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Shirakawa, Gifu (village)
Encyclopedia
Villages of Japan
A is a local administrative unit in Japan.It is a local public body along with , , and . Geographically, a village's extent is contained within a prefecture....
located in Ōno District
Ono District, Gifu
is a district of Japan in Gifu Prefecture.The district is in a mountainous region near the geographic centre of Japan. Prior to 1 February 2005, the district comprised seven small communities, but on that day six of them merged into the expanded city of Takayama...
, Gifu Prefecture
Gifu Prefecture
is a prefecture located in the Chūbu region of central Japan. Its capital is the city of Gifu.Located in the center of Japan, it has long played an important part as the crossroads of Japan, connecting the east to the west through such routes as the Nakasendō...
, Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
. It is best known for being the site of Shirakawa-gō
Historic Villages of Shirakawa-go and Gokayama
The Historic Villages of Shirakawa-gō and Gokayama are one of Japan's UNESCO World Heritage Sites. The site is located in the Shogawa river valley stretching across the border of Gifu and Toyama Prefectures in northern Japan. Shirakawa-gō is located in the village of Shirakawa in Gifu Prefecture...
, a small, traditional village
Village
A village is a clustered human settlement or community, larger than a hamlet with the population ranging from a few hundred to a few thousand , Though often located in rural areas, the term urban village is also applied to certain urban neighbourhoods, such as the West Village in Manhattan, New...
showcasing a style of buildings called gasshō-zukuri
Minka
are private residences constructed in any one of several traditional Japanese building styles.In the context of the four divisions of society, minka were the dwellings of farmers, artisans, and merchants , but this connotation no longer exists in the modern Japanese language, and any traditional...
.
As of July 2011, the village has an estimated population
Population
A population is all the organisms that both belong to the same group or species and live in the same geographical area. The area that is used to define a sexual population is such that inter-breeding is possible between any pair within the area and more probable than cross-breeding with individuals...
of 1,734. The total area is 356.55 km².
The village is located near Takayama
Takayama, Gifu
is a city located in Gifu, Japan. As of July, 2011 the city has an estimated population of 92,369. The total area is .Takayama was settled as far back as the Jōmon period. Takayama is best known for its inhabitants' expertise in carpentry. It is believed carpenters from Takayama worked on the...
, in Gifu. Together with Gokayama
Gokayama
Gokayama is a village within the city of Nanto in Toyama Prefecture. Its very traditional gasshō-zukuri style homes make it a nearly unique site, and is regarded a UNESCO World Heritage Site, along with the village of Shirakawa-gō in the Gifu Prefecture...
in Nanto, Toyama
Nanto, Toyama
is a city located in Toyama Prefecture, Japan.-History:As of 2000, 8 municipalities that merged into the city had an estimated total population of 60,182 with an average population density of 89.98 persons per km². The total area is 668.86 km²...
, it is one of UNESCO
UNESCO
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations...
's World Heritage Sites.
Geography
Shirakawa is a mountain village located at the highest peak on Mount Haku in the Ryōhaku Mountains, where it borders Ishikawa prefecture. To the north it borders Mt. Ningyō, and it borders Gokayama in Toyama prefecture. The village's area is 95.7% mountainous forests, and its steep places are characteristic. In between the mountains flows the Shō RiverSho River
The has its source in Mount Eboshi in the Shōkawa-chō area of Takayama, Gifu Prefecture, Japan. After flowing for through the northern part of Gifu Prefecture and the western part of Toyama Prefecture, it empties into Toyama Bay....
, which continues to the north into Nanto in Toyama. Along the river there are a few flat areas, and human settlements are scattered near them.
One of the snowiest places in Japan, 95.7% of Shirakawa is covered by forests. It touches Ishikawa Prefecture
Ishikawa Prefecture
is a prefecture of Japan located in the Chūbu region on Honshū island. The capital is Kanazawa.- History :Ishikawa was formed from the merger of Kaga Province and the smaller Noto Province.- Geography :Ishikawa is on the Sea of Japan coast...
to the west and Toyama Prefecture
Toyama Prefecture
is a prefecture of Japan located in the Hokuriku region on Honshū island. The capital is the city of Toyama.Toyama is the leading industrial prefecture on the Japan Sea coast, and has the industrial advantage of cheap electricity due to abundant water resources....
to the north. The border with Ishikawa Prefecture is made by the Ryōhaku Mountains, and the one with Toyama Prefecture is created by Mount Ningyō. The Shō River flows through the village, and most of the population is inhabited in its valley.
