We took highway bus to visit Shirakawa-go, where my mother always wanted to visit. Shirakawa-go was famous for its clasped-hands style thatching houses and was one of the UNESCO world heritage sites of Japan. There were so many Taiwanese, either with tourist groups or travelled by themselves, that we were confused at times that we were actually back at Taiwan.

The wooden gate in front of the glass structure of Kanazawa Station.


View of Shirakawa-go from a nearby hill.


It’s just passed 10 AM and the streets of Shirakawa-go village were already full of visitors.


There were snows on the peaks of mountains surrounding Shirakawa-go.


The clasped-style house began with simply one story structure as this one displayed at the open-air minka-en museum...


...and over time evolved to Japanese house with clasped-style thatching.


The wooden structure supporting the thatching.


The old style rice huller that were also used in Taiwan.


The suspension bridge connected the bus station to the Shirakawa-go village.


Many clasped-style houses served as guesthouses.


The still inhabited Wada house was opened for visiting. Tools for raising silkworms were displayed on the second floor.


The clasped style house and its reflection on the rice fields.


There were also many non-thatching wooden houses in Shirakawa-go village.


The sunken hearth inside one of the clasped style house.


View of surrounding houses from the third floor of a clasped style house.


Our day started and ended at the bus station and tourist information center of Shirakawa-go village.


The Next Day