General Incorporated Foundation Shirakawa-go World Heritage Site Gassho Style Preservation Trust

Shirakawa-go World Heritage Site Gassho Style Preservation Trust

General Incorporated Foundation

Important Notice: Village Parking & Sightseeing in Shirakawa-go

To ensure a safe and smooth visit, please read the following important updates regarding our village-operated parking lots and sightseeing guidelines.

1. Construction Notice: Seseragi Park Oro Parking Lot

Period: June 1, 2026 – September 30, 2026 (Scheduled; subject to extension)

Notice: Due to major renovation works (second phase), traffic inside the parking lot will be restricted to alternating one-way traffic.

Request: Please drive slowly, follow the directions of the parking staff, and drive with extra caution.

(Please also refer to the attached PDF: "FY2026 Seseragi Parking Lot Major Renovation Plan")

2. Bus Parking: Full Advance Reservation Required

Effective Date: Starting June 1, 2026, reservations for bus parking from December 2026 onward have transitioned to a strict reservation-only system.

How to Book: Please secure your slot via the Official Booking Site [Shirakawa-go Official Bus Parking Reservations / "Shirakawa-go Parking"].

3. Traffic & Congestion Forecasts

To check traffic predictions and crowd levels, please visit the Shirakawa Village special website: [Shirakawa-Go Easy Travel Guide / SHIRAKAWA-Going].

4. Vehicle Restrictions (Towed Vehicles)

Please note that towed vehicles (trailers, caravans, etc.) cannot be accommodated, as we do not have parking spaces designed for them. We kindly ask that you do not bring towed vehicles to the parking lots.

"FY2026 Seseragi Parking Lot Major Renovation Plan"（PDF:only Japanese）
[Shirakawa-go Official Bus Parking Reservations
"Shirakawa-go Parking"]
[Shirakawa-Go Easy Travel Guide / SHIRAKAWA-Going]

Requests for Visitors Traveling by Car

⚠️ Potential Parking & Bridge Closures Due to Severe Weather

In the event of heavy rain, heavy snow, or other extreme weather conditions, the village-operated parking lots and the Deai-bashi Suspension Bridge may be temporarily closed, or closing times may be moved earlier than scheduled.

🚫 No Parking Inside the Historic Ogimachi Gassho Village

There are no public parking spaces inside the Ogimachi Gassho-style village.To explore and walk around the historic village, all visitors must park at the Seseragi Park Oro Parking Lot or other designated village-operated parking lots.

Village Parking Hours: 8:00 AM – 5:00 PM (Last entry at 4:30 PM)

How to get to Shirakawa-go

ニュウニュウ

Aged thatch on the Gassho style roofs is renewed every 30 to 40 years. As a large quantity of thatch is required for replacement, Kaya (grass used for thatching) is reaped and piled to be stored about three years before replacement. These piles are called “nyu.” NyuNyu’s hand is a sickle to reap kaya. Does he grow as he adds kaya into his body???

*Atention！*
NyuNyu is the foundation's mascot character. All rights related to NyuNyu, such as the copyright and the right to maintain integrity, belong to the Foundation. It is strictly prohibited to use, duplicate, reprint, modify such as secondary processing, post modified self-made illustrations, or otherwise significantly damage the image of NyuNyu without the permission of the Foundation.

用意しました。まずは一般的に読みやすいとされる「黒文字（濃いグレー）調整版」をお試しいただき、もし「やっぱり白が良い、または文字の太さを変えたい」という場合は、もう一方のコードをお試しください。パターンA：黒文字（濃いグレー）にする場合【おすすめ】緑色のボックス内の文字を、すべてくっきりと読みやすい「黒（濃いグレー）」に強制指定するコードです。 HTML

About the Trust

General Incorporated Foundation Shirakawa-go World Heritage Site Gassho Style Preservation Trust was established to pass the value of the World Heritage Village down to future generations and thereby contribute to the advancement of Japanese culture and the promotion/development of Shirakawa Village by preserving the environment of the Ogi-machi traditional buildings protection district in Shirakawa Village, registered in the World Heritage List (hereinafter “World Heritage Village”), and surrounding areas as well as improving the living environment of the residents.

