Shirakawa-go, a UNESCO World Heritage

We drove for almost 3 hours straight on curvy mountain roads with hairpin turns just to see this one of a kind historical extant. Shirakawa-go is one of the snowiest places in Japan and the leading place of heavy snowfall, some of which are more than 250 years old. (And yes, they have electricity, roads, and even internet access! So there is no need to worry, this village is not primitive as you think! hehe)

To know more about Shirakawa-go, please visit their site: http://ml.shirakawa-go.org/en/

Rice paddies, the main livelihood of the people living in this area. Behind is a traditional house called gassho-zukuri house. 

Thick thatched roof. Just look how thick it is! Almost a meter!

Almost buried in snow!

A gassho coffee house. 

View from the Tenshukaku Observatory. The best spot to view the whole village. 

It wasn't as snowy as we hoped for but it was still captivating.