Shirakawa is a leading area of heavy snowfall in the world, and due to this climate, gasshō-zukuri (合掌造り) homes were created. Gassho-zukuri settlements are registered as cultural heritage
Cultural heritage
Cultural heritage is the legacy of physical artifacts and intangible attributes of a group or society that are inherited from past generations, maintained in the present and bestowed for the benefit of future generations...
sites. With the shape of the Hakusan National Park
Hakusan National Park
is a national park in the Chūbu region, Honshū, Japan. The total area of the park is and its main geographical feature is Mount Haku.The park was originally designated "Hakusan Quasi-National Park" on July 1, 1955...
mountain ranges as a background, these sites are major tourist attractions. Upstream on the Shō river are dam lakes like the Miboro (御母衣湖).
Although Shirakawa is in Gifu prefecture, it takes around three hours to get there by bike from Takayama, Gifu
Takayama, Gifu
is a city located in Gifu, Japan. As of July, 2011 the city has an estimated population of 92,369. The total area is .Takayama was settled as far back as the Jōmon period. Takayama is best known for its inhabitants' expertise in carpentry. It is believed carpenters from Takayama worked on the...
, though one can get there in only an hour from Nanto in Toyama. In 1999, an alliance group was formed between Nanto, Toyama (originally several cities in Toyama that now form Nanto) and Shirakawa.
History
In 1875, Japan's municipal system was being carried out, and a number of small villages were combined with Miboro village. The river basin in Hida ProvinceHida Province
is an old province located in the area of Gifu Prefecture. It was sometimes called . The province was in the Tōsandō area of central Honshu.-History:...
was called Shirakawa-gō, and eventually the north side was called Shirakawa, and the upper side (south side) was called Shōkawa, Gifu
Shokawa, Gifu
was a village located in Ōno District, Gifu Prefecture, Japan.On February 1, 2005 Shōkawa, along with the town of Kuguno, and the villages of Asahi, Kiyomi, Miya, Nyūkawa and Takane, all from Ōno District, the town of Kokufu, and the village of Kamitakara, from Yoshiki District, was merged into the...
. It is now called Takayama.
All of the villages and towns in the Hida region participated in the "Hida Area Union Promotion Conference" (飛騨地域合併推進協議会), but due to Nanto and other places connected with the World Heritage sites not wanting the image of Shirakawa-gō to be harmed, as well as domestic and foreign voices, Shirakawa withdrew from the conference and formed its own system. Now, the north part of Gifu prefecture that was in Hida Province has become one unified village; the others were merged into either Takayama, Hida, Gifu
Hida, Gifu
is the northernmost city in Gifu Prefecture, Japan. It received its name from the historical province of Hida Province, which was centered around the same area.The official kanji for the city is actually 飛驒, which uses the old rendering of the 騨 character...
, or Gero, Gifu
Gero, Gifu
is a city in Gifu Prefecture, Japan. The city is famous for its hot springs. The Hida River runs throughout the city.-History:The city was established on March 1, 2004 by the merger of the towns of Gero, Hagiwara, Kanayama and Osaka, and the village of Maze, all from Mashita...
.
Due to the income from the tourists who came to see the gassho-zukuri villages, the financial condition was greatly improved. Although the area was famous as a tourist site, once it became a UNESCO site, the area greatly grew as tourists visited. Although this success from tourism helped the income of the area, on the other hand, there was an outbreak of damage to the area from tourists entering people's homes to see how they lived, taking pictures and other such manners. The people who lived in the villages turned their homes into gift shops and parking lots, so it has yet to be seen whether or not the area will lose its World Heritage record (UNESCO has a purpose of protecting and preserving its sites, and becoming a tourist trap is against their goals). There is also a fear growing that the change to catering to tourists will harm the charm of the area's simplicity and fundamental Japanese scenery.
Famous places, historic ruins, sightseeing spots, festivals and events
- The Historic Villages of Shirakawa-gō and Gokayama are designated UNESCO World Heritage sites
- Wadake Home—the largest gasshō-zukuri in the area
- Shirakawa-gō Hirase Onsen (designated as a "national recuperation onsenOnsenAn is a term for hot springs in the Japanese language, though the term is often used to describe the bathing facilities and inns around the hot springs. As a volcanically active country, Japan has thousands of onsen scattered along its length and breadth...
