Self drive to Shirakawa-go

Shirakawa-go is a UNESCO World Heritage site located in the mountains of Gifu Prefecture, Japan. We had a rental car and did a self-drive to Shirakawa-go to view the famous historical farmhouses. After Shirakawa-go we continued on our self-driving trip by including a scenic road through the mountains.

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Driving to Shirakawa-go from Takayama

Read our guide to renting a car and driving in Japan here.

We did a self-drive to Shirakawa-go, leaving from our ryokan in Takayama. We entered the phone number of Shirakawa-go Gassho Zukuri Minka-en into the car GPS. As we were in a mountain area, a lot of our drive was through tunnels, some of which were several km long. 

The drive went smoothly and we arrived at the parking spot for the historic village and museum at about 10 am.

Open-air museum

We first went to Gassho Zukuri Minka-en, the open-air museum. Minka is a traditional Japanese farmhouse and gassho means ‘to pray’ referring to the house’s steep roofs resembling hands in prayer. The thatched roofs are made to withstand the weight of heavy snowfall. Houses were relocated to the museum from nearby villages to be preserved.

The open-air museum has more than farmhouses on display. There are also family storage sheds, water mills, a weir and an A-frame barn that was placed in the middle of the water, accessed by stepping stones. The houses were spread out across the grounds and the museum looked like a real little village.

Open fireplace

As we were walking around, a loud alarm sounded, followed by an announcement in Japanese. We had no idea what the alarm was, or what the announcement had said. So, we walked back down a bit to where there were other people, in no panic at all. We then saw a tour group ahead of us continuing, so assuming all was ok, we did too.

It turned out it was a smoke alarm that had been set off when a staff member lit an open fire in one of the houses. The open fireplace, called an irori, was set into the floor of the house’s main living area and was used for both cooking and heating. The house that had set off the smoke alarm was one in which the top level could be entered. When we did go up into the roof area it was clear why the alarm had gone off as the whole roof was filled with smoke.

Inside the farmhouses

Most of the farmhouses were able to be entered, with some displaying items the family would have used. In some of the houses, we were able to use the ladder-like stairs to view the top floor and see the roof from the inside.

The exhibits on display included tools for hunting and farming, clothing that was worn and shoes including snow boots. Most of the items were made from woven straw. On one of the houses’ top floors, there was a great photo display. Two large boards were filled with black and white photographs from the villages, showing the land, houses and people.

Ogimachi Village

A long pedestrian bridge offers beautiful views of the river and surrounding mountains. Over the bridge is a real village, where people live. A number of the houses are set up as exhibits and can be entered for a fee, we chose to skip them as we had just been to the museum. We wandered around the village and felt kind of awkward looking at the houses and taking photos. I’m sure the people living in them would be used to it, as it is such a popular tourist spot and is set up to be one, but they are still people’s homes.

Alongside the houses, there is also farming land, a small shrine and several stores in the village. The stores were mostly selling souvenir-type items and food. Not all of the buildings were Gassho style but most of them still fit into the village scene. The one thing that did stand out was the modern cars parked at the homes.

 Driving a scenic road in Japan

Before leaving the Shirakaw-go area we visited the stores and bought snacks of biscuits, rice crackers and dried sour plums. I also decided to buy my first (of many) hot drinks from a vending machine. I chose a can of hot coffee. At first, it seemed strange to be consuming something hot out of a drink can, but for coffee in a can, it was pretty good. Boss Coffee is from the brand Suntory which featured in the movie Lost In Translation. 

A short drive from the Shirakawa-go carpark took us to the toll booth at one end of the Hakusan Shirakawa-go White Road. The Hakusan Shirakawa-go White Road is a 33 km scenic toll road that runs through the Hakusan National Park in Japan.

The road winds around mountains and rises to over 1400 metres above sea level. Along the road, there are stops for walking trails that lead to waterfalls. Our toddler slept for the whole drive so we didn’t get out to do any trails. It didn’t bother us as there was still plenty to see. We were surrounded by gorgeous mountain scenery the whole drive and passed by a few roadside waterfalls. The Jadani Bridge is located along the road. This bridge crosses the Jadani River gorge and offers a wonderful view. We took turns getting out at the observatories.

We drove along the road at the end of October and the trees were showing beautiful Autumn colours. I believe a week or so later was predicted to be the peak time for Autumn viewing, however, the road closes in early November over the winter period. You can check the fall foliage here.

Instead of driving through the toll booth on the other side, we found a spot to turn around and return the way we came. It is stated on the pricing information that making a U-turn incurs a one-way fee.

Find all information on the Hakusan Shirakawa-go White Road official website here.