Gassho style village in Shirakawa-go and Gokayama

The village of Shirakawa-go consists of a group of large wooden houses.

Under the large thatched roof, there are 3 to 5 floors, with the first floor being a large living space.

The second floor and above are used as attic bedrooms or work spaces.

It was common for a large family of ten or more people to live in one building.

The Ogimachi area, where approximately 50 private houses of this type from the 18th and 19th centuries remain, is located in the middle of mountain fields.

Surrounded by a broad-leaved forest, the private houses are lined up parallel to the direction of the central valley, and together with the steep thatched roofs, create a unique village landscape.

This area came under the direct control of the Edo Shogunate from the late 17th century, and many of the residents made a living through farming, felling and transporting timber, etc.

In the attics of private houses, work such as sericulture was also carried out.

It is also interesting that there was a mutual aid organization of residents called “Yui”, and the custom of working together to maintain houses, such as replacing roofs, is also interesting.

Shirakawa village is a series of private houses with large living and working spaces where large families lived.

It forms a unique landscape in the world.

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