It is this image that I once came across while surfing the net (yes I seem to be surfing 24/7...) and it had never left my mind since then:
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| Read on the list of "Truly Charming Places to See Before You Die" - http://bzfd.it/1FqyTjW |
Famous for its Gasshō-zukuri (合掌造り) style farmhouses which steep roofs designed like praying hands, it is built to withstand some of the heaviest snowfall in the country (Shirakawa-go is designated as a Heavy Snow Area). I was indeed expecting snow as it hadn't stop snowing since we arrived in Takayama. That said, what I did not expect was snow this heavy:
As it was quite a last minute plan to travel to Japan, I WAS TRULY GRATEFUL that we managed to secure the last 2 seats to Shirakawa-go! We were searching high and low on the available evening tours to Shirakawa-go and we came to learn that as remote as it is, the last bus leaves the village at 5pm and all accommodation in that village were fully booked long ago; we couldn't make it to the annual Light-Up event anyhow (only held on 7 weekends of the year). But I did not give up on making a trip there yet. So we managed to find the last 2 available seats by J-Hop Tour, which departs from Takayama. And that was how we set Takayama as our first destination from Nagoya.
It's a half day tour (4 hours), approx. 50 minutes per journey so we had about 2 hours in the village. The coach departed from Takayama Station (just in front of our hotel!) at 8.10am; though we wish to stay longer in Shirakawa-go but we have no choice left; this half-day tour is like a "take it or leave it" & "it's now or never". Anyway, there we go! Glad that we went in the morning as when we were leaving, more tourists were flocking in :|
* I don't remember meeting Malaysian tourists here. Shirakawa-go is a growing but not too popular destination among Malaysians yet. Most groups we bumped into were Thais and Taiwanese, besides local Japanese.
We arrived to this. Heavy snow. Still quiet and peaceful. Truly magical:
Bridge to the village:
We followed our guide to a less touristy spot and a famous "postcard" location which best showcases the renowned farmhouse with thatched roof, approx. 15-20 minutes walk:
A zoomed up view compared to what can be seen from the observation deck (self presumed). Photo taken on the 2nd floor of The Wada House (the largest remaining Gassho-style house in the village). Admission fee: ¥300-/adult
The observation deck (as circled in pic above) commands an enchanting panorama of this village. However due to time constraint and advise from our guide, since it was snowing quite heavily (which offers low visibility), we just explored around instead of going up to the observation deck :|
In the village:
Snow clearing up for a bit when we were leaving:
with increased amount of visitors arriving.
I'll be back for the Light-up event in the coming year! There isn't much to do in this village, it is the rural Japanese setting that stole my heart. Of course, the snow made everything looked much more magical! (Tt was in fact one of the days with heaviest snowfall that winter.)
Tips (if you're traveling in winter):
- Plan ahead! Transportation and accommodation for Light-up event gets filled up very quickly so plan and book ahead of time
- Wear comfortable and waterproof shoes as most of the time you'll be walking on snow. It can be slippery.
- Wear warm clothings. During the winter days, heavy snow might occur and the temperature is often below freezing point.
- You might consider bringing umbrella (I did not, I relied on my jacket's hood)
- Weather gears for your camera.
* Photos have been edited in brightness as snowy weather was pretty gloomy.
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