Only held 7 days each year, the Shirakawa-go illumination has become a major winter event in Japan. This tranquil UNESCO World Heritage Site is turned into a busy village with non-stop tourist during the illumination events from mid January to mid February each year. Locating at the Mount Haku in the Ryohaku Mountains, Shirakawa is one of the areas with heavy snowfall in Japan. Hence all the traditional gassho-zukuri houses were built with thatched- and steep-roofed to avoid cumulation of snow. And the wooden houses are built with no nails and other metal materials. The selected 7 days for the illumination event are held at Jan 16, 23, 24, 30, 31, Feb 7 and 14. There are buses that run between Takayama and Shirakawa-go but all tickets are sold out quickly. The alternative ways are either drive or hire a taxi.
