Thatched-roof (kayabukiyane or 茅葺屋根)
Shirakawago Mura is probably covered in deep snow at this time of year. Someday I will visit during the winter. Summer is beautiful, too, with the rice paddies making the ground a lush green.
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Posts tagged thatch roof
Ogimachi (荻町)
Shirakawago in Gifu Prefecture
The only thing better than having gasshozukuri (合掌造り) in front of you is having them behind you too.
The Peaceful Forest Temple (Heirinji or 平林寺)
Heirinji (平林寺)
If you are in Tokyo and want to visit a Zen temple not too far away then Heirinji should be on your itinerary. Avoid weekends and holidays and you may be the only one wandering through this oasis.
Directions: Heirinji is about a mile walk from the Niiza Train Station (新座駅) or you can take a bus that will take you right there. Niiza is about 30 minutes and 450 yen (by train) from Ikebukuro in Tokyo.
Shirakawa (白川)
The Village of Shirakawa (白川村)
One of my favorite places on the planet, when a photo of Shirakawa shows up as my random desktop image of the day, you can count on me to share it with you.
Rice paddy heaven in Shirakawago
The worst rice in Japan is better than the best rice I’ve ever eaten in the USA (or anywhere else). But nowhere have I enjoyed rice so much as the rice we were served in Shirakawago. That rice was grown in this field or one very nearby according to our host. It was like melt-in-your-mouth candy. I asked them why their rice was superior and she indicated that the elevation and heavy snows were likely causes. I hope to taste that rice again.
Shirakawago Lodging (Hisamatsu Minshuku)
Hisamatsu Minshuku (2010)
We stayed in a minshuku called Hisamatsu (久松) while in Ogimachi (荻町) in Shirakawago (白川郷). This was an authentic minka or gassho zukuri. I don’t think you can fully experience Japan without staying in a place like this. The owners are an extremely old couple, but their daughter pretty much runs the show at this point. She can speak a bit of English I think, but I made our reservation (by calling through the above link) and did all the communication in Japanese. If you aren’t in Japan and want to book a night or two, you can try these email addresses: hidatio@hidanet.ne.jp or info@shirakawa-go.gr.jp
The daughter has kids too, but we never saw them. The food was excellent, the building amazing, but to be perfectly honest I didn’t sleep well. Grandpa headed to the bathroom every few minutes it seemed and I woke up each time. If you want a good night sleep I recommend bringing some earplugs. Do wake up before dawn and go for a walk though!