The Shirakawago Winter Travel Guide

I’ve been wanting to go to Shirakawago in winter ever since I first saw it on social media. It was an evening illumination scene, where the gassho-zukuri farmhouses were covered in a thick blanket of snow. It was one of the most magical scenes I had ever seen.

That was a few years ago and I’ve been to Shirakawago twice now, both in winter of the same year. Like the cherry blossoms, snow can be unpredictable. Our first visit was in late January when we were sure to find snow, but there wasn’t a single snowflake on the ground. Instead, it was drizzling that day. It was still beautiful but not exactly the winter wonderland I was hoping to find.

Thankfully, I got a chance to visit again a few weeks later when I toured the Chubu region with JR Central. Not only was there a fresh cover of snow…