A visit to the UNESCO world heritage site of Shirakawa-go is a must-do on any trip to the Japanese Alps in Central Japan. You will feel as though you have walked into a real-life fairytale as you wander around the charming angle-thatched-roofed buildings surrounded by stunning landscapes.

Although growing in popularity, Shirakawa-go is not the most straightforward place to visit in Japan. However, with some planning, it can be easily accessed so continue reading to help plan your visit!

If you plan to visit the Japanese Alps, we recommend reading our one-week itinerary to discover the best the area has to offer.

Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links.

Contents

• How to get to Shirakawa-Go
• Best time to visit Shirakawa-Go
• Things to do in Shirakawa-Go
• Where to stay in Shirakawa-Go

How to get to Shirakawa-Go

From the Japanese Alps region

Shirakawa-Go is conveniently located between Kanawaza and Takayama, which are highlights on most Japanese Alps itineraries (see ours for more info). Assuming you are coming from one of these towns, the most convenient way of accessing Shirakawa-Go is via Nohi Bus. 

The bus takes around one hour which means you can easily do Shirakawa-Go as a day trip in between your stays at Takayama and Kanawaza.

Fares are shown below:

	One-way	Return
Takayama – Shirakawa-Go	2600	4600
Kanawaza – Shirakawa-Go	2000	3600

From further cities

The Nohi Bus also runs from Toyama which is how you can connect to the major cities of Japan. For example, you would first take the Shinkansen from Osaka or Tokyo to Toyama and then take the hour and half Nohi Bus to Shirakawa-Go. 

From Tokyo, the bullet train would take roughly two hours and cost around 12,500 yen which is fully covered by the Japan Rail Pass or the JR Hokuriku Arch Pass.

From Osaka, you would take the Thunderbird line and then the Shinkansen which would take approximately three and half hours and cost around 9,599 yen which is fully covered by the Japan Rail Pass or the JR Takayama-Hokuriku Area Tourist Pass.

In total, this journey would take 3.5-5 hours and cost 12,000-15,000 yen.

Best time to visit Shirakawa-Go

Shirakawa-Go is truly an all-year-round destination. Each season brings its own unique charm to this rural village so there is plenty of reason to return if you are fortunate enough to do so.

Believe it or not, we actually visited on Christmas Day. Therefore, we know that Shirakawa-Go is perfect during that time of year as it turns into a winter wonderland. We had never experienced so much snowfall which made the experience feel so magical!

Or, if you prefer a more colourful landscape, spring brings the famous pink cherry blossoms to the region or whilst in autumn the landscape burns with crimson reds from the Japanese maple trees.

Also, in summer it would be the perfect chance to get away from the intense heat of the big cities to the cool climate of the Japanese Alps.

Whenever you choose, we are sure you will love your visit.

Things to do in Shirakawa-Go

The main thing to do in Shirakawa-Go is to wander amongst the unique farmhouses and along the lanes, appreciating its unique architecture and surroundings. For such a small village there are actually quite a few restaurants and cafes to stop and enjoy a bite to eat. We chose to eat lunch at the soba restaurant. There are also a number of shops to buy souvenirs for your visit. 

Panoramic views from the Tenshukaku Observatory

Price: Free

For the postcard view of Shirakawa-Go, head uphill to the Tenshukaku Observatory which has an amazing observation deck over the rustic thatched homes. On the way, you can also find the Ogimachi Castle Observation Deck for another angle of the village.

Wada House

Price: 300 yen

Wada house is the largest gassho-style private residence in Shirakawa-Go where the Wada family still reside. The first and second floors are open to the public giving insight into these uniquely built homes and how they would traditionally be lived in. It is very interesting and for 300 yen, you can’t go wrong!

Gassho-zukuri Open Air Museum

Price: 600 yen

Allows you to explore a smaller area of the village that has been preserved to allow visitors to see how the people of Shirakawa-go lived in the past.

Temples and shrines

Shirakawa Hachiman Shrine

Price: Free

We stumbled across this shrine in the middle of a blizzard. No one else was there: it was serene and peaceful. Definitely a good stop whilst wandering around Shirakawa-Go.

Myozenji Temple

Price: Free

Myozenji is a Buddhist temple that is close to the Hachiman Shrine which makes them the perfect combo. The main highlight of this temple is the bell tower featuring the same style of thatched roof as the homes of the village.

Sho River Pedestrian Bridge

Price: Free

This bridge allows you to explore the other side of the Sho River for a different perspective on the village. The bridge also presents some great views of the river running through the valley which is a great backdrop for some selfies!

Where to stay in Shirakawa-Go

Most visitors to Shirakawa-Go (us included), will just do so on a day trip and stay either in Takayama or Kanazawa. However, if you want to indulge more in this magical village, you can have the very unique experience of staying in one of the gassho-style houses.

Unfortunately, this was a bit out of our budget. However, if you want a memorable night we would highly recommend it! Most guesthouses are not available on websites such as booking.com so we recommend doing some research on google and booking directly with the guesthouse. Places book up quickly so make sure you reserve far in advance.

Conclusion

So hopefully you now have all the information you need to plan your visit to Shirakawa-Go. As previously mentioned we recommend exploring more the Japanese Alps by following our one-week itinerary. 

We realise it may seem quite off the beaten path compared to the normal Tokyo-Kyoto-Osaka route but we guarantee you will not regret making the extra effort!

Note: If you don’t want the DIY experience, Klook is offering a day tour package in Shirakawa-go and Takayama to make life easier.

Thank you for reading our Shirakawa-Go guide.

For more Japanese travel inspiration please check out the following articles:

• One Week Itinerary in the Japanese Alps
• Ultimate Kanazawa Guide: All you need to know
• How to get to the Japanese Snow Monkey Park

If you have any suggestions of your own, we would love to hear them in the comments below!