Shirakawa-gō, where prayer meets architecture

Thu, January 25, 2018 / 10:46 am

+ See SlideShow

/

Shirakawa-gō was given UNESCO World Heritage status in 1995 due to the architecture of the village's houses, which can withstand heavy snow in extreme weather and have survived from the 11th century until now. JP/Anggara Mahendra
+ See SlideShow

/

A wooden statue of a man wearing a traditional outfit made of straw welcomes customers in front of a restaurant in the village. JP/Anggara Mahendra
+ See SlideShow

/

Houses in Shirakawa-gō are covered with thick snow, but the roofs stand strong. JP/Anggara Mahendra
+ See SlideShow

/

Tourists walk past an old house. JP/Anggara Mahendra
+ See SlideShow

/

The triangle roofs have been able to withstand thick snow and ice for centuries. JP/Anggara Mahendra
+ See SlideShow

/

The architecture also features thick walls made of logs. JP/Anggara Mahendra
+ See SlideShow

/

A wooden statue of a lumberjack in front of a souvenir shop welcomes tourists in Shirakawa-gō. JP/Anggara Mahendra
+ See SlideShow

/

A restaurant in the village shows the various options available inside. JP/Anggara Mahendra
+ See SlideShow

/

Japanese soba is one of the restaurant's specialties. JP/Anggara Mahendra
+ See SlideShow

/

Visitors play in the snow at Shirakawa-gō. JP/Anggara Mahendra
+ See SlideShow

/

The village has small altars for prayer and offerings. JP/Anggara Mahendra
+ See SlideShow

/

A snow cutter is used by villagers to remove thick snow. JP/Anggara Mahendra
+ See SlideShow

/

Villagers run water through perforated hoses to help melt the snow. JP/Anggara Mahendra
+ See SlideShow

/

A pine forest lies behind Shirakawa-gō. JP/Anggara Mahendra

Anggara Mahendra

A man formed a triangle shape with his fingers and then chanted a spell and recited a prayer to the gods. The triangle shape inspired the ancestors at Shirakawa-gō in Japan to make a similar design for their house's straw roof. The sloped design means that snow does not pile up, allowing it to withstand even the harshest snow conditions.

The design—called Gassho, which literally means "constructed like hands in prayer"—is also found in Gokayama village, at the slope of Mount Haku. The roof design was placed on the UNESCO World Heritage list in 1995. The village itself has survived for hundreds of years, since the 11th century.

Shirakawa-gō is a 356.55-square-kilometer area that gets a lot of snowfall. Apart from being given UNESCO World Heritage status, the village is open for all tourists wishing to enjoy thick snow and traditional architecture. In several locations near the temple and forest, the snow can be waist-high, with temperatures between minus 1 and minus 8 degrees Celsius.

Most villagers are farmers, while the rest run souvenir shops and restaurants for the tourists visiting Shirakawa-gō. [yan]