Verified in Japan

Shirakawa, Gifu / 白川郷合掌造り集落（荻町）

Shirakawa-go Gassho-zukuri Village (Ogimachi)

A village of gassho-zukuri farmhouses in one of Japan's heaviest snowfall areas, where people still live. It was selected as an Important Preservation District for Groups of Traditional Buildings in 1976 and, together with Gokayama (Toyama), registered as a UNESCO World Heritage Site (cultural) in 1995 as "Historic Villages of Shirakawa-go and Gokayama". Ogimachi has set three principles: "do not sell, do not rent, do not destroy".

Last official check

26 Sept 2026

Traveler reports

0

Reports open in Phase 2

Next scheduled check

25 Dec 2026

Decide before you go

A short summary made from the official facts below. Check the rows for details.

Getting there
Train / Bus

Before you go

Only facts we confirmed on official sources are shown. Anything else is marked “Not checked yet”.

Opening hours

Not checked yet — we have not confirmed this on an official source yet. Check with the spot before you go.

Closed

Not checked yet — we have not confirmed this on an official source yet. Check with the spot before you go.

Admission

Not checked yet — we have not confirmed this on an official source yet. Check with the spot before you go.

Getting there

50-60 minutes by bus from JR Takayama Station; 75 minutes by bus from JR Kanazawa Station.

Checked 26 Sept 2026 on the official site
Parking

Village-run Seseragi Park car park: about 200 cars (2,000 yen), about 40 large vehicles (10,000 yen); 8:00-17:00 (last entry 16:30).

Checked 26 Sept 2026 on the official site
Payment

Not checked yet — we have not confirmed this on an official source yet. Check with the spot before you go.

Accessibility

Not checked yet — we have not confirmed this on an official source yet. Check with the spot before you go.

Found wrong or outdated information? Let us know

Address: Shirakawa, Gifu (Japanese address: 岐阜県大野郡白川村荻町)

Official site: https://shirakawa-go.gr.jp/

Location

Smaller pins are other spots nearby.

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Nearby spots

Distances are straight-line distances, not travel distances.

Crowds

Crowd level

Not checked yet — no official source yet, and not enough traveler reports.

Best time to visit

Cherry blossoms usually open around April 15; autumn leaves are usually best from late October to early November.

Checked 26 Sept 2026 on the official site
Peak time

Not checked yet — no official source yet, and not enough traveler reports.

Busiest days

Not checked yet — no official source yet, and not enough traveler reports.

Busiest season

Not checked yet — no official source yet, and not enough traveler reports.

Latest traveler report
None yet

When busy, staff direct cars to the Midashima Park or Terao temporary car parks. On light-up days the car park is for booked buses only from 15:00.Checked 26 Sept 2026 on the official site

Traveler crowd data by time of day appears after 5 traveler reports (0 so far).

You can check typical busy hours in Google Maps ("Popular times" on the place's page). Open this spot in Google Maps

Visiting respectfully

  • RulesVisit the World Heritage village between 8:00 and 17:00 (except guests staying in the village, and on event days such as light-ups).Checked 26 Sept 2026 on the official site
  • Residential areaPeople live in the village. Do not enter private property or fields, look into houses or open doors without permission, and do not pick vegetables, flowers or crops.Checked 26 Sept 2026 on the official site
  • NatureThere are no rubbish bins in the village; take your rubbish home.Checked 26 Sept 2026 on the official site
  • RulesNo smoking outside designated places in the village (heated tobacco without fire excepted). Fireworks, bonfires and camping are prohibited.Checked 26 Sept 2026 on the official site

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