THE ASAHI SHIMBUN
December 16, 2022 at 18:31 JST
Snow dusts the traditional "gassho-zukuri" steep-roofed homes in the Shirakawago area of Shirakawa, Gifu Prefecture, on Dec. 15. (Shuhei Yamashita)
SHIRAKAWA, Gifu Prefecture--Snow blanketed the Shirakawago area on Dec. 15, turning the World Heritage site into a winter wonderland spectacle.
A stream of overseas visitors on sightseeing tours visited an observatory overlooking the area and its famed traditional “gassho-zukuri” (steep-roofed) houses.
Some of them cried out with joy at the beautiful snowy scene.
Shirakawa village, which is part of the Shirakawago area, saw its first snow this winter on Dec. 14, according to the Japan Meteorological Agency.
By 11 a.m. on Dec. 15, the snow in the village was 13 centimeters deep.
“I’m worried we might get a blizzard,” said one villager.
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