Historic Villages of Shirakawa-go and Gokayama
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| State Party |  Japan |
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| Type | Cultural | |
| Criteria | iv, v | |
| Identification | #734 | |
| Region2 | Asia-Pacific | |
| Inscription History | ||
| Formal Inscription: | 1995 19th WH Committee Session |
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| WH link: | http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/734 | |
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1 Name as officially inscribed on the WH List |
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Historic Villages of Shirakawa-gō and Gokayama is one of the UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Japan. Shirakawa-gō (白川郷, "the village of the white river") and Gokayama (五箇山, "the mountain with the 5 parts") are villages located at the north of Tokai region in the center of Japan. Gokayama is Toyama and Shirakawa-go is in Gifu.
These villages are well known for their houses of architectural style called gasshō-zukuri(合掌造り), the roofs of which are constructed with high thatched roofs, resembling hands joined in prayer. The houses in Shirakawa-go have steeply sloping roofs in order to allow rain and snow to fall straight off it. Indeed, mountains and the forests occupy 96% of the territory in the areas of Shirakawa and Gokayama, leaving 4% of territory for cultivation.
[edit] See also
[edit] External links
- UNESCO entry on Shirakawa-go and Gokayama
- Shirakawa-go photo gallery
- Gokayama (Ainokura) photo gallery
Buddhist Monuments, Horyu-ji Area | Gusuku Sites and Related Properties of the Kingdom of Ryukyu | Himeji-jo | Hiroshima Peace Memorial (Genbaku Dome) | Itsukushima Shinto Shrine | Monuments of Ancient Kyoto (Kyoto, Uji and Otsu Cities) | Monuments of Ancient Nara | Sacred Sites and Pilgrimage Routes, Kii Mountain Range | Shirakami-Sanchi | Shiretoko | Shrines and Temples of Nikkō | Villages of Shirakawa-go and Gokayama | Yakushima
