Shirakawa-go Winter Light-Up Festival - A Night of Snow and Light at a World Heritage Site

The Shirakawa-go Light-up, held in the UNESCO World Heritage–listed Ogimachi gassho-zukuri village in Shirakawa, Gifu Prefecture, is a winter-only event that occurs just a few times each year and requires advance reservations. In the stillness of a snow-laden mountain valley, traditional gassho-zukuri houses with steep thatched roofs are bathed in warm light, creating an archetypal Japanese landscape that no photograph or video can fully capture. The breathtaking view from the Ogimachi Castle Ruins Observatory reveals the golden-lit village floating in the darkness, where the ethereal interplay of snow and illumination transports visitors to another world. Inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1995, the village preserves a unique architectural style adapted to heavy snowfall, and the brief light-up offers a chance to appreciate its value with all five senses. Because attendance is strictly by reservation, you cannot enter the Shirakawa-go Light-up if you simply turn up on the day. Anyone wishing to take part must secure a reservation ticket in advance.