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Experience the rich architectural traditions of the Japanese countryside on a tour. Shirakawago widely-known as one of the most scenic places in Japan, is nestled along the shores of the Shokawa River and is surrounded by dramatic pine tree-covered mountains.

Here you'll find the unique Japanese thatched-roof farmhouses that are the center of attention. There are approximately 90 thatched farmhouses, sheds, and barns built about 200-300 years ago that were added to UNESCO'S World Heritage List in 1995. They are examples of the gassho-zukuri style, a form of construction that resembles hands-clasped in prayer.

Aesthetically pleasing, the steeply pitched roofs are extremely practical during the heavy snowstorms of the Shokawa River valley. Pitched at 60 degrees and oriented along a north-south axis, the farmhouses are able to more efficiently capture sunlight and shed weighty burdens.

Some of the farmhouses are clustered in an open-air museum called the Gassho-zukuri Minkaen: a photographer's dream. While admission is not included in the tour, you will find the museum a special place to visit if time permits. Filled with the tools of everyday life and including displays covering a wide array of daily tasks, the buildings are picturesquely situated around scenic ponds, rice paddies, flower beds, and gurgling streams.

Return to the pier by a coach.