") - Miboro dam, Lake Miboro
- Hida Tunnel
- Hakusan Rindō (hiking path), famous for its fall colors; 30 minutes away by foot is the Kōsō wetlands, also famous
- Shirakawa Hachiman Shrine, where every October 14–15, the Nigorizake Festival is held
Neighboring municipalities
- Gifu PrefectureGifu Prefectureis a prefecture located in the Chūbu region of central Japan. Its capital is the city of Gifu.Located in the center of Japan, it has long played an important part as the crossroads of Japan, connecting the east to the west through such routes as the Nakasendō...
- TakayamaTakayama, Gifuis a city located in Gifu, Japan. As of July, 2011 the city has an estimated population of 92,369. The total area is .Takayama was settled as far back as the Jōmon period. Takayama is best known for its inhabitants' expertise in carpentry. It is believed carpenters from Takayama worked on the...
- HidaHida, Gifuis the northernmost city in Gifu Prefecture, Japan. It received its name from the historical province of Hida Province, which was centered around the same area.The official kanji for the city is actually 飛驒, which uses the old rendering of the 騨 character...
- Takayama
- Toyama PrefectureToyama Prefectureis a prefecture of Japan located in the Hokuriku region on Honshū island. The capital is the city of Toyama.Toyama is the leading industrial prefecture on the Japan Sea coast, and has the industrial advantage of cheap electricity due to abundant water resources....
- NantoNanto, Toyamais a city located in Toyama Prefecture, Japan.-History:As of 2000, 8 municipalities that merged into the city had an estimated total population of 60,182 with an average population density of 89.98 persons per km². The total area is 668.86 km²...
- Nanto
- Ishikawa PrefectureIshikawa Prefectureis a prefecture of Japan located in the Chūbu region on Honshū island. The capital is Kanazawa.- History :Ishikawa was formed from the merger of Kaga Province and the smaller Noto Province.- Geography :Ishikawa is on the Sea of Japan coast...
- HakusanHakusan, Ishikawais a city located in Ishikawa, Japan.The city was founded on February 1, 2005 from the merger of the city of Mattō with seven towns and villages from Ishikawa District. As of April 1, 2008 population data, the city has an estimated population of 110,654 and a density of 147 persons per km²...
- Hakusan
Sister cities
- "The Most Beautiful Villages in Japan" (organization)
- Hokkaido: Biei, HokkaidōBiei, Hokkaidois a town located in Kamikawa District, Kamikawa, Hokkaidō, Japan.As of 2007, the town has an estimated population of 11,313 and a density of 16.7 persons per km². The total area is 677.16 km²....
- Hokkaido: Akaigawa, HokkaidōAkaigawa, Hokkaidois a village located in Yoichi District, Shiribeshi, Hokkaidō, Japan.As of 2008, the village has an estimated population of 1,264. The total area is 280.11 km².-External links:*...
- Yamagata: Okura, YamagataOkura, Yamagatais a village located in Mogami District, Yamagata, Japan.As of 2003, the village has an estimated population of 4,265 and a population density of 20.16 persons per km². The total area is 211.59 km².-Major roads:...
- Nagano: Ōshika, NaganoOshika, Naganois a village located in Shimoina District, Nagano, Japan.As of 2003, the village has an estimated population of 1,432 and a density of 5.77 people per km²...
- Tokushima: Kamikatsu, TokushimaKamikatsu, Tokushimais a town located in Katsuura District, Tokushima, Japan., the town has an estimated population of 2,042 and a density of 18.62 persons per km². The total area is 109.68 km²....
- Kumamoto: Minamioguni, KumamotoMinamioguni, Kumamotois a town located in Aso District, Kumamoto, Japan.As of 2003, the town has an estimated population of 4,643 and a density of 40.07 persons per km². The total area is 115.86 km².-External links:*...
- Hokkaido: Biei, Hokkaidō
Shirakawa in media
- The town of Hinamizawa in , a popular Japanese murder mystery dōjin softDojin soft, also sometimes called , are video games created by Japanese hobbyists or hobbyist groups , more for fun than for profit; essentially, the Japanese equivalent of independent video games. Most of them are based on pre-existing material, but some are entirely original creations...
visual novelVisual novelA is an interactive fiction game featuring mostly static graphics, usually with anime-style art, or occasionally live-action stills or video footage...
series, is heavily based on Shirakawa, with many local landmarks clearly recognizable.