They may not be real ginger bread houses, but Shirakawa-go’s unique farm houses make the village look like a Christmas log cake came to life. Nestled in Japan’s Hida Mountains (“northern alps”), this mountain village is a UNESCO World Heritage Site because of these historic farmhouses. Because of its location, this is a great place to visit in the winter if you’re seeking snow.

Indeed the day I visited just after Christmas 2014, it probably only stopped snowing for just 15 minutes. Not ideal for taking photos nor sightseeing but it really added to the winter wonderland views. We were here for just around half a day, taking the bus here from Takayama, which was an easy 50 minute ride. We went onto Kanazawa, which was another comfortable one hour plus ride. We had started our trip in Kyoto, taking the train to Takayama where we stayed for one night, but it’s just as easy nowadays to start the trip in reverse from Tokyo, stopping first in Kanazawa and going by bus to Shirakawa-go, Takayama and ending in Kyoto. Just note that if you’re visiting at year end, definitely reserve or buy the bus tickets in advance.

I think a half to one day is adequate to see most of Shirakawa-go and it’s not necessary to stay the night unless you happen to be here for the special light-up event that takes place in January and February. While a few of the farm houses (called gassho houses) have been converted into bed & breakfast type lodging, the ones with better equipped amenities are booked out well in advance. And since I didn’t stay here, I can’t say if the places are all that comfortable (or warm enough).

There are a number of simple but decent places to eat in the village. Don’t expect sushi, it’s mainly hot stewed food, ramen and karaage. We dropped by one cafe near where the bus stops for hot snack and drinks, more than welcome given the cold weather. A couple of the gassho homes are also open to the public. We visited one, climbing up to the attic level to get a close up view of how the roofs are crafted. I recommend doing this.

I also recommend going to the lookout point to get a view of the whole village. There are regular shuttle buses that run up and down the lookout point and to various points in the village. However, since we we had just missed the shuttle bus and didn’t feel like waiting for the next one, we walked up to the lookout point. This took us around 25 minutes – a nice little workout as the bulk of the walk, which was along the main road, is uphill.

Shirakawa-go’s main information centre is also where the regional buses stop to drop-off and pick-up passengers. There are maps with the recommended walking route through the village that you can pick up at the centre. The staff at the centre do speak english and are very helpful and if you’re in a bind with transport, they will be able to help arrange a taxi to Takayama or Kanazawa. There are lockers in the information center but unless you’re early, getting a locker for your bags is probably impossible but they were able to help look after our bags. We only had small bags with us as we had sent our larger luggage to our final destination using Ta-Q-Bin and I really recommend doing this whenever travelling in Japan by train or bus. It costs around JPY1,500 to send a suitcase.

The village can be considered very touristy these days – it’s somewhat hard to imagine that this is still primarily a farming community. So although the large number of tourists can make this a less zen visit, I still think it’s worth seeing. I can’t imagine a more picture perfect winter scene.

Useful sources of info:

For gassho / guesthouse information and bookings: Japan Guest Houses

For the bus schedule information: Nohi Bus