Shirakawa-go
A mountain village in Gifu Prefecture known for its gassho-zukuri farmhouses, whose steep thatched roofs look like hands pressed together in prayer. With Gokayama in Toyama, it forms a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
- Where
- Shirakawa, Gifu, Japan
- Grade
- UNESCO heritage
- Worth
- 10 points collected on site, plus 8 for its grade
- Coordinates
- 36.2709, 136.8986
Get the Shirakawa-go stamp
Open LOQAH when you are at Shirakawa-go. It checks where you are once, at that moment, and the stamp is yours: confirmed on site in gold and struck with the date. It goes into your Gifu volume with your photos and a note.
Near Shirakawa-go
Kenroku-en 39 km
A strolling garden built over the Edo period by the Maeda lords and counted among the Three Great Gardens of Japan. About 10 hectares of winding paths, a large pond, tea houses and one of Japan's oldest fountains; in winter, ropes fan out from the pines to bear the snow.
21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art, Kanazawa 39 km
A round, glass-walled museum of contemporary art in the centre of Kanazawa, designed by the architects SANAA. Its best-known work is Leandro Erlich's Swimming Pool, where people appear to stand underwater beneath the surface.
Kanazawa Castle 39 km
A large, partly restored castle, headquarters of the Kaga Domain, which the Maeda clan ruled for 14 generations until the Meiji Restoration. Its white walls and pale lead-tiled roofs sit beside Kenroku-en, once the castle's private outer garden.
Higashi Chaya District 39 km
Kanazawa's best-preserved geisha quarter, a few lanes of wooden teahouses with fine latticed fronts from the Edo period. Some still host geisha entertainment, while others now hold cafes and shops selling gold leaf, a Kanazawa speciality.
Tateyama Kurobe Alpine Route 66 km
A 37-kilometre mountain route through the Northern Alps between Tateyama in Toyama and Omachi in Nagano, opened in 1971, climbing through a height difference of up to 1,975 metres. It is travelled by cable car, ropeway and bus, past the Kurobe Dam and, in spring, high walls of snow.
Kamikochi 66 km
A remote highland valley in the Hida Mountains of western Nagano, reached only by bus or taxi since private cars are kept out. Trails follow the clear Azusa River past Kappa Bridge, beneath the peaks of the Hotaka range.
Matsumoto Castle 96 km
One of Japan's premier historic castles and a National Treasure, originally known as Fukashi Castle. Its black-walled keep, nicknamed Crow Castle for its colour, rises over a moat with the Japanese Alps behind it.
Nagoya Castle 121 km
A castle in the centre of Nagoya built by the Tokugawa in the early 17th century, its keep topped by a pair of golden shachihoko, mythical tiger-headed fish. The rebuilt Hommaru Palace beside it shows the painted rooms of a lord's residence.
Questions
Where is Shirakawa-go?
Shirakawa-go is in Shirakawa, Gifu, Japan. The nearest other LOQAH stamps are Kenroku-en (39 km), 21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art, Kanazawa (39 km), Kanazawa Castle (39 km).
How do I get the Shirakawa-go stamp?
Open LOQAH when you are at Shirakawa-go and get its stamp. The app checks where you are once, at that moment, and the stamp goes into your Gifu volume, confirmed on site, with the date.
I have been to Shirakawa-go before. Can I still have the stamp?
Yes. Add it from Earlier trips in your Gifu volume, with the date if you know it, or import your Google Timeline and LOQAH matches the places you were.
Collect your first stamp.
LOQAH is free on iPhone and Android, in India and 20 more countries, with more countries on the way. Stand at a place, collect its stamp, and keep every trip in a passport that grows.