Shirakawa-go: A Must-Visit UNESCO World Heritage

Arnold Jarn Ford Buhisan
Feb 6, 2018
4 min read

Updated: Feb 14, 2019

Shirakawa-go is home to Japan's traditional gassho-zukuri farmhouses, some of which are actually more than 250 years old. Gassho-zukuri means "constructed like hands in prayer". It's specially-designed to withstand heavy snow when snow falls in the region during winter.

I can't contain it because I think this is the first blog that got me really really really excited. I am excited of the fact that I would get the chance to tell you how wonderful this place is and show you its beauty through the lens of my camera.

You know what really motivated me to come to this wonderful place? It's the SNOW. Snooooooow. I know a lot of you have already dreamt about experiencing winter when you were just a kid--how you would catch snow flakes with your mouth or make snow angels like those movies you see on TV. We all know this is impossible to happen in the Philippines, unless you go to those amusement parks that offer tours inside a freezer. Anyway, I have the same imagination and when I learned that I was going to Japan on a winter, I knew I had to visit Shirakawa-go. So how do you visit this gem of a place in Japan from Nagoya? Here's how:

Buying The Ticket...

Note: The cheapest way to get to Shirakawa-go is by bus. I'll teach you how.

Buying the ticket should be your top priority so that you may be able to conveniently choose for your most desired time of departure. We were able to get an early trip but not the day after we bought the tickets so it's always better to purchase them in advance.

The Meitetsu Bus Terminal is located just outside the Nagoya Station so you don't need to go far. It's a bit tricky to go there but just follow the signs and you'll be alright. You may also ask an information officer or better yet go there the day before your trip just to figure out where it is.

It was really weird but when we arrived at the terminal and asked the ticketing officer about the price, he said around 3,900 Yen for a one-way ticket but when we showed our passports we were only charged with 7,000 Yen for a roundtrip. I think you'll get a discount if you're a foreigner. Haha The earliest trip is 8:00AM and the last trip back to Nagoya is 4:30PM.

The Trip...

The trip will take around 2 hours and 50 minutes depending on traffic conditions. You will stop once to have a comfort room break (about 30 minutes) but if you're traveling during winter, you will already see a lot of snow even if you're still halfway there.

Upon Arrival...

Your last stop will be at Shirakawa-go station. If you brought many stuff with you, head straight to the locker room. Go there first as there are only few lockers available in the station. The small compartment costs around 500Yen and the big ones at 800Yen. Two trolley bags may fit in the bigger compartments. You can only open the compartment once so better think twice about the things that you will leave behind.

Once you're done, approach the information office and ask for a map. Ask for his/her recommended place to visit and include the route of your tour. We did all of this but when we got out, it was more of a DIY kind of tour. The place was just too wonderful to think of anything else like a route or something. Haha Just enjoy the place! Stop, look and appreciate every detail. Take pictures. Eat and have hot chocolate somewhere. Don't miss the chance of crossing the hanging bridge. There's a museum right across that bridge that you may want to check. You'll love it there! :)

Speaking of food, we were lucky to have stumbled upon this little restaurant somewhere at the back of Wada House. They serve the best hot choco I have ever tasted! Maybe it's the weather. Haha The rice something was also good. Just go there and send our regards to the nice lady we took pictures with.

When you're done wandering around, go and see the entire village from a bird's eye view at the observatory. You need to take the bus and it costs 200Yen for a one-way trip. I think it depends on the season but there are times when visitors are allowed to walk up to the observatory. Since it's winter, I think it wouldn't be safe to walk around the snow not knowing what's underneath it. You need to line-up at the special bus station and wait for the bus that will take you there. Before leaving, don't forget your things at the locker room.