Gassho Zukuri Minka-en Shirakawa-go
Gassho Zukuri Minka-en Shirakawa-go 合掌造り民家園
The Gassho Zukuri Minka-en or Gassho-zukuri Folklore Park is an open air museum in Japan. The Gassho-zukuri Folklore Park is a collection of historic gassho (praying hands) buildings from the Shirakawa-go area in Gifu and Toyama prefectures. This conservation area preserves over 25 thatched buildings in traditional style within lovely natural surroundings. The Ogimachi district where the park is located was awarded UNESCO World Heritage status in 1995.
Set up in the late 1960's following a mass exodus of villagers to the cities, the Gassho-zukuri Folklore Park contains family residences, a shrine, a stable, storage sheds, mills, a fire watchtower, traditional gates, barns, a temple and other buildings. A description in both Japanese and and English explains the background to each building, many of which can be entered (You may need to remove your shoes). Local handicrafts, tools, photographs and stuffed animals are on display. 
Gassho Zukuri Minka-en Shirakawa-go in the winter
Access - Getting There
Gassho Zukuri Minka-en 2499 Oaza Ogimachi Shirakawa-mura Ohno-gun Gifu 501-5627 Tel: 05769 6 1231 Admission: 500 yen Hours: April-November daily 8.40 am-5 pm April-July; Septembe-November; 8.30 am-5.30 pm August; 9 am-4 pm December-March There are buses from Nagoya to Shirakawa-go leaving from the Meitetsu Bus Center at 9 am on weekends and departing from Shirakawa-go at 3.35 pm for Nagoya. Journey time is 3 hours to 3 hours 40 minutes depending on traffic. The nearest exit on the Tokai Hokuriku Expressway is Shirakawa-go I.C.
Gassho houses in the summer
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The Gassho Zukuri Minka-en or Gassho-zukuri Folklore Park is a collection of historic gassho (praying hands) buildings from the Shirakawa-go area in Gifu and Toyama prefectures. This conservation area preserves over 25 thatched buildings in traditional style within lovely natural surroundings.
