Coming from the tropics, snow has always fascinated me. This was heightened all the more when I once saw a postcard of this little quaint village all covered in snow but with traditional houses all lit up. I knew that I just had to make it as one of my do as much as possible list – visit the quaint Japanese village of Shirakawago.
I originally wanted to stay in one of the farmhouses in the village itself but turns out there is a sort of lottery based reservation to be able to do that and it was just too late for me. So, we went via the bus tour route which included a walk around the village during the illumination. Yes, they do have special light up days in selected Sundays and Mondays for the months of January and February so make sure to check it out when booking the bus tour.
The traditional houses are made in the tradition of Gassho–zukuri. That is, a house built of wooden beams combined to form a steep thatched roof that resembles two hands together. With all the snow it gets, the houses are pretty sturdy to be able to withstand an average of 415 inches of snow per year.
Coming here and being able to wander around the village made me realize that mankind always finds a way to work with what nature offers.
Shirakawago, Gifu, Japan: Longitude, Latitude (36.2710° N, 136.8986° E (
my take 
due to the snow, I first thought that photo was a black and white postcard ahah stay warm and have a great weekend, cheers from Portugal 🙂 PedroL