Shirakawa, Gifu (village)

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This article is about the village in Gifu Prefecture, Japan. There are other places with this name including a town in Gifu and a city in Fukushima Prefecture, see Shirakawa, Gifu and Shirakawa, Fukushima.

**Shirakawa**
**白川村**
Shirakawa's location in Gifu Prefecture, Japan.
Location
Country	Japan
Region	Chūbū
Prefecture	Gifu Prefecture
District	Ōno District
Physical characteristics
Area	356.55 km² (137.66 sq mi)
Population (as of October 1, 2007)
Total	1,946
Density	5.46 /km² (14 /sq mi)
Location	36°16′N, 136°54′E
Symbols
Tree	Beech
Flower	Rhododendron
Shirakawa Government Office
Address	〒501-5692 517 Hatogaya, Shirakawa-mura, Gifu-ken
Phone number	05769-6-1311
Official website: Village of Shirakawa

Ogimachi village in Shirakawa-gō

Traditional Housing in Shirakawa-gō

Shirakawa (白川村, Shirakawa-mura^?) is a village located in Gifu Prefecture, Japan.

It is best known for being the site of Shirakawa-gō (白川郷, Shirakawa-gō^?), a small, traditional village showcasing a style of buildings called gasshō-zukuri.

As of April 1, 2004 the village has an estimated population of 1,933 and a density of 5.4 persons per km². The total area is 356.55 km².

The village is located near Takayama, in Gifu. Together with Gokayama in Nanto, Toyama, it is one of UNESCO's World Heritage Sites.

This town was used as the setting for the anime series, Higurashi no Naku Koro ni under the name 'Hinamizawa' (雛見沢).

1 Geography
- 1.1 Neighboring municipalities
2 See also
3 External links

[edit] Geography

One of the snowiest places in Japan, 95.7% of Shirakawa is covered by forests. It touches Ishikawa Prefecture to the west and Toyama Prefecture to the north. The border with Ishikawa Prefecture is made by the Ryōhaku Mountains, and the one with Toyama Prefecture is created by Mount Ningyō. The Shōkawa River flows through the village, and most of the population is inhabited in its valley.

[edit] Neighboring municipalities

[edit] See also

Historic Villages of Shirakawa-go and Gokayama

[edit] External links

The Wikimedia Commons has media related to Shirakawa, Gifu.
Shirakawa official website in Japanese (some English content)
Shirakawa official website in Japanese (some English content)
UNESCO entry on Shirakawa-go and Gokayama
Shirakawa-go travel guide from Wikitravel

v • d • e World Heritage Sites in Japan

Buddhist Monuments, Hōryū-ji Area · Gusuku Sites and Related Properties of the Kingdom of Ryukyu · Himeji Castle · Hiroshima Peace Memorial (Genbaku Dome) · Historic Monuments of Ancient Kyoto (Kyoto, Uji and Otsu Cities) · Historic Monuments of Ancient Nara · Historic Villages of Shirakawa-go and Gokayama · Itsukushima Shinto Shrine · Iwami Ginzan Silver Mine and its Cultural Landscape · Sacred Sites and Pilgrimage Routes in the Kii Mountain Range · Shirakami-Sanchi · Shiretoko · Shrines and Temples of Nikkō · Yakushima