Shirakawa-go (白川郷)

We spent most of the day at Shirakawa-go, a historic Japanese village.  There is a lot of snow in the winter there, so the houses are built in the gasshō-zukuri (合掌造り) or "prayer-hands construction" style.  It is called that because the roofs are slanted at a very steep angle and look like two hands praying.  The houses had to be built in this style because otherwise the weight of the snow in the winter would break the roof.  With the slanted roofs, the snow does not accumulate very much on top of the houses.  At the gift shop I bought a sarubobo, a human-shaped doll traditionally made by grandmothers for their grandchildren.  The word sarubobo translates to "baby monkey"- the faces are traditionally red like a monkey's and a monkey's childbirth is easy. These dolls are considered to be good luck charms. 

Taiga and me at a rest stop on the way to Shirakawa-go

at the rest stop- The scenery was incredible.

the information center at Shirakawa-go

some of the houses

in front of a temple

lunch- soba

There were a lot of small streams everywhere.

My whole host family (including the children's grandmother) and me

sarubobo dolls

overlooking the whole city