Historic Villages of Shirakawa-go and Gokayama

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NHK World Heritage 100 Series

Narration Text

Preserving the Gassho Style: The Historic Villages of Shirakawa-go and Gokayama

The villages are in central Japan and are known for their Gassho-style homes. Gassho means "praying hands" - the shape of the rooves is reminiscent of hands raised in prayer.

The steeply sloped roof structure allows heavy rain and snow to slide off without piling up on top - the thatched roof lasts longer. The villages lie in an area of heavy snowfall in Japan. Many of the Gassho Style houses were built between the end of the Edo period until the Meiji period.

Family members gather at the open hearth. They make sure the fire never dies out. The smoke from the fire plays an important role. The warm air provides heat to the attics and the smoke fumigates the beams and the ropes, fixing them in place. A Gassho house is made of timber, straw and ropes – no nails are used. When Spring arrives, a whole winter's worth of moisture can be seen evaporating.

But the rooves can only last for 40 to 50 or so years and have to be re-thatched. The whole village takes part. People line up to put a large needle and rope through the bundles of straw on the roof structure. They thread the needle through so it is caught on the other side to secure the straw in place. The villagers work their way up together in a line. This helps produce a level surface. The finishing touch is trimming the straw on the roof edge. It is called "Katakiri" and is carried out by the most skillful thatchers in the village.

Gassho Style houses have been homes for people used to hardship – the warmth and affection among the villagers is perhaps their most precious tradition of all.