Japan: Shirakawago ancient village among the most beautiful villages in the world

According to a VNA correspondent in Japan, the ancient thatched-roof village of Shirakawago in Japan's Gifu prefecture received the highest score for its charm in a new global ranking of the world's 50 most beautiful villages.

This UNESCO World Heritage site ranked first in Asia and ninth worldwide in a newly released list compiled and curated by Unforgettable Travel Company and Forbes.

In its description, Forbes states: “Covered in the silence of the highlands, Shirakawago appears like something out of a fairy tale: steep thatched roofs rise up the green slopes or are covered by thick layers of snow… At dusk, lanterns flicker along the quiet streets and the air is thick with the smell of wood smoke. If you visit in winter, you will encounter nights when lanterns cast a golden light on the snow-covered eaves, like stars gently falling to the ground.”

Other picturesque villages in Asia include the lakeside village of Ban Rak Thai in Thailand, the Hahoe Folk Village in South Korea, and the Ghandruk village in the mountains of Nepal.

Meanwhile, European villages dominated the global rankings with Bibury in the UK taking top spot, followed by Hallstatt in Austria and Reine in Norway.
Shirakawago is famous for its lush green landscape and centuries-old gasshō-zukuri-style houses.

Gasshō-zukuri, meaning “prayer hands,” refers to the sloping roofs of the massive houses that are a symbol of this land. Located at the foot of the 2,702-meter-high Mt. Haku and about 50 kilometers inland from the Sea of Japan, the iconic structures here are designed to withstand harsh weather conditions, have distinctive steep thatched roofs, and are assembled using traditional Japanese craftsmanship, not nails, but interwoven wooden beams that are tightly bound together.

“Due to the natural conditions of the area, with high mountains and heavy snowfall, communication with neighboring regions is limited. However, this also facilitates the development of unique cultural practices and lifestyles,” the village’s official website says.

With rural populations dwindling, Japanese officials are increasingly looking to attract tourists to remote areas to support local economies . However, Shirakawago – with a population of about 1,500, most of whom are elderly – receives millions of visitors each year, raising concerns about overtourism.

The local government has released an online guidebook listing rules of conduct that tourists should keep in mind when visiting the area, including not entering private land when taking photos and smoking only in designated areas./.

(TTXVN/Vietnam+)

Source: https://www.vietnamplus.vn/nhat-ban-lang-co-shirakawago-lot-top-nhung-ngoi-lang-dep-nhat-the-gioi-post1061536.vnp