Shirakawa-go is a small, traditional village in Gifu Prefecture in Japan, known for its "gassho-zukuri" style buildings. While only a three hour drive from Nagoya, I had never visited it before, so when we decided to go camping in Gifu during the Golden Week holiday, we included Shirakawa-go in our plans. For photos, I generally like to visit places at dawn or dusk, but as our campsite was an hour and a half away, we ended up at Shirakawa-go in mid-morning on a mostly cloudless day, conditions under which many photographers will opt to not shoot, but when combining photography with family outings, I have to take what I can get. We parked at the free parking lot on the hill above the village and I got a couple shots of the town from above before walking down the hill. At the moment, the rice fields were dry and barren, but I imagine the view when the rice fields are flooded with water, and reflecting the colors of the setting or rising sun would be spectacular.

The gassho-zukuri houses are distinctive for their simple A-frame construction and thick, thatch roofs.

Being a bit colder than Nagoya, the Sakura trees in Shirakawa-go still had blossoms. At one point a breeze started up and blew the petals from the trees. In Japanese, this is described as "sakura no fubuki" or a cherry blossom blizzard, because it resembles wind-blown snow.

Though not the best conditions for photos, the charms of the village were apparent. If you ever find yourself in Gifu Prefecture in Japan, Shirakawa-go is worth a visit.