Triangular shaped village houses in a beautiful snow mountain - Historic Villages of Shirakawa-go and Gokayama 734; Washoku, traditional dietary cultures of the Japanese, notably for the celebration of New Year 00859; Washi, craftsmanship of traditional Japanese hand-made paper 01001; Traditional skills, techniques and knowledge for the conservation and transmission of wooden architecture in Japan 01618
What and Why
Shirakawa-gō (Japanese: 白川郷) is located in a valley of mountainous region of Gifu (岐阜) where there is considerable snowfall. To this purpose, these villages are well known for their clusters of wooden farmhouses, constructed in the architectural style known as gasshō-zukuri (合掌造り), meaning 'praying-hand wooden architecture', which are designed to easily shed snow from their roofs.
The area forms a beautiful fairytale-like scenery, especially during light snowfall. As a result of its natural beauty and plus its architectural heritage, it is inscribed in both UNESCO WHS and ICH. They represent a unique farmhouse style that makes use of highly rational structural systems, evolved to adapt to the natural environment and site-specific social and economic circumstances, in particular the cultivation of mulberry trees and the rearing of silkworms, which leads to its unique special paper-making technique.
Toponymy
Shirakawa-gō means 'white creek village' in Japanese.
See
The main site is the village Shirakawa-gō Gasshōzukuri (白川郷合掌造り集落), meaning ‘the clusters of praying-hand houses’, where all these village houses are clustered. Today they have all been commercialised to shops, food-stalls, hotels and musuems but is still a very nice place to visit. The village is unsurpassable in scenery especially during light snowfall in winter, when the whole site is covered in pure white snow. Honestly the site is not that big, even if you explore everything in details, you will be able to finish it in one or two full days.
The Gasshō-style house is characterised by a steeply slanting thatched roof, resembling two hands joined in prayer, and hence its name. The steep roof is to facilitate the rain and snow to fall straight off, instead either retaining on the roof or seeping into the house.
In spite of the fact that the house is only made with timber, straws and ropes with no nails. The entire house is held together by advanced wooden joinery techniques and lashings, which is exemplary of Japanese wooden architecture. The design is exceptionally strong and can withstand and shed the weight of the region's heavy snowfalls.
Clearly these wooden houses will not pass up to modern fire safety standard. All these village houses are equipped with complex fire-extinguishing systems, and residents are organised into fire-fighting brigades. They still use very primitive fire-heating inside the house and sometimes one may visit the vapour seeping out of the roof evenly, as if the house is burning, in actual fact it is just the steam oozing through the pores of the roof.
The picture below shows one of the open house-hotels where one can see the inside roof structure. Most of these houses have a deep eave to shelter the rain and snow and also to prevent the sunlight to enter the house. However during winter, the sun can penetrate into the house as it comes at a lower horizon.
These wooden house usually has three storeys: the ground-floor, which is usually the living area or tatami (畳) bedrooms is slightly raised with a underfloor hearth called an irori (囲炉裏) to heat up the house. These house has no chimneys and the steam or somoke would rise and seep through the roof, creating an interesting scene as if the house is on fire! The second floor is either and extension of the bedrooms. The triangular top-floor is usually a storage for mulberry leaves and silkworms for sericulture.
There are a number of houses which is available for visit, upon payment of a small fee. The more famous one is the Kanda (神田) house, which will give you an idea of life as a villager.
The main photospot is the top of small mountain which is an easy 15-minute walk (and this was with my two in-laws). The spot is also accessible by car, albeit through a different route.
Other village houses.
There is a an open museum near the entrance which has an entry fee of JPY 600¥, which includes an open-air display of everyday's life of villagers.
Buy and Do
Washi (和紙)
One of the traditions that have been passed on generations after generations is the technique of paper-making in the region of Gifu. The particular paper, known as washi (和紙), meaning Japanese-styled paper, is made from the local mulberry tree bark, which Shirakawa is famous for. The paper is generally tough and rough compared to modern paper and are used for origami (折り紙), paintings, part of clothing fabrics, traditional umbrellas and paper screens, taking advantage of its strength and durability.
Washi is produced in a way similar to that of ordinary paper, but maintains the old-fashioned manual methods. It involves a long and intricate process that is often undertaken in the cold weather of winter, as pure, cold running water is essential to the production of washi. Cold inhibits bacteria, and thus prevents the biodegradation of the fibres. Cold also makes the fibres contract, producing a crisp feel to the paper.
Clearly there are many shops selling various of these paper products in Shirakawa. Most importantly this craft has become another UNESCO ICH of Japan.
Daruma (だるま)
Shirakawa is famous for its unique wooden doll daruma (だるま). The face of the doll is modelled after Bodhidharma (Sanskrit: बोधिधर्म) in zen (Chinese: 禪, chán) Buddhism. There is an interesting myth associated with the doll: When purchased, the figure's eyes are both blank white. A user will then make a wish or set a target and paint in the left eye of the figure's eyes. Only when the desired goal is achieved, the right eye is filled.
