golden week). I'm dying to go to shirakawago but we're short on time!
So may I ask :
1. Is it possible to make a day trip to shirakawago from Kyoto?
2. If yes, is the journey worth a-few-hours-visit I'm shirakawago?
3. Is there direct transport from Kyoto to shirakawago?
Many thanks in advance for your response
Written January 14, 2018
Hi Shuyen,
Personally, i think its too far to travel from Kyoto to Shirakawago.
There is no direct transport. Via bullet train, you need to change from Kyoto to Takayama and then via bus to Shirakawago. Easily, 5 hours 1 way which doesn't make sense. The cost is too expensive as well.
We tour around the Shirakawago Village a good 3 to 4 hours. So ideally to reach there in the late morning and stay till 2 to 3 pm.
Written January 23, 2018
Hi
My family and I will be traveling to Shirakwago in January and we are so lucky that our date coincide with the Shirakawago lightup. Do we need to book to enter and is there is fee? We have purchased the travel pass from Osaka to Takayama and this pass include the bus trip to Shirakawago. Do we need to buy a tour as i see from many websites saying that we need to buy a tour to enter.
Written December 14, 2017
I’m afraid I can’t help on this one. There was not a lightup the time we were there. The only “tour” I was aware of was a short bus trip from the village centre to the top of the hill which overlooks the village and offers a good view.
Written December 16, 2017
Hi...can someone helps me..
Will the shirakawago have snow ON december 14..how about last year..coz I will travel n stay for 1 night in the minshuku..
Thanks...
Written August 1, 2017
For see Takayama and Shirakawa Go It is better stay two night in Takayama and go and return To Shirakawa or It is better to sleep only one night in Takayama and by bus in the same day To go to Kanazawa?
Written June 17, 2016
aromacom
Malaysia
Hi, I just want to know how to get to shiragawa from Tokyo and how to book the local sightseeing tour.
Besides, is it better to overnight in Takayama or Shiragawa and any goods recommendation for accomodation? Thank you
Written November 12, 2015
Check this out (especially minute 3:10).. go to my youtube (Andika Kamal n Shirakawa-Go)
Written April 13, 2016
Hi there,is it possible to make a day trip by using public transport to Shirakawago from Kyoto ,or must with a stopover at Takayama ?
Written November 10, 2015
hi, I plan to stay at shirakawa-gp gassho on 15/1/2016 -17/1/2016.
Anyone can help on how to book the gassho?
Written October 16, 2015
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