Welcome to the Gassho Style Village

Manner Video for Shirakawa-go

Journal “Gassho Style in Shirakawa-go”

The Shirakawa-go World Heritage Site Gassho Style Preservation Trust issues its journal annually to provide information about the activities etc. of the Trust.

[Newest Volume]

No.28 PDF (Japanese only)

You could read each journal published so far going to the following back issues. For those who cannot see PDF files, please download 「Adobe Reader」 (for free).

Back issues of the journal,
“Gassho Style in Shirakawa-go” (Japanese only)

Shirakawa-go Walking Guide

This map collects sites sure to leave a strong impression in the Ogi-machi Gassho Style Village of Shirakawa Village, as well as things villagers want visitors to see.

Multilingual versions

We prepared the “Shirakawa-go Walking Guide” to introduce every tourist to a variety of scenery in the World Heritage district. While making the guide, we hoped everyone could see the essence of Shirakawa-go and soak up the laid-back atmosphere of this rural area.

Another big objective of this guide is “to prevent overconcentration by decentralizing tourists.” Dispersing visitors to each sight would prevent the atmospheres of rural areas from being destroyed, thus fulfilling our wish for every visitor to enjoy a peaceful time.

In addition, this guide contains the structures of Gassho style houses, overviews of Ogi-machi Village, preservation history, overviews of the world heritage and other descriptions, covering all about Ogi-machi Village all in one volume. On your visit to Shirakawa Village, please pick up this guide to enjoy a walk around the World Heritage Ogi-machi Village.

“Shirakawa-go Walking Guide”［PDF 13.8MB］

＊Duplication and redistribution, including copying and printing, of the Shirakawa-go Walking Guide is prohibited.

To all visitors who come by car, please note: Guide to Parking Areas

village-operated Seseragi Park Parking Area opening hours: 8:00-17:00 (Last entry: 16:30)
*Parking fees: Bus/Minibuses ¥10,000, Cars ¥2,000, Motorcycles ¥500

Atention for visitors traveling!

Please note that, in order to protect the landscape and ensure visitor safety, vehicle entry to the World Heritage Village is strictly restricted.

When visiting the Shirakawa-go Gassho Style Village World Heritage Site by car, please use the public village-operated Seseragi Park Parking Area.

Part of the parking fee goes towards preserving the World Heritage site. If the parking area is full, staff will direct visitors to the Temporary Parking Area. From the Seseragi Park Parking Area, cross the Deai Bridge to reach the World Heritage Village.

The village and surrounding roads may be congested during the “Golden Week” period (end of April to beginning of May) and at the time of the Doburoku Festival (October 14 to 19). Please allow plenty of time when traveling during these periods.

Snow falls in Shirakawa-go from late December to early March. During the winter season, the roads may be covered in snow or ice. If you are visiting by car in winter, please ensure that your vehicle is equipped with studless snow tires, or tire chains.

Finaly, in the vicinity of the entrance to the Shirakawa-go Gassho Style Village World Heritage Site (in the vicinity of village-operated Seseragi Park Parking Area), there have been attempts at forcefully guiding visitors to privately-managed paid parking areas. We have received complaints about such activity from some visitors, and sincerely apologize for any inconvenience. Please see the information on the public parking areas and park in these parking areas.

Shirakawa-go World Heritage Site Gassho Style Preservation Trust

Important Notice: Village Parking & Sightseeing in Shirakawa-go

Requests for Visitors Traveling by Car

🚫 No Parking Inside the Historic Ogimachi Gassho Village

ニュウニュウ

About the Trust

How the Trust Was Established

About Electronic Public Notices

About the World Heritage

About Projects