JP · Gifu Prefecture · 36.27°N 136.90°E

shirakawa-go

Steep thatched farmhouses beside rice fields, with snowy roofs in winter.

Best time
January–February for snow on the roofs and the winter light-up evenings. May and October–November are best for walking, with green fields or autumn colour. Summer is humid, and the village is busy all year.
How long
1 day, or 1 night in a farmhouse inn
Getting there
Fly from KL to Tokyo (about 7 hours). Take the Hokuriku Shinkansen to Kanazawa (about 2.5 hours), then the bus to Shirakawa-go (about 1 hour 15 minutes). Buses also run from Takayama, about an hour away. Japan is an hour ahead of KL.
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JP · Gifu Prefectureshirakawa-go36.27°N 136.90°Egowherelah.com
Dear group chat,Steep thatched farmhouses beside rice fields, with snowy roofs in winter.— gowherelahTo: whoever’s drivingShirakawa-goJP, Gifu Prefecture
KLshirakawa-go
≈ 5,155 km from KL, as the crow flies
Shirakawa-go (Ogi) in Shirakawa, Gifu prefecture, Japan

Photo: 663highland · CC BY 2.5

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Photos: Wikimedia Commons, credited on each.

A village of steep thatched farmhouses in a mountain valley, their roofs built to shed the heavy snow. Ogimachi, the main village, is still a working place, with rice fields, vegetable plots and water channels between the houses.

Makan

  1. Hoba misoMiso, leeks and mushrooms grilled on a dried magnolia leaf, sometimes with Hida beef.Map ↗
  2. Gohei mochiGrilled rice cakes on a stick, brushed with a sweet, nutty sauce.Map ↗

Things to do

  1. Ogimachi villageLanes of thatched farmhouses between rice fields and irrigation channels.Map ↗
  2. Shiroyama viewpointThe hillside lookout for the postcard view over the roofs, a short shuttle ride or walk up.Map ↗
  3. Wada HouseThe biggest farmhouse in the village, open to visitors, with the old silkworm rooms up in the attic.Map ↗
  4. Gassho-zukuri MinkaenAn open-air museum of farmhouses moved here from nearby villages, with their timber frames and tools on show.Map ↗

Good to know

  • Buses from Kanazawa and Takayama fill up in peak seasons, so book seats ahead.
  • The winter light-up evenings need their own advance reservation, separate from the bus.

Last checked October 2026. Things change, so check opening times, fees and transport before you go.