These thatched roofs have no nails holding them together, but remarkably, the roofs are strong enough to hold even when there is a mass amount of snow on the roof. The roofs need to be able to hold a lot of weight because during the winter, up to 2 meters of snow can pile up, yet the roof remains intact. In addition to their strength, the roofs are designed at such an angle that will automatically slide mass amounts of snow off the roof, which helps to maintain the structural integrity of the roofs.

The Gassho-zukuri style houses in Shirakawa have become a tourist destination in Japan. All the buildings are used for either the locals who live there, or for visitors to stay overnight or just to visit.

They usually cost only 9,000JPY per person a night, so if you are in the area, it is highly worth checking out now at Shirakawa Guest Houses.

On certain weekends, usually nearing the end of January / early February,  the village has Winter Illuminations, where the locals lit up their houses for a few hours the celebrate the illumination. It attracts plenty of tourists. Some of the buildings in Shirakawa can receive up to 1-2 meters at a time, and when the lights from the buildings reflect on the snow, it creates a magical experience.