Sarubobo (さるぼぼ)
The other famous doll available in Shirakawa is the Sarubobo (さるぼぼ), which is a small faceless pointy plush doll carried around as an amulet. The doll's name literally means 'monkey baby', and is the mascot of the Hida (飛驒), although the word さる (saru) also translates to 'leave' with an interpretation of warding off bad luck.
Eat and Drink
Hida beef (飛驒牛)
We did not stay nor eat in Shirakawa as we were based in Takayama (高山). We really enjoyed the food and stay there, thanks to the availability of a car. We had an extraordinary lunch at the famed Hida Takayama Kyōya (飛驒高山京也), again blogged earlier. Hida beef is one type of prime wagyū (和牛) especially good for Japanese grill and teppanyaki (鉄板焼き) and is exclusive in the Gifu prefecture. As mentioned in Nikkō (日光), Japanese cuisine (和食, washoku) is an ICH.
Stay
While there are hotels inside Shirakawa-go, they are quite pricey and the booking list is quite long: we have a friend who stayed there and was on a three-month booking list. As mentioned the site is not that big, and it might not be worthwhile staying within. There are so many tourists around it looks like you are actually staying inside a shopping mall and become a living exhibit yourself.
We stayed in an onsen (温泉) hotel Ryokan Murayama (村山旅館) in Takayama, which is a mere 45-minute scenic drive to the site. We enjoyed free onsen and a very comfy tatami room. Highly recommended.
Getting There and Around
While we drove there, Shirakawa-gō is easily accessible from the main city Takayama with a one-hour bus ride, through some very scenic road. The site is all walkable. The site is worth a full-day exploration, although the site is not really that big.
UNESCO Inscriptions
Located in a mountainous region that was cut off from the rest of the world for a long period of time, these villages with their Gassho-style houses subsisted on the cultivation of mulberry trees and the rearing of silkworms. The large houses with their steeply pitched thatched roofs are the only examples of their kind in Japan. Despite economic upheavals, the villages of Ogimachi, Ainokura and Suganuma are outstanding examples of a traditional way of life perfectly adapted to the environment and people's social and economic circumstances.
The traditional craft of hand-making paper, or Washi, is practised in three communities in Japan: Misumi-cho in Hamada City, Shimane Prefecture, Mino City in Gifu Prefecture and Ogawa Town/Higashi-chichibu Village in Saitama Prefecture. The paper is made from the fibres of the paper mulberry plant, which are soaked in clear river water, thickened, and then filtered through a bamboo screen. Washi paper is used not only for letter writing and books, but also in home interiors to make paper screens, room dividers and sliding doors. Most of the inhabitants of the three communities play roles in keeping this craftsmanship viable, ranging from the cultivation of mulberry, training in the techniques, and the creation of new products to promote Washi domestically and abroad. Washi papermaking is transmitted on three levels: among families of Washi craftspeople, through preservation associations and by local municipalities. Families and their employees work and learn under Washi masters, who have inherited the techniques from their parents. All the people living in the communities take pride in their tradition of Washi-making and regard it as the symbol of their cultural identity. Washi also fosters social cohesion, as the communities comprise people directly engaged in or closely related to the practice.
The conservation and transmission of wooden architecture in Japan consists in a set of traditional skills, techniques and knowledge. Roughly seventy per cent of the country is forested. Therefore, wood has been used in houses since ancient times. In fact, the world’s oldest surviving wooden structure is the Horyu-ji temple that was built in the early seventh century. Some examples of the seventeen skills described in the nomination file, include sakan plastering, the harvesting of Japanese cypress bark, lacquer painting of traditional structures, the production of tatami mats (flooring material), and many more. Until the nineteenth century, master craftsmen trained apprentices as successors to transmit knowledge of the traditional skills. Due to modernization, however, this process became more difficult, so preservation associations were formed. Knowledge includes not only techniques for building new structures, but also restoring existing ones. Due to the country’s hot and humid climate, repair work must happen often. At restoration sites, craftspeople with different skills must complete the work together. Some maintenance work also requires the involvement of local residents. For example, reed or straw thatch on a roof needs to be completely renewed every twenty years, which is a labour-intensive job. The element thus serves a social function by fostering cooperation and social cohesion and strengthens Japanese people’s sense of cultural identity.
Washoku is a social practice based on a set of skills, knowledge, practice and traditions related to the production, processing, preparation and consumption of food. It is associated with an essential spirit of respect for nature that is closely related to the sustainable use of natural resources. The basic knowledge and the social and cultural characteristics associated with Washoku are typically seen during New Year celebrations. The Japanese make various preparations to welcome the deities of the incoming year, pounding rice cakes and preparing special meals and beautifully decorated dishes using fresh ingredients, each of which has a symbolic meaning. These dishes are served on special tableware and shared by family members or collectively among communities. The practice favours the consumption of various natural, locally sourced ingredients such as rice, fish, vegetables and edible wild plants. The basic knowledge and skills related to Washoku, such as the proper seasoning of home cooking, are passed down in the home at shared mealtimes. Grassroots groups, schoolteachers and cooking instructors also play a role in transmitting the knowledge and skills by means of formal and non-formal education or through practice.
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