Introduction
Historic Villages of Shirakawa-go is a UNESCO World Heritage Site comprising traditional mountain villages, most notably Ogimachi, set in the remote Shogawa river valley of Gifu Prefecture, Japan. It is famous for its gassho-zukuri farmhouses with steep thatched roofs designed to withstand heavy snowfall, some over 100 of which remain in the area. Registered as a UNESCO site in 1995 together with the villages of Gokayama, it offers visitors a glimpse into a preserved rural Japanese way of life surrounded by mountains and forests.